How does shopsmith do variable speed?

[Glen Butler]

I am wondering the mechanism inside a shopsmith that gives it the variable speed and how it works. Just curiosity.

[James Boster]

It is built like a Reeves variable speed gearbox inside with a belt. Also very similar to the old variable speed Delta drill presses. You can google these two and find a lot of information. In short they use a wide belt and two adjustable pulleys.

[Jeff Nicol]

The Shopsmith is like the reeves drive on many of the lathes had before they started putting VFD's on them. The pulleys have springs and the 2 halves of the pulleys slide back and forth to create different sizes thus changeing the speed. When you move the speed contol handle it makes the pulley on the spindle smaller and the one off the motor is larger, this changes the ratio from say 1:1 to whatever the max is say 4:1. I think if you looked online for a breakdown of the system you would find a picture.

I owned one for 20 years and did lots of nice things with it!

Jeff

[John Grounds]

I added DC variable speed control (http://www.firechat.com/ssdc.htm) to mine about five years ago.

John

[Rob Young]

Nick Engler had a web cast before he left Shopsmith and some of the last ones he is disassembling and rebuilding a Goldie.

Google for "Shopsmith Academy"

[Jerome Hanby]

How well did that work out? Any details?


I added DC variable speed control (http://www.firechat.com/ssdc.htm) to mine about five years ago.

John

[Dave Lehnert]

Here is a video that shows how it works. Look close at the 1:40 mark.

http://www.shopsmithacademy.com/SS_Archives/SS111/SS111_Mark_V_Maintenance.htm


Shopsmith is about ready to introduce a electronic variable speed model.

[Glen Butler]

That video really helped thanks. I used to use a shopsmith all the time as a kid and was always curious. So do the fingers on both halve of the pulleys just mesh together?

[Dave Lehnert]

That video really helped thanks. I used to use a shopsmith all the time as a kid and was always curious. So do the fingers on both halve of the pulleys just mesh together?

Yes. Kinda a neat system.

[John Grounds]

How well did that work out? Any details?

Like it alot. I put the original motor in a box on the shelf thinking I could put it back in if the DC did not work out. It is still in the box five years later. I really like the slow speed for sanding, drilling.

John