Schedule a Meeting · Talk to a real woodworker: +1 937-890-5197 · 8:00AM – 4:30PM ET

Share your Magna memorabilia!

jpdalton

chapmanruss wrote
Interesting that right below the goggles is the Blade Guard but back then the Blade Guard for the Mark 5 was an optional item. A step backwards in safety from the Model 10's that at least came with an upper Blade Guard. The Lower Blade Guard for the Model 10's was an optional item and are very rare. One of mine is shown in the picture below.

Russ - I still keep scouring listings hoping I'll find one of these someday... So, am I correct in my understanding that the lower pulley and saw guards were not Magna products?? I'm assuming they were created by Montgomery Ward, as that's the only place I've seen them listed as an accessory.

1952 PK catalog page.jpg

jpdalton

Here's one of the items I acquired that really got me started collecting. It's not "new in box" - very lightly used - but "complete in box" Power Mount Adapter Kit. The gentleman who sold it to me on eBay subsequently sold me a number of other very nice Magna-vintage boxed accessories, and I eventually had the pleasure of meeting him on a business trip. Great community among Shopsmith enthusiasts!

chapmanruss

It is interesting that the Lower Saw Blade Guard and the Lower Belt Guard only seem to show up in Montgomery Ward catalogs. I do believe they were made by Magna Engineering Corporation and sold through Montgomery Ward with the rest of the Magna/Shopsmith tools and accessories. It should be noted that Magna did make and supply some items to Montgomery Ward to be sold under their PowrKraft tool name. I have both an early Magna Molder Head and a PowrKraft one both made by Magna and the difference is a PowrKraft label and no set screw to attach it directly to the Spindle Shaft like the Magna version has.

In the picture below is Model 10ER serial number R64000 under the original Shopsmith tool cover for the Model 10's. I have the box for it stored but use the cover for my first Model 10 I restored.

R60582-13223-R64000-Mark V.jpg

The other two Model 10's have since been restored and sold.

edma194

Not a lot to show right now. Recently acquired a Goldie and picked up a Sawsmith RAS last year, but both are awaiting refurb and restoration.

However, with the Goldie came with two interesting Magna accessories, a Magna Dado (12060) and a Rubber Bonded Abrasive Wheel (22140). The dado blade needs cleaning but did come with the square end key that I hear is usually missing. Couldn't find a part number on the abrasive wheel initially, but that part of the box later showed up in a box of parts.

I'm pretty sure that abrasive wheel is not safe to use because of it's age. Unless I can refurb that wobble dado blade I don't think it's safe either, but I can get it cleaned up.

magna boxes.jpg

magna accessories.jpg

dado part number.jpg

abrasive wheel part number.jpg

chapmanruss

Ed,

You are correct about the Magna Dado commonly missing the square end key. I have had several Magna Dados that have come with Shopsmith's I have restored and all but one has been without a key. Depending on when it was made some have a hex instead of a square key. Something to watch out for is stripping the teeth on the little pinions when using the key to adjust the cut width. The Magna "wobble" Dado was made from the Model 10ER era through the Magna American Corporation era. I am not sure if it continued after Shopsmith Inc. formed to continue making the Mark 5.

I also have the Rubber Bonded Abrasive Wheels, one of which is an older one and a newer one but have been hesitant to use them.

jpdalton

Here's the oldest document artifact I have from Magna - it's the earliest brochure I've ever seen. Print date is April, 1948 ("448"), and was created in conjunction (using some of the same images) with the start of their magazine marketing campaign in the May, 1948 edition of Popular Mechanics.

Interestingly, the small format, 5-panel, fold-out brochure was resurrected by Magna American for their goldie marketing, and that was of course updated in the early Shopsmith, Inc. days (they really didn't seek to reinvent the wheel there when they started out!).

jpdalton

jpdalton wrote
Print date is April, 1948 ("448"), and was created in conjunction (using some of the same images) with the start of their magazine marketing campaign in the May, 1948 edition of Popular Mechanics.

IMG_9206.jpgIMG_9207.jpgIMG_9208.jpgIMG_9209.jpg

Here’s a picture of the May, 1948 ad:

jpdalton

edma194 wrote
However, with the Goldie came with two interesting Magna accessories, a Magna Dado (12060) and a Rubber Bonded Abrasive Wheel (22140). The dado blade needs cleaning but did come with the square end key that I hear is usually missing.

Ed - those are some interesting items. I've never seen the abrasive wheel in its box before, and I've also never seen a Yuba-branded Magna Dado.

They also offered a stacked dado option during the goldie period. Here's a Yuba version (I have a similar one also in the mustard-colored box from Magna American). Heavy sucker!

edma194

jpdalton wrote
edma194 wrote However, with the Goldie came with two interesting Magna accessories, a Magna Dado (12060) and a Rubber Bonded Abrasive Wheel (22140). The dado blade needs cleaning but did come with the square end key that I hear is usually missing.
Ed - those are some interesting items. I've never seen the abrasive wheel in its box before, and I've also never seen a Yuba-branded Magna Dado.

They also offered a stacked dado option during the goldie period. Here's a Yuba version (I have a similar one also in the mustard-colored box from Magna American). Heavy sucker!

The Dado blade and Rubber wheel were nice bonuses with the Goldie. I have a stacked Dado from Shopsmith that came along with my first Shopsmith, but no box. I did use it once long ago but it's just plain steel blades and there are easier ways to cut dados.

Been looking at some videos on repairing vintage toy boxes and maybe I can restore those battered and beat up Magna boxes.

chapmanruss

Both the Magna 8" wobble and the 6" stacked dado blades date back to the Model 10 era prior to the part number change of November 1, 1951. The original part number for the 8" Dado is 12 060 and the 6" is 12 063. I have two of the early Magna 8" Wobble Dados P/N 12 060, one in the original gray box and one in the yellowish box. I also have a Magna American 8" Wobble Dado without a box plus a couple others in my "to sell" stuff. Magna also sold both a 6" and an 8" Dado Table Insert for the Model 10's. The stacked Dado set continued for decades and was only more recently changed to Dado sets sold by Shopsmith provided by and labeled for other manufactures. The only 6" stacked Dado set I have that I know is from Shopsmith is from around the 1990's.

Ed,

I would be interested in seeing what you come up with for restoring those battered and beat up boxes

chapmanruss

More memorabilia to post. Below are a couple of bottle caps, remember those?

Bottle Caps.jpg

This is a functional item that could also be considered in this category.

12 foot Tape Measure.jpg

Here is another item from my collection. It is a warning tag that came attached to the Model A-34 Jig Saw for the Model 10's. I have a box that a Model A 34 P/N 134-1X Jig Saw came in but not in very good condition.

A-34 Jig Saw Warning Tag.jpg

jpdalton

Sometimes the items I seek as interesting vintage Shopsmith memorabilia are not so much about the items themselves, but about the packaging - especially when they fall into the category of, “How on Earth has that survived for 70 years in that condition??!” Here’s one of those…

I’m guessing this envelope is the packaging for some of the smaller items in a 10ER packing crate (a couple of those items survived with the envelope!), and based on the part numbers and the reference to Magna’s San Francisco location, this from a 10ER unit shipped sometime before 1952 (when HQ moved to Menlo Park).

For reference, I included a packing list that contains the beefier saw arbor that started shipping with the 10ERs.

DarrenDD

chapmanruss wrote
I have a box that a Model A 34 P/N 134-1X Jig Saw came in but not in very good condition.

Speaking of…

jpdalton

DarrenDD wrote Speaking of…

I think it’s an understatement to say this is just “Another JIG SAW”!!

Wow! I’ve seen pictures of one or two of these boxes, and certainly would like to add one to my collection someday, if for no other reason than to have a place to store one of my way too many A-34 jigsaws that has accumulated in my garage!

chapmanruss

Maybe I should put one of my restored Jig Saws back in the box. One I have is stored on a mount I made which is the later Jig Saw with the partial belt cover. An early Jig Saw I have restored is hanging from the ceiling using an "eye" hook screwed into the lamp mounting hole on the upper arm. Not a great way to store it.

DarrenDD

Remember the days companies would send you free stuff if you returned a card?

DarrenDD

…oh, and by the way, look at the postage.

jpdalton

This is a relatively recent addition to my memorabilia collection. It's a Magna Engineering Corporation "Confidential - Not for Customer Use" dealer binder that was an in-store reference compilation at Kreuer & Neubecker Hardware Store in Jackson, MI.

Based on contents of the binder, K&N stashed their Shopsmith manuals in this from the mid 1950s to at least the 1970s (there were a number of Shopsmith, Inc. dealer references in the volume when I received it). Acquiring this got me motivated to start organizing a vast stash of Shopsmith documents and brochures that I've accumulated, and now the binder contains:

One, 10-E owner's guide

Eight, 10-ER owner's guides (four different covers, and all different print dates)

Five, A-34 jigsaw owner's guides (3 different covers, and all different print dates)

One, 4E jointer owner's guide, with mounting kit installation instructions

Six, Mark 5 owner's manuals (3 different manufacturers, and all different print dates)

Two, Model 610 jigsaw owner's manuals (2 different manufacturers)

Four, Model 620 jointer owner's manuals (4 different covers, 3 different manufacturers)

Two, Model 630 bandsaw owner's manuals (2 different manufacturers)

Two, Model 640 belt sander owner's manuals (2 different covers)

Two, Model D-M compressor/sprayer owner's guide/manual (2 different manufacturers)

One, Mark 2 owner's manual

One, Mark VII owner's manual

One, Mark VII parts manual

That's almost more than can practically fit into that binder, so to complete the document organization project, I've organized a few additional binders:

Dealer location info, accessories instructions, repair guides, accessories catalogs and price lists, and dealer advertising templates

Brochures and glossy marketing material for: 10-E, 10-ER, Mark 5, Mark 2, Mark VII, Magna-Line, and Sawsmith RAS

Owner correspondence, packing lists (8 variants for 10-E/ER alone!), Shop Notes, Shavings, ShopMag, etc.

Montgomery-Ward Powr-Kraft Power Tools and Welding catalogs that feature Shopsmith products

There are some pretty unique items in these binders, so I'll share some of the more unusual contents down the road...

jpdalton

DarrenDD wrote
…oh, and by the way, look at the postage.

Not everyone was so diligent about getting their warranty card back!

(and yes, that postage was cheap!)

jpdalton

chapmanruss wrote More memorabilia to post. Below are a couple of bottle caps, remember those?

Bottle caps??! Any idea what timeframe those are from??

« Previous Page Next Page »