Variance in Bandsaw Serial Number Table

[everettdavis]

I realize that the current Shopsmith 'company' is not the same Shopsmith company that was in production when the Bandsaw serial numbering transitioned from the sequential numbering, to reflecting the date of original manufacture itself.

I have a variance I wish to point out that illustrates the data in the table for the last machine manufactured under the prior serial numbering method, is in error by at a minimum of 1,965 machines based on this one of mine.

Respectfully, Shopsmith may want to revisit this table's data based on the actual machine below.

Everett

Shopsmith Bandsaw - Serial 134428 compared to Shopsmiths last serial numbering supposed to have gone to date code format.jpg (656.85 KiB) Viewed 33848 times

[reible]

On some of the tables I think I recall them saying the number was the start of production for that month..... now I don't see that claim here but that could account for a really good production run of bandsaws that month.....

Ed

[everettdavis]

On some of the tables I think I recall them saying the number was the start of production for that month..... now I don't see that claim here but that could account for a really good production run of bandsaws that month.....

Ed

http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/faq/bandsaw.htm

I'd say beyond comprehension month since they made only 214 in the year prior November. Maybe they found a bunch of pre-stamped labels and just used them up.

Bandsaw Production Count.png (9.85 KiB) Viewed 33782 times

[db5]

I don't see this anywhere. Got this with Mark VII so it was made sometime between 1963-69 but nothing is in the tables.

[DLB]

The table in the first post in this thread has a gap from 1961 to 1978 with no information. But we can tell by your label that your bandsaw was made by Shopsmith Inc, who did not make Mark VII's and did not exist until 1972. Shopsmith Inc also did not continue the SN sequences of the predecessor companies. Yours, at SS-5698, is not far outside the table data which shows SS-6196 in Feb 1978. My guess would be SS-5698 was made in late 1977.

- David

[chapmanruss]

db5,

As David points out there is a gap in all of the Serial Number Charts for the Shopsmith tools. There are no records that have been found from 1962 through 1977. Part of that time period in the later 1960's the tools went out of production one by one. In 1972 Shopsmith Inc. was formed and restarted production of the Mark 5 and the SPT's beginning for sale in 1973. Shopsmith Inc. started serial numbers at 1001 for the Mark 5 and the SPT's like your Bandsaw. These serial number started with the prefix SS as shown on the sticker of your Bandsaw.

As for Everett's original post about serial numbers going past the beginning of Date Coding I believe he is correct with his following statement.

Maybe they found a bunch of pre-stamped labels and just used them up.

The Bandsaw is not the only SPT's to have serial numbers going past the beginning of Date Codes.

There are a lot of postings that discuss the serial numbers and what was used when.