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Picked up a SS mount planer that was mounted on a power stand. The planer pulley Woodruff key is missing. Does anyone know what size the key should be and should it have a flat or full-radius style bottom? The keyway is full-radius so I assume the key should match. The motor pulley is there and is a square key so can't match it.

A woodruff key fits into a dished out keyway in the shaft. A pulley that connects to it has a flat keyway cut into it.

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A woodruff key is essentially a truncated cylinder.

JPG40504 wrote:A woodruff key fits into a dished out keyway in the shaft. A pulley that connects to it has a flat keyway cut into it.

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A woodruff key is essentially a truncated cylinder.

BUT he wanted to know what size to use.

beeg wrote:BUT he wanted to know what size to use.

Actually he seemed confused re how they are used. I assume he can measure the keyways once he understands what is what.

The important dimensions are the thickness and height. Measuring the shaft will require some deductive thinking. The depth of the shaft slot at the center and the depth of the slot in the pulley will define the 'height'.

I also assume he is referring to the feed motor drive shaft. If necessary I will take mine apart tomorrow and measure it.

sswoodworker48(he): let me know!:)

JPG40504 wrote:Actually he seemed confused re how they are used. I assume he can measure the keyways once he understands what is what.

The important dimensions are the thickness and height. Measuring the shaft will require some deductive thinking. The depth of the shaft slot at the center and the depth of the slot in the pulley will define the 'height'.

I also assume he is referring to the feed motor drive shaft. If necessary I will take mine apart tomorrow and measure it.

sswoodworker48(he): let me know!:)

Do that, please. And pictures! I don't think mine looks like that at all. It is just a bar (of proper dimension).

You can drop by and take a look at mine, I have a similar Mk V mounted planer converted into the stand-alone mode. I'm just a little ways south of you.

I'm out this way too...but no planer.

OK, let me reword my question:

Can anyone tell me the size of the Woodruff key for the Planer drive shaft when using a pulley rather than a coupler?

No, in fact, I do know the difference between the types of keys and how they are used. It was just simpler while sitting here reading the latest posts last night, to ask the question rather than go out to the workshop (garage) and measure.

Dusty-
There are, in fact, both types of keys used on the planers. The one I recently picked up was milled for a straight key (which was missing). It was built in March of '83. My previous planer, which I am mounting on the power stand, was built in August '96 and has the Woodruff style keyway. The first picture is of the motor shaft with a straight key/keyway. I already sold the other planer (1983) so can't get a picture of it but it is the same. The second picture is of my original (1996) planer drive shaft with the Woodruff keyway. It is, as JPG described, dished out to fit the radius of the key..... actually, the other way around- the key fits the keyway, or keyseat as it is sometimes called.

The important part is that the key is there as the set screw is not sufficient to lock the pulley on the shaft. This was clearly evident on the '83 planer as there were small grooves on the circumference of the shaft created by the set screw when the pulley rotated on the shaft after the set screw loosened a bit.

Lief- thanks for your offer. Got that Greenie rebuilt yet?
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Key is 'full round' 1/8" thick, 3/8" wide and .171" tall.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#woodruff-keys/=b3orlk

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Mine is a 'manual' feed, but the parts are the same as motor feed(gear,key).

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/itemfind.htm?item=513391&Submit=Find+Item