Shopsmith Forums

When rotating the shaft should there be any amount of play? Rotating it back and forth I seem to have just a little slack. Up and down/side to side is solid, just has some rotating slack. I can attach a quick video if that doesn't make sense....I'm a SS noob (only had it for a month now). This is on my 510, not my old greenie from my other post.

All mine (MKV, 2- 10er's) have some rotational play. Whether it should be there or not, I don't know. I was wondering if there is a way to get rid of it, like getting rid of the in and out (fore and aft) play which is relatively simple.

Thanks for the response. I was just comparing it to my much older 500 greenie and that has absolutely no rotational slack so I wasn't sure which one was correct.

thormxer wrote:Thanks for the response. I was just comparing it to my much older 500 greenie and that has absolutely no rotational slack so I wasn't sure which one was correct.

You are welcome. I sure would like to have no rotational "slack" in mine, and I still don't know whether it is an acceptable tolerance or not. Sounds like there should not be any, especially if your "greenie" has none. On the other hand, I wonder if the difference is in the greenie's" gilmer drive.

Hopefully, some others will provide an opinion. There are many helpful and knowledgeable members on this forum. I'm just a newbie with regard to the mechanical issues of the Shopsmiths.

Here is a thread I started not too long ago on the issue in my 10er's. http://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/maint ... 20371.html

I now see (after re-reading the other thread) that in the other thread, the suggested repair for the 10er is replacement of the quill and/or drive sleeve. I would still be very curious to know how many Shopsmiths out there have this rotational play.

Simple answer is all shopsmiths have the play. The drive is a spline shaft that has to be driven, the same shaft is what allows the quill to move in and out. If you had no play the shaft would not function the way it should.

On current machines there is a plastic part, "drive ring assembly" which is likely the part the takes the brunt of using the machine and is likely the part that is worn more or less with the less being the small amount of rotation and the worn as being the most rotation. Part number 514083 if you want to look it up.

There are few operations where it matters and most people would not experience any issue. The only thing I can think of that might be a problem if it the play were excessive would be indexing off he shaft for turning or drilling operations. Most users don't do that.

You could replace the part but it will wear again.........

Ed

Thanks, Ed.