Shopsmith Forums

I know others have run into this hazardous problem with roller stands, so this might have been covered in a previous thread...

While back I bought two Lowes "Kobalt" brand roller stands, and after short use the absurd soft polypro torque-lock handles rapidly crapped out on each of them. I will be gall-darned if I am going to junk these stands and pay $100 each for premium (yes, Rockler) new ones!

The roller-height lock mechanism on these stands is essentially a 5/16-18 UNC hex bolt which serves as a setscrew with a cheapo plastic torque handle attached. Unlike a setscrew, the bolt bears not directly on the square tube but rather on a metal tab which in turn bears on the square tube holding the roller. Torqing the bolt/setscrew pushes the tab into loaded contact with the tube and this locks in the roller height - without the setscrew bearing directly on the square tube and gouging it. A very secure holding method if well-executed, which these Kobalts were not.

The fix is to replace the bolt with a 5/16-18 stud knob. Buy a jumbo sized industrial quality knob because a lot of torque is needed. Or use a 5/16-18 hex bolt with a wrench. Inconvenient but...

If, in addition to broken plastic handles, the 5/16-18 female threads tapped into the roller stand body are stripped out (as mine were), the next fix is to drill these threads out and re-tap to 3/8-16 UNC. And then get a 3/8-16 UNC stud knob, or hex bolt + wrench. Yes, there is just enough meat left to replace the 5/16 with 3/8. Barely.

I have a feeling that most all these roller stand brands are designed and fabbed the same way. Crappily built and hazardous to use.

But as our genius President implores us, Build Back Better - don't replace. Roller stands, not Presidents...

Use a long bolt and bend it to make a crank handle.

If your female threads weren’t stripped, you could use 5/16”-18 set screws. Your Shopsmith “tool kit” fits them perfectly, offers ample torque, and should always be close at hand!

Here's a shot of one of my ancient roller stands showing what I meant by using a bolt to make a crank handle. The nut is pretty sturdy on that thing but it doesn't have a pressure plate like on yours. Gotta see if there's room in there to slip a piece in.

Yeah, I would think that a bent bolt would be about the cheapest yet most durable way to do a crank handle. Why they all keep using a soft plastic handle that strips out is a mystery to me.

Plastic is cheap. Bolts are ugly. Bent bolts look like something is broke.

Plastic will soon be broke while the bent bolt keeps working.