Shopsmith Forums

I have the PowerPro headstock. The set screw which secures the saw blade arbor to the spindle has begun to loosen while the saw is in use. This allows the saw blade to begin slowly sliding down the taper at the end of the spindle. This interferes with the operation of the saw and while nothing catastrophic has ever happened it can not be safe. Is there any tip anyone has make the set screw more secure in its position? Do you think getting a new set screw from Shopsmith would be the wisest or safest course of action?
Dan Moriarty

Blue LocTight, but that is a fix, not a solved problem, which I think should not be happening.

One suggestion I have is to check the ends of your Allen wrenches. If they round over, you can't put enough torque on the set screw without the wrench popping out.

I use the belt sander and the miter gauge to keep the wrench square to the belt. A few seconds is usually all it takes. See if a nicely dressed Allen wrench solves the problem.

Make certain that you have the correct type setscrew. It should be a flat point.

http://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/viewt ... ew#p170731

I use Teflon tape on the set screw. Seems to work well.

Shopsmith has a brass tipped set screw they use on at least the 510/520 saw arbors that I have found to work very well.

You do have to make sure you are getting on the flat of the shaft and tightening there, if you do that it should work for you.

Yes I'd get a new setscrew, they are not cheap so get a few before the price increase that is coming up.

Ed

For the cost of shipping you can get a hand full of setscrews at a good hardware store.

dusty wrote:For the cost of shipping you can get a hand full of setscrews at a good hardware store.

And 3 years and 10 months from now you still will not be finding the brass tipped one that shopsmith has....... go to shopsmith and get the right one.

Ed

reible wrote:

dusty wrote:For the cost of shipping you can get a hand full of setscrews at a good hardware store.

And 3 years and 10 months from now you still will not be finding the brass tipped one that Shopsmith has....... go to shopsmith and get the right one.

Ed

I respect your opinion, Ed, but why is the brass tipped set screw the "right" set screw. For years now, the set screw that Shopsmith used for these specific applications was not the brass tipped set screw. To the best of my knowledge, I don't have a single brass tipped set screw in any of my equipment.

Maybe I should say that the current 5/8" arbors for the 510/520 machines come with the brass tip setscrew. This has been for quite a few years now. We have had several threads that contained information on this.

Keep in mind if you have only the larger arbors or older 500 hardware you will have not have the brass tip.

From memory the normal set screw runs you about $.80, the brass tip, again from memory was like $3.80 each. So I feel that if shopsmith is putting them in they are the correct ones to use on those arbors.

From personal use I have never had one of those come loose, I can't say that for the others. I also only use 5/8" arbor saw blades. I have a couple of the larger arbors that came with the upgrades but I have never used them.

I don't have the part number but I remember someone here having ordered some not too long ago. Anyway if it were me that is the ones I would order even with the larger price tag.

I have also replaced other set screws from time to time, that seems to have helped as well.

Ed