Shopsmith Forums

My machine is having speed changer issues. It starts out fine but as I increase the speed it seems to speed up slower than it used to. When I get to about the Dado speed it actually slows down for a second and sometimes stops. I can get it up to the Saw/Joint speed but under load, it stops. The belt seems to be ok. Any ideas on what is wrong, what parts I need?

When was the last time you lubricated(oiled) the floating sheave? And control sheave as well.

Shopsmith1983 wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2025 1:01 pm My machine is having speed changer issues. It starts out fine but as I increase the speed it seems to speed up slower than it used to. When I get to about the Dado speed it actually slows down for a second and sometimes stops. I can get it up to the Saw/Joint speed but under load, it stops. The belt seems to be ok. Any ideas on what is wrong, what parts I need?

More information is needed. What kind of machine do you have, and most importantly what "stops?" Assuming a Mark 5/V, if the motor is spinning and the spindle stops then we know something is slipping, so next question is does the lower auxiliary spindle also stop? If it is a Mark 5 (or V) series machine you should be able to see what is going on by running it with the belt cover removed or slid out of the way. It is also possible that your high speed stop and speed dial are way out of adjustment. You can tell this by the position of the lower belt in the sheaves. If the motor itself is stopping, then something is overloading it, remove power within a few seconds if this is the case.

- David