Shopsmith Forums

I just purchased a 1991 SS Mark 5. Never owned one before. It is very clean and well cared for but it's difficult to slide the carriage and the headstock on the way tubes. It is also very difficult to rotate the table from 90 degrees to 180 degrees. The clamps act as if they are sticking just a bit. Next it is difficult to get the table to start into the carriage as well as the extension table to seat into the end of the SS. I'm assuming it's sawdust and some age with some typical oxidization. I have read the Way Tubes get Johnson's Paste Wax. But is there more I can do to slicken them up. Seems like WD-40 would just capture the dust and make a mess making things worse. Also I read you have to oil the Idler Sheave from time to time? What oil should be used for that?

Don't use WD-40 on the way tubes. You're right ... it'll make a mess. Use wax. For oiling the internals, take a look at the "Zoom Spout" oiler with an extendable nozzle to reach the oil holes. Ace has them - about $4 including 4 oz of oil last I bought one.

Any light machine oil(#10) will do. Spout makes sheave oiling easier(a very important task every 10 hrs of run time). Some oil(sparingly) on the hinged pivots will help.

ALL tubes will benefit from JPW(Johnson's paste wax(original)) as they slide in bores. Wax the bores as well.

Moving threads benefit from powdered graphite.

In addition to slick, the wax adds corrosion protection.

P.S. let the wax 'dry' about 1/2 hr and buff.

Thanks guys... Any thoughts on the clamps for the 510 table? It's like the far clamp is sticking and making it tough to turn the table from zero to 90.

Spooner wrote:Thanks guys... Any thoughts on the clamps for the 510 table? It's like the far clamp is sticking and making it tough to turn the table from zero to 90.

They tend to stick a bit. When you loosen the clamp handle bump the end of the shaft with the heel of your hand. That will pop the wedges loose. Once you have done it a few times it becomes second nature.

There is also the '$20 bill trick' from Sawdust Session 1 for 510/520 tables. This is a deviation from the table alignment procedure in the manual. It is kind of new to me but the intent, IIUC, is to create a bit of positive brake release when you loosen the clamp. Someone that has been using it longer may have better observations, it is on my 'to do' list for next time I need to do an alignment.

- David

DLB wrote:There is also the '$20 bill trick' from Sawdust Session 1 for 510/520 tables. This is a deviation from the table alignment procedure in the manual. It is kind of new to me but the intent, IIUC, is to create a bit of positive brake release when you loosen the clamp. Someone that has been using it longer may have better observations, it is on my 'to do' list for next time I need to do an alignment.

- David

Now you've done it. What's the $20 bill trick? Trying to find it here or sending you $20 to reveal the trick?

Sawdust Sessions #1: http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Arch ... gnment.htm The trick is just to use a bill to set a gap and lightly lock the table angle while bolting the table to the trunnions. (As opposed to firmly locking the table angle with no gap.) The discussion starts about 12:50 into the video.

- David

What about bees wax?

Spooner wrote:What about bees wax?

If you are talking about on the speed control then I have a story for you.

I'm willing to try new things so I did the beeswax on the speed control gears and then came cold weather. I live in a climate where we have winter and as expected it gets cold. My shop is the garage so it too gets cold. I can heat it but it takes a while to heat up and then there is the cost....

To make this story shorter, the beeswax get hard, so much so I was unable to change speeds without fearing I was going to damage something. So I had to dig inside and chip the wax off and clean it up. Not a fun project in the cold.

Boy was that fun to try.

Ed