Looking for a little help in Central PA

[keith]

Woodworking Friends:

Greetings woodworkers. I have owned my Shopsmith Mark 5 since 1998. About 3 years ago the gear dial became increasingly hard to turn until it finally stopped.

I will admit that I am by trade a middle school and high school music teacher and a church choir director who uses woodworking as pure enjoyable hobby and stress relief. I am not a "fix it yourself" kind of person.

Is there anyone out there in Central PA (Harrisburg area) that would be willing to look at my maching and offer me some advise to what part needs to be ordered and how to fix it so I can get back to enjoying this equipment again.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Keith

[a1gutterman]

Woodworking Friends:

Greetings woodworkers. I have owned my Shopsmith Mark 5 since 1998. About 3 years ago the gear dial became increasingly hard to turn until it finally stopped.

I will admit that I am by trade a middle school and high school music teacher and a church choir director who uses woodworking as pure enjoyable hobby and stress relief. I am not a "fix it yourself" kind of person.

Is there anyone out there in Central PA (Harrisburg area) that would be willing to look at my maching and offer me some advise to what part needs to be ordered and how to fix it so I can get back to enjoying this equipment again.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Keithhttp://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/images/smilies2/welcome.gifKeith,
I am truly sorry that you are experiencing this. Hopefully there is someone close that can help you. Does everything else work? It could be just a matter of lubrication. Do you routinely perform maintenance on your Mark V? Do you have the manual for it? The manual details all of the maintenance required for uninterrupted service. If you have not performed regular maintenance, follow your manual. If you do not have one, I recommend that you acquire one and you should also purchase this DVD from SS, made by Rick Davis, the only current Travelling Academy Instructor: http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/FDCover_08.pdf bottom of the page SS #556051.

[Gampa]

Keith:

My guess would be that you have sawdust compacted in the speed dial indicator. The speed dial indicator is easy removed with an allen wrench, and then clean out the sawdust with a tooth brush or other nonabrasive type brush and then spray a little dry graphite (the kind used for locks) or silicone on the gears and put it back together. I did this maintenance not long ago and it really helped my dial to turn much easier.

Nick did a sawdust session on this at this link: http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Archives/SS111/SS111_Mark_V_Maintenance.htm

The only reason he turned it down to slow was so he could adjust the outside ring on the indicator at the same time.

Rick's maintenance is a great reference also but the archived sawdust session has the best price: free:)

Best of Luck

Walt