Shopsmith Forums

Howdy folks! This is my first post, I didn't realize such a place existed...What a vast amount of Shopsmith information. hogwinslow1960, on ebay was nice enough to point me here. Thank you for any help you may be able to provide. Up until 2 weeks ago I didn't know there was such an item. I've used my shopsmith for over 40 years, mostly drill press and lathe. I don't need the speed changer, but boy it sure would be nice if I can get it to work. I just bought it last night so it will be a bit before I get it. The photos show my shopsmith and the speed changer. Can you help me figure out what else might be needed to make it work? Thank you

A lot of TLC!

Agree on the TLC and I know I need the lower step pulley for the motor and the two belts. I'm not sure where to start on cleaning up the speed changer, should it perhaps sit and soak in something for a bit, what would work best?

myfathersworkshop wrote: ↑Wed Jan 01, 2025 10:57 am Agree on the TLC and I know I need the lower step pulley for the motor and the two belts. I'm not sure where to start on cleaning up the speed changer, should it perhaps sit and soak in something for a bit, what would work best?

Welcome to the Forum.

If you soak them in a solution of Pine-sol and water, it will loosen some of the crud up.

I have been cleaning most of my parts in an Ultrasonic Cleaner I got from Vevor.
Link: https://www.vevor.com/ultrasonic-cleane ... 0569648062
They do have smaller ones also.

I have found that a mixture of Pine-Sol and water has worked for most stuff.

I am still being cautious with Aluminum and other Non-Ferrous items.
I am also careful with the high temperatures with some of the materials.

Armed with some U-Tube video's I have learn a little bit about cleaning parts in the Ultra-sonic machine.

Just seen one video that used Formula 88 and he rated it the best of the 8 cleaners he tested.
I have never heard of it till now.

So, I am off to Home Depot to get some and try it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRP5ub9qycE

Thanks for the welcome and for the cleaning wisdom...pine-sol, huh! I'll give a try. The ultra-sonic tests were pretty cool, wouldn't have expected the dishwasher pods to be that good. Guess I'm off to Home Depot for pine-sol

I have restored several Speed Changers. I would start with disassembling the Speed Changer. Do NOT force any of the parts that may be stubborn. The Speed Changer Accessory is a popular one and sells for a premium price, so you do not want to damage anything while restoring it. I have communicated with hogwinslow1960 myself and bought parts from him. He is also a member here. Of interest for you he sells the Oilite brass bearings (see picture below) that are part of the Pulley Assembly if you need them. Worn Oilite Bearings will cause additional wear until there is damage to the parts. The pair below is a new set and how the ends should look sticking out of the sleeve ends of the Pulley Assembly.

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The only real rust I see, and surface at that, is on the Knob that holds the Pulley Assembly on the shaft. If I were restoring this Speed Changer, I would first disassemble it. Then I could work on the individual parts or assemblies. I would not completely disassemble the Screw Assembly. I would use a fine wire wheel on the parts to clean them up as opposed to chemicals. I reserve chemical rust removers to stubborn rust. The Pulley Assembly can be difficult to disassemble. Before removing the Pulley Assembly from the shaft and with the Knob tight try to slide it back and forth on the shaft. There should not be any "play" there. If there is that is an indication of wear on the Oilite Bearings which should then be replaced. Also, while on the shaft is there any "play" like being loose on the shaft. Again, an indication the Oilite Bearings should be replaced. Most wear to the Oilite Bearings are due to a lack of proper lubrication with a lightweight oil. If the Oilte Bearings are not worn do not remove them from the sleeve of the Pulley Assembly when disassembling it. Do remove the outside pulley sides and center floating pulley part. Does the center pulley part move freely back and forth on the sleeve? If so great but if not, this is where some work will be needed. Penetrating oil and patience may be needed to remove the pulley center from the sleeve. After the center is off check to make sure the sleeve has a smooth surface and the inside of the center pulley part does too. I have restored a very stubborn Pulley Assembly which required smoothing out the surfaces of the inside of the pulley center and sleeve. When smoothing out the surfaces try not to remove base metal but only high/rough spots. This is another area where lack of proper lubrication causes wear or damage. When dealing with the Base Bracket and Pulley Arm Assembly note where there is paint and more importantly where there is not. If repainting these parts, you don't want paint in the moving sections. For the Pulley Arm assembly do NOT remove the Pulley Shaft from the Arm. The Shaft is locked in with a set screw and threads into the Arm. The set screw damages the threads of the Shaft, this is normal, and you will likely damage the parts trying to separate them. You may need to replace the 3 lock nuts on the Screw Assembly if they no longer lock in place. This is common hardware.

Below is a PDF of a Speed Changer Manual in case you don't already have one.

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As you said you need to get the three-step pulley for the motor and the pulley on the headstock should be turned around.

Thank you for the information on disassembly, that and the PDF will be very helpful. I have ordered the Oilite bearings from hogwinslow1960. The pulley on the headstock has been that way since i got the machine, never really needed to move it till now. I'm grateful for all the willingness to help.Thanks

Do you have pictures of your Speed Changer? If so that would be a way to give more specific advice then what I gave for the pictures of the one with the Model 10ER S/N 88442 for sale on ebay from North Las Vegas NV. As I said in my last post "If I were restoring this Speed Changer," the suggestions were for that particular Speed Changer. The condition of your actual Speed Changer may change some of my recommendations on restoring it.

The pictures you see are of the one I purchased, it has been shipped and I should have it soon.

I hope you were able to buy just the Speed Changer and for a good price. The Model 10 it was with, in my opinion, is way overpriced.

Since it is the one you are going to have, what I said before applies. Not having it in hand yet, do check on the Oilite Bearings condition before replacing them. If they are okay keep the set you purchased from hogwinslow1960 as a spare. Keep them in the container they come in until needed. Removing the Oilite Bearings from the Pulley Assembly can damage the softer metal they are made out of.

A lot of what I have already posted has to do with the cleaning and disassembling the Speed Changer. Since you don't have it yet now is a good time to learn about it. This will give you a head start by learning about the Speed Changer, planning what needs to be done and how best to do it.

When it is time to reassemble it there are some things to know. When reassembling I put some grease on the Base Bracket before reinstalling the Pulley Arm. You don't want any binding of metal to metal here. I have used white lithium grease for this. When attaching the Screw Assembly do NOT completely tighten any of the three lock nuts. The two lock nuts for the blocks attached to the Base Bracket and Pulley Arm should not be completely tightened to allow the parts to move. The Springs on the end of the Screw Assembly should not be compressed. This is the reason having good lock nuts of this type is important. Now a word of warning, when using the Speed Changer NEVER try to turn the Screw Assembly past the point the speed no longer changes. To help protect when getting to the end of the speed range both high and low the springs are there to help avoid damage to the Base Bracket and Pulley Arm. The picture below shows that nut tightened way to much and is compressing the springs.

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The nut should be on only enough to have the locking end engaged on the threads and not compressing the springs much if at all. Below is what can happen if the Screw Assembly is turned too far after getting to the end of the speed range. This can happen even if the nut is not already compressing the springs.

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The pictures of the two Speed Changers above have the Screw Assembly mounted inboard closer to the Headstock. Yours has it outboard. Outboard is the preferred position as the Crank Handle doesn't interfere with the Headstock Way Tube Lock.

Something I noticed on your Speed Changer is one screw is missing or broken off for the Speed Indicator. Find a screw comparable to the other one but if it is broken off you will have to remove the broken piece from the Pulley Arm. After removing that check to see the inside surface is free of any burrs so the Pulley Arm can still move freely on the Base Bracket.

One challenge in reassembling the Speed Changer is setting the Pulley Assembly correctly. This is done by using the set screws to lock the outside sheaves in place. First put the Center Floating Pulley on the Sleeve with a bit of lightweight oil for lubrication. Using oil will not last as long as grease but is easier to reapply since it can be done without disassembling the Pulley Assembly. Do not over oil it as you don't want oil getting on the belts. When properly set the belts should have one riding even with the top of the pulley and the other almost touching the sleeve of the Floating Pulley Center. The belt should never ride down on the sleeve of the Floating Pulley Center. That will allow slipping if it occurs. As the belts wear readjusting the Pulley Assembly will be necessary. The picture below shows the Speed Changer in place. Note that the one belt is even with the top of the Floating Pulley. The other belt is down in the Pulley almost but not touching the sleeve of the Floating Center. When putting the Pulley Assembly on the shaft of the Pulley Arm use some lightweight oil for lubrication of the Oilite Bearings too.

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The above Speed Changer has the Screw Assembly mounted inboard. You can see from this example how close the Screw Assembly Crank gets to the Lock Lever of the Headstock.

Another area of caution is when the Speed Changer is mounted on the Way Tubes and the long Headstock Set Screw has the nut to hold the Speed Changer against the Headstock is in place. Use caution when moving the Headstock on the Way Tubes making sure the Speed Changer is following without any binding. If the Speed Changer binds when moving the Headstock, the Base Bracket can easily be broken in half.

Below is a chart of approximate speeds and a diagram of the high and low setups.

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Below is a restored Speed Changer.

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