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Share your Magna memorabilia!

jpdalton

Mark 5 Key Switch and Outlet Box

So, here’s an accessory rarity! Unused, in-box, complete with original instruction sheet.

Based on the dealer price tag, it was sold at Boscov’s (likely somewhere in PA, based on where I purchased it), which is still in business today! And while it looks like the price tag says it was $1.25, the catalog list price was always $7.95

Power cord is still surprisingly supple, but I heard a few crinkles and cracks when I opened it up, so this one is likely staying boxed up… It is the first time I’ve seen the Shopsmith logo format molded into a 3-pronged electrical cord.

chapmanruss

John.

Yours is in better condition than mine. The cord on mine is in bad shape. I don't know if mine has ever been used either, but the years haven't been as kind. Interestingly the price sticker on the box is the same as the one on mine and even looks like the same person wrote the "941" and the "1.25" on it. I'll have to take some pictures to post.

My key number is DM279 and looks like it has a different cut for the pins than yours.

One thing I learned is why there are the extra holes in the Tube Lock Bar shown below. They are for mounting the box to the Mark 5 as shown in the instructions John posted. Even though the Outlet Box has long ago been discontinued the extra holes remained.

Like you John, I have no plans to use this accessory. With that in mind I will keep the "bad" power cord on it because as you pointed out it has the Shopsmith name molded into the plug.

Using it requires cutting the plug off the Mark power cord and connecting the wires inside the box to the key switch.

Tube Lock Bar arrows.jpg

chapmanruss

Here are pictures of mine.

See the sticker on the box as compared to John's.

Key Switch and Outlet.jpg

Key Switch and Outlet Box.jpg

jpdalton

chapmanruss wrote See the sticker on the box as compared to John's.

I did a little more research on Boscov’s Department Stores. Like I said before, they are one of the surprises of the modern retail landscape, in that they are still viable as the country’s largest family owned department store chain.

Interestingly, Boscov’s doesn’t show up on the Magna retailer list in the Pennsylvania territory (at least on my 1955 retailer list, which admittedly is a couple of years prior to the production date of these, based on the instruction print date on mine). I also can’t find anything that indicates that Boscov’s was ever any sort of discount retailer, to help explain that $1.25 price that was much lower than retail list price ($7.95).

So the acquisition history of these I suppose will remain a bit murky!

chapmanruss

My only guess as to the price would be if Boscov’s Department Stores at one time sold the Mark 5 and discounted the price as a clearance item. That's a pretty big discount and surprising to find on two of them since they are a rare item.

Below is the section of the February 1955 catalog for the Key Switch and Outlet Box.

2-55 catalog.jpg

jpdalton

Mark 5 Dealer Accessory Display

So, I’m sitting in my hotel room in Syracuse right now after a long, long day of traversing the state of NY, in search of my latest Magna artifact…

Last year right around this same time, I had the good fortune of securing one of these:

…which I subsequently restored and proudly display in my home office with many of the other Magna memorabilia items I’ve collected. That picture is from a dealer manual, describing the selling aids that Magna made available for independent dealers at the time of the introduction of the Mark 5 in 1954.

And while I felt pretty lucky to have obtained a Display Panel in restorable condition, the dealer manual also shows another display stand available to show the various accessories that users could add to their Shopsmith:

…and I couldn’t possibly find another needle in a haystack, right?

Well, on an eclectic little farm property near the shores of Lake Erie, this little needle was quite literally found in a haystack!

The property owner was a bit of a picker, but with the property up for sale, he took a chance posting it to FB Marketplace, where an eagle-eyed fellow Shopsmith group member posted it to the group. After a few additional photos were provided to make sure all the key parts were there, I set in motion the pickup plan this weekend, and hauled it out of the barn… Simple, right?!

While it’s a little rough in initial appearance, it’s solid, complete, and ready for restoration. I’ll post some after photos too…

jpdalton

Mark 5 Dealer Accessory Display - Cleanup

jpdalton wrote
While it’s a little rough in initial appearance, it’s solid, complete, and ready for restoration. I’ll post some after photos too…

Got it home today, and did a bit of cleanup to better assess condition. I’m frankly amazed that the peg board panels are still sound at more than 70 years old…

jsburger

MDF ??? I don't think the term MDF as we know it today existed back then. Good peg board was made from tempered Masonite. The cheap stuff was non tempered Masonite. I believe Masonite was/is a brand name and there may have been other similar products. It is much more moisture resistant than current MDF. It is still available today. Although by today's standards I guess it is classified as a type of MDF.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-4-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Tempered-Pegboard-210552/202088101

chapmanruss

John,

Another nice find and is great that it will be saved as part of the Shopsmith history.

JPG

jsburger wrote MDF ??? I don't think the term MDF as we know it today existed back then. Good peg board was made from tempered Masonite. The cheap stuff was non tempered Masonite. I believe Masonite was/is a brand name and there may have been other similar products. It is much more moisture resistant than current MDF. It is still available today. Although by today's standards I guess it is classified as a type of MDF.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-4-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Tempered-Pegboard-210552/202088101

"Tempered" Masonite back then was quite hard and impervious to moisture. Yes Masonite is a brand name. Yes it killed many a steel saw blade.

Today's tempered peg board is nowhere close to the 'original' that was banned due to environmental concerns regarding the tempering process oils.

HopefulSSer

JPG wrote "Tempered" Masonite back then was quite hard and impervious to moisture. Yes Masonite is a brand name. Yes it killed many a steel saw blade.

Today's tempered peg board is nowhere close to the 'original' that was banned due to environmental concerns regarding the tempering process oils.

It's something I almost never use so I was unaware of a change but I remember my grandad using it a lot. What changed specifically? I thought "tempered" just meant it had been treated with linseed oil.

JPG

IIUC, it was not linseed oil, but some other environmentally dangerous substance that was 'outlawed'.

HopefulSSer

Ah!

jpdalton

Prospect Kit for Authorized Dealers - circa 1955

Magna Engineering Corp undertook a variety of steps to support their independent dealer network in the latter’s efforts to sell Shopsmith machines back in the 1940s and 1950s - they produced advertising campaigns in national publications; they produced media spots for local TV and radio; they produced materials for use in trade shows and other in-person events.

But once interest had been generated, the Magna team understood the criticality of staying organized around prospects who visited your store, and around maintaining contact once those prospects became customers. So in addition to the standard product literature items - many of which have been featured in prior posts to this thread - Magna made available a special Prospect Kit:

Here’s a bit more detail on the construction and contents of the Kit:

And while it’s great to be able to read about these sorts of items in original dealer literature that itself is already really rare, it’s an even bigger thrill to be able to see one pretty much as it looked 70 years ago…

It’s a really solid box with finger joint construction, and a Shopsmith logo printed on that’s amazingly intact. I’m dating it to 1955 based on the SPTs listed on the “owner” side of the contact card - which only included the jointer, jigsaw, and sprayer.

It’s a great little time capsule of the dealer experience in early Mark 5 days.

chapmanruss

Nice find. I wonder if the Wooden Box was made on a Shopsmith. :D

The box does look different than the one illustrated in the Dealer's Book. Just something I noticed. It does seem to fit the actual dimensions listed in the what's included list better than the illustration shown.

jpdalton

chapmanruss wrote
The box does look different than the one illustrated in the Dealer's Book.

Russ - good catch on that. I think what you see is some artistic license from the illustrator. A truer image with the lid open would show no logo, so the artist likely took some liberties. That person did get the wave style of the lid seam correct!

Hope it was built on a Shopsmith!!

chapmanruss

Thanks for the side view picture. It does look more like the illustration now.

jpdalton

First Visitor to “The Museum”!

Had a very nice visit from The NH ShopSmith Guy today, and took the opportunity to show him my recently decluttered Shopsmith Museum (aka, my home office).

He had found an unusual accessory attached to an old Mark 5 he had acquired - it looked to be in rough shape, and he didn’t have any interest in fixing it. In other words, right up my alley!

…and from the “When It Rains, It Pours” department, you all may recognize this as a well-worn version of the NIB Key Switch & Outlet Box accessory that was featured in this thread earlier in the summer…

So, for those wondering, the Museum is open to all who will venture here, but the price of admission may likewise be an addition to the exhibit! 😉

thedovetailjoint

What a cool space, John!

jpdalton

thedovetailjoint wrote What a cool space, John!

…and yet missing an MGR segment to truely validate it! ;)

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