Today in the shop "Let's look in side a powerpro quill"

[reible]

I pulled the quill from one of my Powerpro headstocks today. I though some of you might like to see inside since it's apart.

This machine is a do it yourself upgrade which included the newest greatest quill.... It shipped 10/29/2015 and is the newest one I own.

With the quill out of the machine you can start by collecting the tools you will need. Since I'm just pulling the shaft and not doing any bearing work the tools are your trusty 5/32 wrench and a snap ring pliers.

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A quick side note on the snap ring pliers in case you are wondering which one to get. I have several sets, mostly smaller versions but for this project it is nice to have a decent size one. These are from Craftsman and the pair was about $20 as I recall. They convert between internal and external by way of moving the center screw. I've found them to be a good investment and they work well.

The first step is to remove the stop collar, the silvery item in the picture. This doesn't really hold anything in place anymore so replacing it is just as simple as sliding on and aligning the flat on the shaft with the set screw.

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Next you will find a snap ring inside that holds the guts inside. This is where the pliers will come in handy as you need to remove it to get the shaft out of the housing.

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With that out of the way the shaft will come out the front with some light pressure.

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You can now pull the whole shaft with bearings out all the way.

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The front bearing is a RB tech 6203RS /C3. It has rubber seals on both sides and would come on and off from the front. It says made in China.

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The rear bearing is also a RB tech but this time with metal shields, a 6003Z and of course still made in China.

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This is a one piece shaft and the rear bearing is larger then the spline so it will slide off the back.

Here is the guts for one last time before I stuck it back together and remounted the quill.

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So there you have it.

Ed

[dusty]

Is there anything unique about this quill. It appears to be the same as mine except the bearing manufacturer.

[reible]

Is there anything unique about this quill. It appears to be the same as mine except the bearing manufacturer.

There are like 5 or maybe 6 versions of the two bearing quill. Some are going to be just like mine but perhaps different bearings because the quill now has a top end of 10K rpms but I think they have only one part number so all the quills are now able to run this fast..... or perhaps they always were?

I haven't taken the time to look up the bearings but my guess is that they are not all that different from other versions as 10K while it seems fast is not all the fast when you start looking at things like routers who can run upwards of 30K.

If you know the date of your quill, like you did an upgrade it would be interesting to have you pull it apart to see how close it is.

I was really glad to see it as a one piece shaft, the older two piece one always seem odd to me. I know why they did it but if I had been the designer I would have not gone that way.

Ed

[everettdavis]

Thank you Ed!

This will help me on my project.

I have spent some time with the Shopsmith folks and confirmed the bearings installed today are the same as some of the later 520's but they negotiated a higher temp grease internally from the bearing manufacturer for the Power Pro's increased spindle speeds. It is all they needed to change.

Every quill they sell today has the high temp grease whether in a new 520 or Mark 7, a Power Pro Headstock DIY Upgrade, or just buying a new Quill Assembly I was told.

Bill Mayo was very complimentary of the newest Quill / Spindle Assemblies.

I was told only this week, the spindle is still two piece interference fit (pressed together). I am not sure whether they have any sort of key-way or not, but they hold up and the bearings last a long, long time now.

Everett

[reible]

Thank you Ed!

This will help me on my project.

I have spent some time with the Shopsmith folks and confirmed the bearings installed today are the same as some of the later 520's but they negotiated a higher temp grease internally from the bearing manufacturer for the Power Pro's increased spindle speeds. It is all they needed to change.

Every quill they sell today has the high temp grease whether in a new 520 or Mark 7, a Power Pro Headstock DIY Upgrade, or just buying a new Quill Assembly I was told.

Bill Mayo was very complimentary of the newest Quill / Spindle Assemblies.

I was told only this week, the spindle is still two piece interference fit (pressed together). I am not sure whether they have any sort of key-way or not, but they hold up and the bearings last a long, long time now.

Everett

Well I guess it could be two pieces, I didn't see any indication of that but if the parts are an interference fit at where the spline area meets the bearing area that would not bother me. At least the two bearings are on the same section of the shaft. The spline area can only take torque until the belts slip so it might not need a key of any sort. I'm not going to pull mine that far apart to check.

Typically bearings can have grease or oil with oil allowing higher speeds. Of course that in itself can bring on other issues. I did notice some leaking from the first bearing on the shaft, not much but a little, that could be because of the lighter weight grease. I don't see any reason to worry at this point.

Ed

[masonsailor2]

Thanks Ed. I have never actually seen one apart except in diagrams. Very informative.
Paul

[jarea]

I have a Model 500 that I am restoring and it has a single bearing quill shaft and a poly-V belt drive. Can I replace this shaft with a double bearing version from a 510 or 520 or are there some possible incompatibilities between the two shafts?

Thanks - Jim

[JPG]

If you are referring to a complete quill assembly, YES! If you really mean shaft, NO.

[DLB]

I have a Model 500 that I am restoring and it has a single bearing quill shaft and a poly-V belt drive. Can I replace this shaft with a double bearing version from a 510 or 520 or are there some possible incompatibilities between the two shafts?

Be advised that if you buy a used two bearing quill it is difficult to impossible to determine which version you'll get because most sellers either don't know or don't say. The earliest version is not desirable IMO because you cannot replace the inner bearing. I would only buy a used one that the seller explicitly states is refurbished with replacement of BOTH bearings, then I'd confirm when I received it.

- David

[jarea]

DLB/JPG Thanks for your informed replies. I do plan on purchasing the complete assembly and not just the shaft and I plan on replacing both bearings with new, regardless of the condition of the bearings in the replacement - that way I will know that I am starting with unused bearings. That said, I will ask the seller about what model the assembly came from that they are selling and the condition of the bearings.