Shopsmith Forums

Nick mentions turning the drive drum to remove the crown. Any tips on how one would do this, or might I better take it to a machinist with a proper metal lathe?

I don't understand. Please provide reference to where Nick made that recommendation. I want to view it.

Why? Because the crown is functional in keeping the belt tracking properly.

Nevermind, Paul. I found the reference and I was wrong. The drive drum is what you said and I was thinking the tracking drum. I found the Sawdust Session (Tuning Up the Belt Sander) and found the reference. I also realize that I had discarded this valuable bit of info because I have a flat drive drum. Very self centered approach, I must admit.

With a million tidbits of ShopSmith know-how, you a permitted to drop a few now and then.

I machine the drive drum to a flat surface on all of the earlier belt sanders with the curved drive roller surface on my 7X10 HF metal lathe. I use 3M Super 77 Adhesive to glue a new drive sleeve. This really helps with the crowning and tracking of the sanding belt. All later model belt sanders had the flat surface drive roller.

Thanks Bill. My belt sander had the dual crowned rollers, and tracking has been an issue for me, and the previous owner. The sacrifial tinnermans didn't quite suffice, and I have to confess that I'm in the final stages of "bodywork" repair of the two body castings. (Stripped, sanded areas around damage, bondo, shape, sand, prime and now paint.

It might be only wishful thinking that by flattening the drive drum and installing new tinnermans that the bondo will survive. But since it really was only a cosmetic issue, I couldn't see myself forking out the money for new castings. (The damage was no deepr than 3/32 at the worst points)

I have a neighbor with small machine shop, so I think I'll try to enlist him to help me turn the drum. As much as I would like to tinker with a HF Mini-Lathe, I just can't justify it just for this project.


Thanks again to all who have gone before me -- especially Bill (above) and JPG who has done a similar refurb (sans Bondo). While the paint dries I'm busy in Photoshop working on replacement labels. Unlike JPG, I can't seem to get them off without damage.

Like my Powerpro, scroll saw, and bandsaw, this is getting a two-tone Black and Dark Bronze Rustoleum hammered treatment. On the belt sander the sides are Dark Bronze, the table and trunion are black. I can't decide which to paint the end piece (PVC dust collector). (Edit: Black won out as I have a can of "Rustoleum Universal Hammered Black" that claims it is better for plastic.)

Work in progress:

Drum is off to the machinist for flattening. This morning I ordered a new rubber sleeve, and the backing plate. My plate had some pitting, and significant uneven wear at the ends. I started to rework it, and then decided it was the only part of the machine that really should be 100%. I also ordered (Amazon) the 3M adhesive Bill Mayo recommended. Sounds like something that would be handy in the shop regardless.

Everything should be here by week's end. I hate waiting for orders. Good thing I'm in an area with Home Depot, Menards, Lowes, Harbor Freight, Woodcraft, and a Rockler distributer all within an hour. Oh, and a lumberyard that caters to fine woodworking.

But it does make me think I've lost all patience. Remember when mail-order was "please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery"?

Reassembly day. The old backing plate will go on for now as the replacement was defective (Shopsmith sending a new one). The drum is perfectly flat and almost too pretty to cover with the new sleeve. The machinist drilled a small hole in the end of the drum shaft to facilitate accurate lathe alignment.

paulrussell wrote:Reassembly day. The old backing plate will go on for now as the replacement was defective (Shopsmith sending a new one). The drum is perfectly flat and almost too pretty to cover with the new sleeve. The machinist drilled a small hole in the end of the drum shaft to facilitate accurate lathe alignment.

That will help with future bearing replacement.