Shopsmith Forums

I'm rebuilding my 10e and just got my order from McMaster-Carr for the headstock bearings and pulley. You may recall from a previous post how I completely destroyed my headstock pulley in the process of pulling it off the shaft.

Well, the replacement pulley I received has a keyway in it in addition to a set screw. The shaft is hollow, otherwise I'd gladly cut a keyway into it as well.

My question: Is it OK to use the pulley as-is with no key and just the set screw mounted on the shaft? Or will the keyway compromise the hold the pulley has on the shaft and lead to it wandering while it spins?

I should also note: the reason I wound up destroying the original pulley is because it apparently drifted and dug itself onto the shaft. There's a witness groove going along the side of the shaft where the set screw dragged and dug into it.

Maybe drill it and put a cotter pin through it?

I found that I had to grind a flat on any round shaft/bit or drill a small depth hole in the shaft for the set screw to hold if no key and keyway is present. Of course, I use Loctite on everything these days.

Loctite thread lock, I assume? Even on a non-threaded shaft?

Fortunately, the shaft already has a flat spot, so not concerned about that. Just concerned the channel cut into the bore on the pulley may weaken it if there's no key inserted into it.

Regarding the cotter pin - you mean to drill a hole through the shaft to fasten it? That may work, but I'm a bit reluctant to modify the shaft at this point. Definitely worth considering, though.

I would doubt a cotter pin would work, and may make the situation worse. Cotter pins are designed to keep a nut from backing off, not to hold a pulley from spinning on a shaft. If it were to sheer it could wedge that pulley so tight you would have to cut it off. Yes, I've done that:mad:

If I didn't have advice from someone who knew what they were doing, here's what I would do.

Fill the key slot with JB Weld.
Slide it on the shaft and work it back and forth on the rounded portion of the shaft, not the flat.
Then set the pulley off to dry standing up with the weld at the bottom.

That may be the totally wrong thing to do, and if so, I'm sure somebody here will tell us, and why. Which is really cool cause I will learn a lesson without having to actually screw up.

Virtual screwups!! I may be on to something here.

That might actually work!

wodnek wrote:Maybe drill it and put a cotter pin through it?

Not a good idea. On the 10E/ER the headstock shaft where the pulleys mount is hollow with splines on the inside. When the quill is retracted the quill shaft goes all the way through it.

kablerj wrote:If I didn't have advice from someone who knew what they were doing, here's what I would do.

Fill the key slot with JB Weld.
Slide it on the shaft and work it back and forth on the rounded portion of the shaft, not the flat.
Then set the pulley off to dry standing up with the weld at the bottom.

That may be the totally wrong thing to do, and if so, I'm sure somebody here will tell us, and why. Which is really cool cause I will learn a lesson without having to actually screw up.

Virtual screwups!! I may be on to something here.

I think that would work as well. I have used JB Weld on many things and it has never failed me.

My only precaution if using Kablerj's suggestion, is make sure the set screw is "set" into the steel and not the KB Weld. It will hold better ...

JMHO

Dick

rjent wrote:I think that would work as well. I have used JB Weld on many things and it has never failed me.

My only precaution if using Kablerj's suggestion, is make sure the set screw is "set" into the steel and not the KB Weld. It will hold better ...

JMHO

Dick

The 'KB' weld is on the pulley. The set screw 'sets' into the flat on the shaft.

IIWM, I would ignore the keyway in the pulley.