Looking at Used SS - help with serial/date

[reible]

Hi,

I have two guesses,

First, in the 1973-78 the list shows 1001-20359, so a 4 digit number could fall in that range. I also believe that would be the time they were in Vandalia and I've always guessed those serial numbers were lost in the move. As a way of checking that the full plate needs to be seen. It will have the Vandalia Ohio location.

Second,i f it says Dayton Ohio then I go with the suppressed zeros and check it it is a 510 from early 1997, (this was mentioned earlier).

Ed

[frank81]

[quote="dusty"]But a four digit serial number is really unique]

Just some thoughts on the 4 digit vs. 6 digit conundrum. General thoughts based on what I've observed in manufacturing, not SS specific.

Earlier/simpler computer systems are more likely to use fixed width fields in their tables. So 8833 is going to be saved as 008833 in the computer, but that's not necesarily how it was formatted in the plant.

Another thought, each of those numbers has to be stamped. It's wasteful to be stamping leading zeros (time and tooling), and if you weren't going to produce serial number 10,000 for 10 or morel years there would be no point in setting up your stamping machine for the extra digits until you got close to that date. Usually its "uh-oh, we are running out of digits next year" and you have to make the change.

[JPG]

Hi,

I have two guesses,

First, in the 1973-78 the list shows 1001-20359, so a 4 digit number could fall in that range. I also believe that would be the time they were in Vandalia and I've always guessed those serial numbers were lost in the move. As a way of checking that the full plate needs to be seen. It will have the Vandalia Ohio location.

Second,i f it says Dayton Ohio then I go with the suppressed zeros and check it it is a 510 from early 1997, (this was mentioned earlier).

Ed

Which list is that?

The incomplete 'data' in the posted link spans 1961 to 1978. That period includes both Magna American and SS Inc. production. I do not know what the last Magna-American SN was, but it is apparent SS Inc. started a new sequence from 1972.



FWIW I have a belt cover/vent plate with smooth gray(very fine wrinkle IMHO) paint, labeled a Mark 5, Tipp City,OH, and Shopsmith Inc. with a SN of 13695.

[reible]

Which list is that?

The incomplete 'data' in the posted link spans 1961 to 1978. That period includes both Magna American and SS Inc. production. I do not know what the last Magna-American SN was, but it is apparent SS Inc. started a new sequence from 1972.



FWIW I have a belt cover/vent plate with smooth gray(very fine wrinkle IMHO) paint, labeled a Mark 5, Tipp City,OH, and Shopsmith Inc. with a SN of 13695.

The other list

https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=12690

Ed

[JPG]

The other list

https://forum.shopsmith.com/viewtopic.php?t=12690

Ed

I do not see any SN on the biscuit jointer!:D

[rickm808]

It's odd that I can't find this serial number is any lists.

Rickm -
Does your machine's serial look just like that one I posted in terms of number of digits and position, etc?

My serial number looks just like the one in the first post.

[reible]

I do not see any SN on the biscuit jointer!:D

Let us try this one:

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/serialnumber.htm

Ed

[enyoc]

another serial number in the early 70s range...

if it helps anyone, 15619 was built in Vandalia



that smear at the bottom right is grease, all 4 tubes are slathered. there's a family of stink bugs living inside and as you can see the jointer shaft is way off center. got this for $75 today with no fence, chuck, sander, etc. but it has a shaper fence and casters, so that's something