Shopsmith Forums

I'm restoring a Mark V greenie, I'v cleaned everything and replaced the beraings that needed it. Now that I'm getting ready to reassemble the headstock I could use some advice on lubrication.

Here is everything I've found on lubrication from the original maintenance manual:

• Speed Control: "put a tiny dab of cup grease of 'furnace bearing' grease on the worm control shaft and rack of the quadrant assembly.

• Power Plant (headstock) and carriage Lock; Rip Fence lock rod: lubricate every 50 hours with graphite.

• Sheaves: lubricate with 30 wt. non detergent oil every 25 hours.

• Wax every 5 hours:
  
  • bench and way tubes
  • worktable surface, miter gauge slots, table support tubes, and table tubes
  • quill
  • rip fence
  • miter gauge bar
  • extensions table surface, support tubes, and table bar
  • mounting holes in the power (headstock) mount, base mount, and carriage.

My Questions

• Furance bearing grease for speed control: I haven't noticed anything labeled as furnace grease but it seems that any high temperature bearing grease should work??

• What about the Drive Sleave and spindle? Mine had grease on it when I disassembled it. I cleaned the spindle but I have not tried to use mineral spirits to get all of the grease out of the inside of the drive sleave - mainly because it looked surprisingly clean and I was not looking forward to trying to do it with a bottle brush. I did use a shop towel and screw driver to remove excess where any dirt would likely be.
  
  • Should I remove all grease and reassemble without grease?
  • Should I Remove the grease and put in clean grease?
  • Should I just reasseble it as is with residual grease after I removed excess but without cleaning with a solvent?

I also read the orignial Repair Procedures and there was nothing about greasing the drive sleave or spindle in there either.

Any advice would be helpful, thank you.

"Furnace bearing grease for speed control: I haven't noticed anything labeled as furnace grease but it seems that any high temperature bearing grease should work??"

Any kind of grease is going to collect dust. I use PBlaster dry spray lube for the speed control, carriage locks, and anything else I don't was packed with greasy dust.

The Owner's Guide that came with your Mark 5 Greenie is from the 1950's. Lubrication products have come a long way since then. A dry lube for those exposed parts as HopefulSSer suggested will save a lot of re-cleaning time. I use a dry lube for the Speed Control and lock threads of the headstock and Carriage. From the factory the Worm Gear on the Speed Control has grease as the lubricant. As for oil for the movable Sheaves of the Motor and Idler Shafts I use a lightweight oil like sewing machine oil or similar. Depending on how early of a Mark 5 Greenie you have, it may or may not have the oil holes on the movable Sheaves. Regrease the Spindle end to go into the Drive Sleave Assembly. That can be a regular Bearing type grease or something similar to provide lubrication. Do not over lubricate the parts as oil and grease will tend to attract dust and debris.

Thank you both for your responses.

Chapmanrus, i have oil hours on my sheaves and knew to do that.

WaterGeek,

The link below is to the PDF copy of the Mark V 520S Owner's Manual from here on the Shopsmith website under Manuals & Information. I am recommending it for you to use the Maintenance & Troubleshooting Section D to help with those questions you may continue to have and better explain our answers. Although there have been changes to the Conventional Headstock over the years this manual can still be helpful and has a lot more information. It has 10 pages in the Maintenance and Troubleshooting section as opposed to the very small section in the 1950's Owner's Guides. Your Mark 5, if still original, has the Gilmer Drive as opposed to the Poly V Drive which came out in 1961. The operating principles and maintenance needs are the same just changes to the parts have occurred over the years.

https://www.shopsmith.com/_files/ugd/d5 ... 380082.pdf