Shopsmith Model 10's What When and Where

[chapmanruss]

Having the capacitor on the side was another difference on the A. O. Smith 1/2 and 3/4 HP motors made for the Shopsmith Model 10's. I have the A. O. Smith 3/4 HP motors also. In fact I need to finish getting one ready this week, painted and new cords, to put on the 10ER I restored so I can sell it. The wife says I have to many Shopsmiths but she doesn't understand you can never have to many tools.

The older A. O. Smith 1/2 HP motors have 2 capacitors under the rear cover along with the contacts. Here it is without the cover.

A O Smith motor end - early r.jpg (183.12 KiB) Viewed 12256 times

It needs some cleaning but does run great. A check of the internal wiring, checking and cleaning the contacts, a paint job and new power cord and she will look and run like new. It turns smooth and easy so I really don't need to change the bearings but I may anyway. As we've agreed these last forever.

[chapmanruss]

So now I have seen a Shopsmith Model 10ER that confuses me. It was for sale on craigslist a little over an hour and a half from me. Below is a picture of its Logo/Serial Number Plate.

10ER RX5010.jpg (137.6 KiB) Viewed 12227 times

The Serial Number is RX5010. The X is the confusing part of the serial number. This is the only one I have seen in looking at more than 370 Logo/Serial Number Plates of Model 10’s that has an X in the serial number and this one having the X replacing the tens of thousands number.

This one is an early 10ER with the Large Base, 4 Bolt Headrest, Early Blade Guard and one of the last two versions of the Headstock to use double wedge locks. Looking at the Headstock it could be either version 4 or 5. The pictures do not show the spring housing well enough to be sure but I think it is a version 4. It has parts that don't match up to groups of Model 10's made. Judging by the Headstock the X could be replaced in the serial number as a 3, 4 or 5. The Large Base and 4 Bolt Headrest would be more like a 3 or 4 for the X. The Blade Guard would have it in the 2 or lower range for the X. Now this is a restored Shopsmith Model 10ER. It is possible that some parts have been replaced with parts from different Model 10s of different vintages. That would explain mismatched parts. It doesn’t explain the X in the serial number though.

I would think it could have been a Demo unit but it doesn't have a logo plate on the back side of the headstock. John has or had a Demo unit but the serial number was a normal one if I recall correctly. I know John will let us know if I am wrong.

I have already been asked if it could be an Australian Model 10ER but of the ones I have seen any information on, doesn’t fit this one. The Australian ones I have seen, which are not many, are later Model 10ER's. Small Base and 2 bolt Headrest among other later parts. Their serial numbers have an “A” prefix or no prefix at all.

It has the Rev. A Manual with it and there is some writing on the cover. Below is a picture of that writing on the cover. I cannot totally make out what it says.

RX5010 Manual writing.jpg (48.56 KiB) Viewed 12227 times

The serial number is not the one for the Model 10ER it is with so it could just be a manual the seller put with it. I will say it was a nicely done restoration on a butcher block like wood top bench.

A final thought. One thing I noticed about the serial number and question is the size and placement of the X and numbers. They look a little larger than the preprinted R and they appear individually stamped. They are not lined up as all other serial numbers I have seen on plates. Unfortunately, I was not able to talk to the seller and it has sold so no contact information is available. I wonder if he had a blank Logo/serial number Plate, maybe from the back side of a demo unit, and made up this plate.

[jsburger]

[quote="chapmanruss"]So now I have seen a Shopsmith Model 10ER that confuses me. It was for sale on craigslist a little over an hour and a half from me. Below is a picture of its Logo/Serial Number Plate.

$matches[2]The Serial Number is RX5010. The X is the confusing part of the serial number. This is the only one I have seen in looking at more than 370 Logo/Serial Number Plates of Model 10’s that has an X in the serial number and this one having the X replacing the tens of thousands number.

This one is an early 10ER with the Large Base, 4 Bolt Headrest, Early Blade Guard and one of the last two versions of the Headstock to use double wedge locks. Looking at the Headstock it could be either version 4 or 5. The pictures do not show the spring housing well enough to be sure but I think it is a version 4. It has parts that don't match up to groups of Model 10's made. Judging by the Headstock the X could be replaced in the serial number as a 3, 4 or 5. The Large Base and 4 Bolt Headrest would be more like a 3 or 4 for the X. The Blade Guard would have it in the 2 or lower range for the X. Now this is a restored Shopsmith Model 10ER. It is possible that some parts have been replaced with parts from different Model 10s of different vintages. That would explain mismatched parts. It doesn’t explain the X in the serial number though.

I would think it could have been a Demo unit but it doesn't have a logo plate on the back side of the headstock. John has or had a Demo unit but the serial number was a normal one if I recall correctly. I know John will let us know if I am wrong.

I have already been asked if it could be an Australian Model 10ER but of the ones I have seen any information on, doesn’t fit this one. The Australian ones I have seen, which are not many, are later Model 10ER's. Small Base and 2 bolt Headrest among other later parts. Their serial numbers have an “A” prefix or no prefix at all.

It has the Rev. A Manual with it and there is some writing on the cover. Below is a picture of that writing on the cover. I cannot totally make out what it says.

RX5010 Manual writing.jpgThe serial number is not the one for the Model 10ER it is with so it could just be a manual the seller put with it. I will say it was a nicely done restoration on a butcher block like wood top bench.

A final thought. One thing I noticed about the serial number and question is the size and placement of the X and numbers. They look a little larger than the preprinted R and they appear individually stamped. They are not lined up as all other serial numbers I have seen on plates. Unfortunately, I was not able to talk to the seller and it has sold so no contact information is available. I wonder if he had a blank Logo/serial number Plate, maybe from the back side of a demo unit, and made up this plate.[/quote]

Wow, that is strange. Yes mine has a conventional data plate, SN 69356. The difference with mine is that the logo on the back side of the head stock is not a data plate. It is a decal or painted on.

If he had a blank data plate it must have come from that machine. If so there should be attachment holes on the back side of the head stock.

[rpd]

Russ, it is one of mine that has the blank logo plate on the back.

back plate.jpg (906.77 KiB) Viewed 12193 times

Oddly enough, I was looking on Facebook Marketplace just yesterday and spotted this one in Texas.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... ct_details

texas demo plate.jpg (94.53 KiB) Viewed 12193 times

[chapmanruss]

John and Ron,

Thanks for the input. Looking at Ron's and the one for sale in Texas it could be possible for that seller to have taken the blank Logo/Serial Number Plate off an earlier Model 10. John's shows that later demo units had the painted on logo. This seller may have replaced the original plate on the one he restored or maybe it's original plate was missing. Pictures of the back of the headstock do not show holes for a logo plate to have been attached on it. The holes may have been there but covered up before it was painted or it could be from another headstock. We may never know how X5010 came to be that way.

[rpd]

John and Ron,

Thanks for the input. Looking at Ron's and the one for sale in Texas it could be possible for that seller to have taken the blank Logo/Serial Number Plate off an earlier Model 10. John's shows that later demo units had the painted on logo. This seller may have replaced the original plate on the one he restored or maybe it's original plate was missing. Pictures of the back of the headstock do not show holes for a logo plate to have been attached on it. The holes may have been there but covered up before it was painted or it could be from another headstock. We may never know how X5010 came to be that way.

The Texas unit appears to be a similar vintage to mine (double wedge locks), so is likely a part of the same run. There was a member on the old Yahoo group that also had one with the extra plate on the back and his serial number was very close to mine (less than ten difference)

Regarding the X serial number, I wonder if it might have been set aside for use on the production line and that is a date code. ie October 1950. Just a WAG.

[chapmanruss]

I tried to contact the seller but was unable to talk to them so as I last said we may never know how X5010 came to be that way.

[chapmanruss]

One of the fun things about restoring the Shopsmith tools is finding out new (to me) things about them. In disassembling S/N 1033 I noticed two things. The first I also saw on S/N 1077 but dismissed it as something someone had added to the Drive Sleeve Assembly. There is a brass sleeve used as a spacer on the Drive Shaft between the bearing and Pulley. That is something I have not seen on any later Model 10E or 10ERs. Its only purpose seems to be to keep the Pulley from being pushed to close to the Headstock. On both 10E’s the pulley was not up tight against it.

Drive Sleeve Pulley Spacer no P-N cr.jpg (167.54 KiB) Viewed 11779 times

The other thing I noticed on the Drive Sleeve Assembly for S/N 1033 that I overlooked on S/N 1077 is the splines inside the Drive Shaft itself do not go all the way through as they do on later Model 10s Drive Shafts. They only go in about an inch from the Quill side of the Drive Shaft. The flat space for the Pulley’s set screw is also a bit shorter on this one than on later Drive Shafts. On the later Drive Shafts, the splines go all the way through but reduce to almost nothing at the outside end of the Drive Shaft.

[chapmanruss]

Another change that I have wondered about is the Way Tube thickness. We know sometime before the end of the Model 10ER production they changed to the thinner walled Way Tubes. Exactly when is hard to tell since we have only the information provided by owners. I am referring to Skip Campbell’s chart asking 1/8” way tubes, Y or N. Looking at that chart it starts, ends and starts again, over and over. Sometimes the information asked for isn’t always well understood, but we try. Another reason for it starting and stopping over and over again may be because the change was done at different time between the Western and Eastern Plants.

We do know that for quite some time during the last couple years of the Model 10ER production that the Mark 5 was in the planning and engineering stages. Could the change in the Way Tube wall thickness be a result of the Mark 5? The Mark 5 used the thinner walled Way Tubes.

A few years ago, I met a guy who has a Mark V in his commercial Wood Shop and the Way Tubes got bent somehow so he replaced them with the thicker Model 10 Way Tubes. He said he didn’t want that to happen again.

If any of you have those higher (around 80,000 and above) serial numbered Model 10ER’s let us know if they have the thin walled Way Tubes. I see both John and Everett have them on their later Model 10ER’s according to the chart. The highest Serial Number I have owned is 76928 and it did not have the thin walled Way Tubes. It is the only one I have owned that has the hollow Table Rods. Another later change.

[rpd]

I have 10ER 94997. It has the thin walled way tubes and the hollow table legs.