Headstock lock stuck locked

HermitJensen · Post by **HermitJensen** » Mon Aug 07, 2017 8:35 pm

I recently got the urge, and time, to finally try and resurrect my grandfathers Shopsmith that I semi-inherited after he died over a decade ago. I cleaned off all the dust and old sawdust and tried unlocking the headstock lock to let me slide it away from the bandsaw attachment that it has been on for probably over 15 years or so, and I found that the handle turned, I could see the wedge on the opposite side move away from the rail, but the wedge closest to the handle doesnt budge at all. I even tried tapping it unlocked from the inside to no avail. After a few weeks of researching this problem I keep seeing people say they may need to cut through the threaded rod and buy a new lock system, which might be doable for me, however I just wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions on something I can try to get this stuck wedge off the rail so I can slide the headstock?

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Mon Aug 07, 2017 9:30 pm

You had the motor/pan removed?

Is the front wedge(the stuck one) tight against the wing nut?(good sign) or does it not move in/out on the threaded shaft when the wing nut is rotated(bad sign).

Try 'gentle' tapping on the wedge/threaded rod from the back. The rear wedge moving should create some play. If the wing nut moves out from the headstock, but the wedge does not (bad sign).

Have you applied something to penetrate any crud buildup in the wedge bore?

If you get it unstuck, I recommend a thorough cleaning/lubing the wedges and bores, and the threaded rod. I like graphite there on all moving parts.

The front wedges(left hand thread) have a nasty habit of getting stripped(blame the gorilla in us all).

HermitJensen · Post by **HermitJensen** » Tue Aug 08, 2017 11:35 am

the front wedge (stuck one) does not do anything with the threaded rod when the handle is turned, im guessing its completely stripped on the inside. The motor pan is out as far as I can get it. And I did try some WD-40 as it was the first thing I had on hand. It actually appears as if the stuck wedge is fused to the headstock frame itself as I cant even see an edge between the two pieces of metal.

thunderbirdbat · Post by **thunderbirdbat** » Tue Aug 08, 2017 3:12 pm

WD40 is not really a penetrating oil. At this point with the motor and cover removed, I would remove the other wedge and the rod. If the rod can be removed without cutting it, then you would only need a set of replacement wedges. The wedges are made of a lot softer material than the rod so I would expect the threads on the wedge to strip before the rod. The handle is fastened to the rod by a 1/8 in roll pin that will need to be removed. After the rod is removed, tap on the side of the wedge to see if you can break it free.

everettdavis · Post by **everettdavis** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 9:51 am

Tilt it on the side to expose the front at near 12 O'clock position (pointing up)

Mix a teaspoon of Marvel Mystery Oil with a teaspoon of Acetone in a small glass bottle (acetone will eat plastic) and agitate it until it is mixed.

Pour that mixture around the opening and let it sit. The Acetone will lower the viscosity of the Marvel Mystery Oil allowing it to penetrate further into the opening, or expose the one that is there and full of aluminum oxide. As the acetone evaporates, the Mystery Oil will penetrate further and work on the seized part.

It may take two or three applications. Be patient. If you can slide a socket over the locking shaft, place it against the lock and with a SMALL rubber or rawhide hammer, tap it gently to see if you can induce some movement of the penetrant mix.

As a last resort, cut the rod if it will not come out any other way.

Everett

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 9:00 pm

After cutting the threaded rod, the stuck wedge will still be 'stuck'.

I would not cut the rod until the wedge is free to move.

Only cut the rod if the wedge cannot be removed from the rod.

HermitJensen · Post by **HermitJensen** » Fri Aug 18, 2017 11:33 pm

So an update after a week or so of working off and on on this issue. Thank you everyone for the suggestions.
So, quick version, I did manage to get the threaded rod out and the back wedge without cutting the rod.. more on that later..
My dad and I figured out how to get the bandsaw attachment off without the headstock sliding, barely had the room and could lift it just enough to slide it out. So that enabled me to be able to work on the stuck wedge in the vertical setting. Many attempts were made with trying to hammer it out, then penetrating oil, then resorted to drilling 4 small holes around the wedge and widening the gap until it finally with a hard tap from the inside, finally moved away from the waytube.

Now back to the getting the rod and back wedge out..I misinterpreted/misread something someone had said.. and tried to purposefully strip the back wedge to get the rod out. I just kept turning the lock to tighten it expecting the wedge to get stripped..that however did not happen. I heard a loud bang and looked inside and found the wedge had "jumped" over the waytube but left a nice dent in the tube as well..opps..I then just kept turning the rod until I could unscrew the back wedge and then just kept turning it until it came out of the stuck wedge.

I was able to slide the headstock around a bit even with the dent, I even managed to slide it away from the end enough to get over the dent. I then attempted to file and sand away any bulge the dent caused, then tried to get the headstock off the tubes completely..then it got stuck on something while mere inches away from being off. I have removed both tubes from the shop smith and plan to just try and hit the tube with a mallet until the headstock clears the dent/bulge.
So I solved my original problem but gave myself a new one, but I hope that one will just be a matter of several dozen taps with a mallet, then getting a replacement lock. Again, thankyou everyone for the advice, it all proved incredibly valuable

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sat Aug 19, 2017 11:40 am

I am experiencing great 'difficulty' getting my mind around the threaded rod in a soft wedge that deforms the waytube(especially without also causing damage to the headstock casting) by simply rotating the rod.

HermitJensen · Post by **HermitJensen** » Sat Aug 19, 2017 1:03 pm

You're not the only one.. I literally stared at it for a few minutes after it happened not comprehending how that happened..
But yeah there is no damage or cracks on the casing at all. the wedge is a bit smoother and rounder from where it pushed over the tube but thats about it.
I did however just get the dented tube free from the headstock finally, so I just need to file and sand the rest of the bulge out cause i can see where I didnt do that so well and that was probably the problem.
If I can I'll see if I can post a picture of the dented tube just so you can see and believe it..I'm still wondering how it happened but I'll count myself lucky nothing went horribly wrong.

HermitJensen · Post by **HermitJensen** » Sat Aug 19, 2017 6:23 pm

Hopefully I figured out how to post pictures correctly, and also didnt mess up the pictures trying to get them to be the right size.

scratches around the dent are from me trying to file and sand down the bulges the dent produced.
Also, wired the motor back into the switch to try and test it out, and hoping it worked. The thing fired right up and sounds almost brand new, wish they made things to last like this thing these days.