Sticky Quill

[Bernie]

Hello Everyone!

I have had this problem ever since I inhereted my SS from my dad. When I got it the quill was very sticky. No matter how much cleaning and waxing I did it never cleared up. It had the two bearing quill already, but I replaced it with a new one. No luck. It still sticks. To give you an idea, I can move it out and it will stay fully extended with out locking it down. I have to physically pull it back. When I remove it and bearing pulls out of the rear end it moves very freely Any suggestions? The machine is a model 500 with the upgrade to 520. Still going strong after almost 30 years.

Thanks in advance,

Bernie

[Spike13]

HI Bernie!
You might want to pull the quill spindle out and reset it. You may be off one tooth on the rack. The spring might need to be reset, also. It's 3- 3-1/4 turns on the spring if it released all the way.

You mention that the bearing is coming out of the back of the spindle. You may want to get some Loctite bearing lock so it does not come out. It should not be moving out of the location.

Good luck with it! :)

[reible]

Hi,

I guess I would start by asking a few more questions. Things like:

When the quill was out did you also clean the teeth inside the machine? Use an old tooth brush and vac the dust out.

Did you redo the spring settings (even if you locked it in postion it could have been wrong to start with) instuctions came with the new quill so if that was not done you can still do it or redo it. You should be able to feel the pressure of the spring at and the whole shaft should rotate with easy as you let the spring unwind/wind... If it is binding here then you may have other issues related to the drive screw parts.

You said you waxed it but did you use the proper wax? Auto wax and the like do not work well, it has to be a "hard" wax.

One of the most likely problems could be the set screw that you remove to get the quill out. It is not ment to be tightened against the quill, just enough to keep the quill from coming out. Back it off a little and see if the problem goes away

Does the bearing come out that way on both quills?? I would think that indicates a problem but maybe someone can detail this better then I.

If none of these solve the problem it might be time to get the 1-800 shopsmith number out and give them a ring.

I have my 30 year old shopsmith I got new in 1976... for a shopsmith that is not old, in fact is just getting broken in.

Ed

[Bruce]

Bernie,
I had the same problem this year. I removed the quill, cleaned out the dust, waxed it all with Johnson's Paste wax and it still stuck. I finally solved the problem by taking some of that cloth-backed sandpaper that plumbers use (the name escapes me at the moment) and sanding inside the housing that the quill slides in. I had a burr or two that was causing it to stick. So carefully run your finger around the housing and feel for any burrs. I say carefully because you could easily cut yourself if there does happen to be a burr. Also, those edges are pretty sharp themselves. Good luck.

Bruce

[Unregistered]

I also have a 500 upgraded to the 520 but do not have the two bearing quill. I had the same problem you are haveing a couple of years ago. I finally took the spring apart and cleaned it. It had so much sawdust from over the years that no matter how I lubricated it, it stuck. After cleaning and reassembling it, it has worked just as a new one over the last couple of years. Be careful and patient; taking the spring apart is difficult.

[Bernie]

Thanks for all of the advice. I made a mistake when I said the bearing comes out. I used the wrong term. The bearing has been staying in place just fine. I have tried all of your suggestions and even replaced the spring a few years back. I'll try to take it apart again to see if there is anything stuck inside. When you guys say that it might be a couple of teeth off are you talking about the rear bearing, or the quill and spring tensioner? I tried rotating the shaft and placing it back in the rear bearing, but it still moves about as easy as a government employee doing their job.

[Unregistered]

I have been fixing machinery for years and years, It makes me shudder when anyone simply pops out the phrase "you should put some loctite on that." Loctite has only one solvent (go ahead call them and ask them, I did) that solvent is heat. If you use loctite in any machine use the least agressive you can find. I once had an entire industrial manufactureing run of a gear with a cam loctited in place 5 degrees out of position. you couldn't get them apart without more heat than you want to apply to your SS drive train. Your problem sounds like a chip or sawdust buildup in the pinion gear that drives the quil. try cleaning both the driven and the drive gears, (all the teeth) and don't ad lube afterward. Good luck!

[Bernie]

Thanks for the tip. I didn't want to go the loctite route. I'll try cleaning the machine again and see what happens.