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Share your Magna memorabilia!

jpdalton

Early Mark 5 Advertising Time Capsule

I had a bit of a sidebar with the eBay vendor who sold me the hardware store window decal from my prior post. I showed him a picture of my memorabilia display, and he says, “hey, I have one of those - are you interested?” Turns out here was referring to a dealer binder! So it’s not like you can have too many of those, am I right??!

It also turns out he’s local to me, so I braved some rush hour traffic to go check it out. Good investment of time, for sure… While the binder cover was a bit faded and musty, the contents were complete and pristine - and included a really interesting glossy covered insert outlining Magna’s advertising policy and support materials for their independent vendors.

Here’s a sampling of the pages (I’ve left out a lot of print ad mat material):

jpdalton

Dealers Demo Model Pricing Label

So, I’m sitting here at the airport gate, waiting to board my flight for Dayton. 75th Anniversary Shopsmith Celebration is almost upon us!

Anyway, figured I’d make good use of the time… So, sometime back, I had done a screen grab of an unusual feature on the headstock of an old Greenie machine on FB Marketplace.

I thought to myself, “wow, that must have been a dealer demo unit.” It still had a sticker on it indicating the retail price back in the day - $329.50.

Well, recently I acquired some dealer material, and guess what was in it?! An unused pricing sticker! I think this one will stay unused…

chiroindixon

Wow.. that was pretty pricey! ;)

I have in my barn the dealer demo display, with equipment rack, with sign saying $289.50. It came with purchase. How he grabbed it from the dealer of his SS is a wonder.

I'm pretty sure that the unit is an original '54. The SS access logo on power head on the does NOT rotate. Wears a MAGNA S/N 261997.

I rebuilt it seeing as the belts, etc. were shot. Think I even put the double bearing quill in, rewired the motor, cleaned and painted. Been retired now that I upgraded the unit to a Power Pro and 520 furniture. (The damn old motor would regularly pop circuit breakers.)

Now, if I can just figure out how to send a picture. They both deserve a appreciative home. Anyone interested?

For those passing the "Walcott I-80 Truckstop, World's Biggest", on the way to Canton, let me know. Or at least wave...

Doc

jpdalton

chiroindixon wrote I have in my barn the dealer demo display, with equipment rack, with sign saying $289.50. It came with purchase. How he grabbed it from the dealer of his SS is a wonder.

They both deserve an appreciative home. Anyone interested?

Definitely interested in a demo display, but not close enough to Iowa to make it happen… That’s a very early Mark 5 you have there with a serial number very much lower than the published numbers from the “start” of production. I hope you’re able to find a good home for them!

chiroindixon

I'll keep your interest in mind. It's yours if you can arrange pickup.

Pass the word in Dayton. Funny how things might turn out.

Doc

Now.. just if I can get a picture posted.

jpdalton

From The Shopsmith, Inc. Archives

the Shopsmith that never was

Reporting from the recently concluded 75th Anniversary Celebration, there were a number of systems that the Shopsmith team brought out of mothballs to display in their new “museum” space. Among them was the never-released “6000” system.

Although this prototype is missing a lot of key components (carriage, tables, etc.), we were also offered some insights by My Growth Rings YouTube host, Scott Markwood, that the patent history indicates that this system was actually where the table innovations for what eventually became the Mark V 510 were developed.

This system also featured a very innovative variable height mechanism that unfortunately never made it into any subsequent system design.

jpdalton

chiroindixon wrote
Now.. just if I can get a picture posted.

Doc - is this what it looks like??

chiroindixon

John,

Yup. Exactly... except this price reads 20 bucks cheaper!

Doc

jpdalton

chiroindixon wrote I'll keep your interest in mind. It's yours if you can arrange pickup.

Doc - I sent a private message to you as I’d like to discuss the possibility of acquiring that display if you’re offering it. Let me know if the private message was received.

chiroindixon

John,

Roger, message received, answered.

Doc

jpdalton

Lathes Chisels - Through the Years

Picked up a vintage Yuba lathe chisel set this week.

Looks a lot like the Magna-era lathe chisels in the traditional mustard-colored accessories box of that era. And of course I always like to see those original price tags still attached!

It’s nice to add this to the collection, as now I have a better view of all the key packaging changes from the Magna/Yuba/Magna American era.

These are clockwise from top left: 10-E era chisels from Magna Engineering, 10-ER through Mark 5 era chisels also from Magna Engineering, Yuba chisels for your Mark 5 or Mark 2, and Magna American chisels for your Mark 5 and (if you were daring) Sawsmith!

Of course what first struck me was the package shrink in the Yuba and Magna American boxes, but a quick comparison of the chisels inside shows they were largely unchanged despite the smaller box.

…and despite the part number changes over the same period.

chapmanruss

John,

Nice set of Shopsmith Lathe Chisels. They appear to be an early Yuba set still having the red SS logo. I have a later Yuba set still having the red SS logo but with the other (3rd version) handles as seen in the picture below. Eventually Yuba put their logo on the Lathe Chisel Handles followed by Magna American. The later box size change was reducing the space around the Chisels but the Chisels remaining the same. There were more box variations (at least 9) than the 5 Chisel variations from 1947 through the 1960's. The number change you mentioned occurred in 1964 for all Shopsmith/Magna products going to the 505??? part numbers.

Lathe Chisels 1 to 10.jpg

jpdalton

chapmanruss wrote There were more box variations (at least 9) than the 5 Chisel variations from 1947 through the 1960's.

DEFINITELY want to see some of those box variations. Please do share!

jpdalton

Sanding Discs - Through the Years

Russ Chapman was kind enough to post a picture and share some background on the 10-inch combo (flat and conical) sanding disc that was standard on the Mark VII, and he motivated me to look for one. Happy to report I succeeded in finding one, and it arrived this week!

So, this gave me an opportunity for another “family portrait” of Magna/Yuba sanding discs through the years.

In each of these pictures from left to right we see:

6-spoke disc shipped with the 10-E

Better supported aluminum disc provided with the 10-ER, Mark 5, and Mark 2

10-in combo disc from the Mark VII

9-in flat disc from the Sawsmith RAS

A little out of chronological order, but ordered by size!

chapmanruss

Nice comparison John. Something to know about the 12" Aluminum Sanding disks is there were two versions of the six ribbed Sanding Disk as seen in the pictures below. The earlier version, on the left, is heavier.

There were two versions of the later 12" Sanding Disk with more ribbing. For the Model 10's it had a 3/8" Set Screw while the one supplied with the Mark 5 and Mark 2 had a 5/16" Set Screw.

Sanding Disks early aluminum.jpg

Sanding Disks early aluminum edge.jpg

jpdalton

chapmanruss wrote Something to know about the 12" Aluminum Sanding disks is there were two versions of the six ribbed Sanding Disk as seen in the pictures below. The earlier version, on the left, is heavier.

Russ - thanks for sharing! What’s the provenance that confirmed for you that the heavier disc is Magna-made?

JPG

I think we are looking at another example of sand cast first then later die cast parts similar to the M5 headstock history.

chapmanruss

Mostly by the Model 10E's they came with. Some of my earliest Serial number Model 10E's came with the heavier Sanding Disk, if they had one, and observations of other Model 10E's I have seen. It's the same way I find most, if not all, of the changes and their order besides reference materials like manuals, catalogs, etc. Another source of that kind of information has been from other forum members like yourself and JPG who in this case wonders if it was the type of casting used. All this kind of information put together "paints a picture" of what happened when.

A heavier Sanding Disk still came with Model 10E serial number 13223 and some earlier S/N's while serial number 19541 and later ones had the lighter 6 rib Sanding Disk. Unfortunately, once restored and resold some of my Model 10's did not have the original type Sanding Disk (early 6 rib heavy, 6 rib lighter or 12 rib) as some were missing or had been replaced over the years. Because of this I am not sure when they changed from the second 6 rib Sanding Disk to the 12 rib one.

jpdalton

chapmanruss wrote Mostly by the Model 10E's they came with. Some of my earliest Serial number Model 10E's came with the heavier Sanding Disk.

That’s exactly what I was looking for - that’s always the best provenance!

jpdalton

Sandpaper - Through the Years

While I find the disc sanding feature to be one of my very favorite features of a Shopsmith, it’s pretty clear America bought an awful lot of sandpaper back in the day that it never used! Maybe it was evidence of what a pain it was to change sheets before the days of self-adhesive sheets, but I have definitely found sandpaper to be one of the more common vintage accessories that survive with vintage machines I’ve acquired. Here’s a sampling…

The Assortment seems to have been the favorite pack. Clockwise from top left, paper for: a 10-E, a Greenie or 10-ER, a Mark VII, and a Goldie.

Some closeups…

The Magna American-branded paper illustrates their change to the venerable Shopsmith logo when they introduced the Mark VII.

Assorted wasn’t the only type of paper sold, as plenty of Coarse, Medium, and Fine are still out there.

This is even some made in my home state!

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