The Big Shot. Indispensable. Truly. When it was first introduced to the Stampin' Up! product line, many demonstrators balked at the $99 initial price and then adding all the fantastic dies and embossing folders. Could our stamp budget accommodate that? Oh yea! And now, I can't make a card without it. I love it! I can't live without it. Order yours by clicking right here!
The ladies in my last class saw me freak out when it stopped working. It had been making a squeaky squeaky noise for a while, but everyone gets a little stiff when they age, right? I just gave it a little WD40 in the crank screw and hoped for the best. But suddenly it was unable to crank, and in the middle of a class!
So I was all over the internet, youtube, Stampin Connection (demonstrator website). Very little help, one person said her crank shaft broke and her husband fixed it. So I obtained a new crank shaft from Sizzix and started to disassemble my Big Shot. Really freaking out at how deep into the machine I had to go to get to the crank shaft. Then I couldn't get the E clamp off the crank shaft. I had to take it to (my really good friend Tom) my computer repair specialist. He cheerfully removed the E clamp, cleaned out the RUST and installed the new crank shaft. Rust was actually the problem and some mineral oil was the solution, I didn't really need the new part. Tom offered to reassemble the whole machine, but I had only brought him the heavy skeleton of the Big Shot, so I had to come back home and do all the assembly myself. But it is back in action and ready to roll.
Update: November 2016 -- the BigShot is still working like a champ, never another squeak or stiff turn! No computer program to learn, no electronics to update, nothing has become obsolete and Sizzix and Stampin' Up! continue to produce outstanding dies and embossing folders every day! Click here to get yours today!
Thank you Tom.
So now I have dried my tears and I am happily stamping!
Dee Tollaksen
Thank you so much for posting this. A friend of mine had asked my husband to finish the crankshaft replacement on her BS and he has just not had the time to do. I attempted this morning and could not get the cs to come out. After searching relentlessly for help online (there was none) I came across your post. I just used some rust penetrant and lo and behold my friend now has a working BS again without replacing the cs!My thanks to you and your amazing friend Tom.
ReplyDeleteThank You!!!!!!!! After reading your post I fixed the BS borrowed from a friend.
ReplyDeleteJoni
I have one that is squeaking and hard to crank. I will try taking it apart and cleaning it. I purchased a new one when my current one started giving me trouble. If this works, I will have 2 perfectly good Big Shots. I don't think I could craft without mine. It's my favorite machine.
ReplyDeleteMy Big Shot suddenly became difficult to crank so I took it apart. The washer at the end of the crank shaft was rusty, so I cleaned it as best I could, and the used WD40 on all the moving parts and it works like brand new! The hardest part was being brave enough to pop the sides off - I was a bit afraid I would break the plastic. Go slow and steady and it is not difficult at all.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone i am having the same problem. i have rang sizzex and they sent me a new crankshaft a a gear. But when mu husband took it apart , he cant get the little cylinder out that the crankshaf goes into. Its stuck solid. I have asked sizzex how you get it out but they said they dont know. Dud anyone have the same problem and if you did how did you get it out. Tried oiling and WD 40 still stuck solid.
ReplyDeleteMy BS stopped turning all of a sudden, I just took it apart & cleaned and a bunch of rust on the handle / crank shaft. I cleaned it with WD40 & it is working great now. Thanks for your post, it really helped!!
ReplyDeleteThis evening I was using my BS and the same thing happened. The crank refused to move. I started searching for answers on the internet and ran across this post.
ReplyDeleteMy husband took the BS apart and after he was able to pop the plastic side off to expose the gears, he treated it all with WD-40. Now my BS is as good as new and it only took him 15 minutes.
Thank you for this post!
Have pinned your post. I recently had to repair my big shot
ReplyDeleteCheers
Dr Sonia
My latest post: How I repaired my Big Shot
Thanks! My husband and I spent about an hour and a half taking mine apart, cleaning rust, and putting it back together. It wouldn't have taken quite so long if I had paid attention to the order it SHOULD have gone back together. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I just fixed my non-working Big Shot Machine!!!!! Thanks for sharing your experience and giving me the confidence to tear mine apart!
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you, thank you!!! I was one click away from ordering a new Big Shot and thought I would google a remedy and found yours! It works like BRAND NEW!! You are a genius!!!
ReplyDeleteI cannot find parts for my big shot. The bearings and crank shaft are all needing replaced. I found one set in a kit and it is over $90. This is not right.
ReplyDeleteI contacted sizzix UK and they do not supply parts at all. I even sent them a picture of the crankshaft part I required. I offered to pay and they told me to go buy a new machine. Was not very happy.
ReplyDelete