Shopsmith Forums

I found a used Shopsmith 500. It’s a little rusty.
I’ve been cleaning it up, but there is a lathe
drive center stuck on the Morse taper drive shaft.
I’ve removed screws and have been spraying
PBlaster in the holes for a month. I’ve tried
prying it toward the end of the shaft, but can’t
Get it loose?

Any ideas? Heat?

Thanks, Jim

Hi,

I'm confused. You mention a stuck drive center on a Shopsmith that has a Morse taper and that is held on with screws and you've been spraying lubricant in holes.

But the Shopsmith drive center (with the point and X-shaped spur) doesn't have a Morse taper. It fits over the quill on the headstock. It is held on with a single 5/32 Allen-head set screw that engages a flat on the quill. It is the item marked "A" in this linked photo.


The only Morse tapers on the Shopsmith lathe parts are on the dead center (marked "B") and live center (marked "C") that fit in the tailstock. These are held in place via a friction fit in an insert in the tailstock. The insert is held in place in the tailstock with two set screws.

So, are we talking drive spur on the headstock or the centers in the tail stock? And if it is the drive center on the headstock, was there really more than one screw you removed? And if so, where were they located? I'm concerned you may have removed a set screw on the spindle knob -- the silver knurled knob -- that is designed to prevent the quill from being pushed into the headstock and that that you've been spraying lubricant where it doesn't belong. Here's the spindle knob and its set screw.


Al

Sometimes I use a bench vise to get two stuck parts apart. I'm assuming it's the tailstock eccentric that the drive center is wedged into. If so, stick the drive center in a deep socket bigger around than the drive but smaller than the eccentric and put in the vice and apply pressure slowly. If it doesn't come out right away, leave enough pressure on it to give it time to work and come back to it later to put more pressure on it.

If it is the live center that is stuck,,,, try putting the stuck end in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes and then see if you can tap it off with a open end wrench that just fits around the shaft and a hammer ,if you have a cardboard box and some saw dust or rags to catch it when it comes off it will save the pointed tip, then clean lubricate every thing , I have done this with stuck bullets in a muzzle loader , I wouldnt put a torch to it , it can change the hardness .

Thanks for your help!

I have a (spur?) lathe center type A stuck on the
Morse taper shaft on the headstock shaft. I’ve removed
The screws holding the lathe center on the shaft, and
Squirted PB Blaster oil in the screw holes for a long time
But have not been able to get it off.

I can’t put it in a vise, or hit it anywhere that will
do any good. I’ve tried to pry between the lathe
center and the knurled aluminum collar to no effect.
I don’t want to put a pipe wrench on it and strip wiki x

ShalomOrchard wrote:Thanks for your help!

I have a (spur?) lathe center type A stuck on the
Morse taper shaft on the headstock shaft. I’ve removed
The screws holding the lathe center on the shaft, and
Squirted PB Blaster oil in the screw holes for a long time
But have not been able to get it off.

I can’t put it in a vise, or hit it anywhere that will
do any good. I’ve tried to pry between the lathe
center and the knurled aluminum collar to no effect.
I don’t want to put a pipe wrench on it and strip wiki x

Ok, i’m still a little confused. The Shopsmith headstock does NOT have a morse taper at all. The tailstock does (the non powered end). The spur drive has only one screw. You have said you took out the screws, and I assume you meant more than one. Can you take a pic and upload it here? It sounds like the drive is rusted on. Keep applying a good penetrationg oil. If you have a heat gun (not a torch) apply heat to the spur. It should expand enough to come loose. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

As Chris pointed out, the Shopsmith spindle doesn’t have a Morse taper. It had a 5/8” round output shaft, with a reverse-tapered flat for set screws to seat on. Your drive center (and all the Shopsmith chucks, arbors, etc.) have mating 5/8” bores machined for a precision slip fit over the spindle output shaft, and a set screw to lock them in place.

Penetrating oil is a good first step for your stuck drive center. But it didn't do the trick for the arbor that came stuck on my 10ER. So after a week of soaking, I tried heating the arbor with a propane torch. That still didn't get it off. Finally, I resorted to inserting the blade of a junk chisel behind the arbor, and tapping the chisel until the arbor came free. I expected that operation to trash the spindle bearings, but it didn't. Once I had it apart, if memory serves, I found that the load path for the chisel thrust didn't actually go through the bearings.

I haven't tried it, but a bearing splitter would probably be a better tool for that operation than a chisel.

Shalom
I assume this is what you have? See picture
There is a flat milled on the taper with two shoulders
You might have to remove the set screw completely to cleat the shoulder

Also, sorry for the confusion

paul269 wrote:Shalom
I assume this is what you have? See picture
There is a flat milled on the taper with two shoulders
You might have to remove the set screw completely to cleat the shoulder

Also, sorry for the confusion

Hmmmm! Maybe we be barking up the wrong tree!

Happens when descriptors are fuzzy.

That MT2 part is NOT a drive shaft. Easily misunderstood to be so by a newbie fer sure.

So, what are we actually trying to separate?

A detail to be cleared up is the set screw holeS statement.