Magna Headstock Service

[hkp7fan]

I have a 1955 Magna Engineering Mark V that belonged to my Grandfather. I had it serviced at a Shopsmith retail store in Michigan when I first got it in 1989 or 1990, and I want to service it again before getting back into using it heavily (it's been in storage for a long time while I was mobilized and deployed out of the Army Reserve for OIF/OEF). I have two questions:

1) Some inexperienced yo-yo service guy at the Shopsmith store pried off the nameplate, thinking there was a service access port behind it (there is not). It's been loose ever since. (Why do I sound irritated? Because they didn't say anything to me about it when I went to pick it up, much less apologize or offer to fix it, and when I asked about why it was loose they were real jerks, acting like it was my fault that there was no access port and like I should feel bad that it was harder for them to service). So: when I service/restore it, I'd like to re-secure this plate. What should I use? There is still a flange on the back, but I don't know how it was secured inside. I don't know for sure, but I don't *think* anything broke off. But one side or the nameplate won't stay in the hole, and needs something inside to hold it in. (I thought of using an o-ring, but the flange is tapered).

2) The DVDs about how service/restore the Shopsmith head stock start with prying off that nameplate. Is there anything showing how to do it properly on the older Magna machines that did not have the access port behind the nameplate?

Thank you.

[JPG]

The medallion has two posts that are inserted into the holes in the headstock. Tinnerman clips are pushed onto the posts to secure it.

I agree SS idiots were inexcusable.

[hkp7fan]

Thanks, now I need to find out what "Tinnerman clips" are. Google knows all...

Thanks again.

[chapmanruss]

Tinnerman Nuts as they are called in the Owner's Guide for your era Mark 5 are also known as Speed Nuts and are shown in the picture below. They go on the posts of the SS Name Plate inside the headstock along with two rubber washers. They may still be on the SS Name Plate's posts just not pressed up against the Headstock Casting to keep the Name Plate tight. The service techs probably never tried to push the Tinnerman Nuts back on tight after trying to pop the Name Plate off. This way of holding the SS Name Plate on the back of the Headstock was specific to the "A" Headstocks only. The "B" and "C" Headstocks have an access hole behind the Name Plate.

_

Tinnerman Nuts AKA Speed Nuts.jpg (228.24 KiB) Viewed 810 times

.
Do you have the manual for your Mark 5? It will be either the 2nd, 3rd or 4th edition of the Owner's Guide depending on when in 1955 your Mark 5 was made.

Because the "A" Headstocks do not have an access hole behind the Name Plate the motor and motor pan has to be separated from the Headstock casting to reach the back of the Idler Shaft for lubrication. Doing this will give you a good view inside of the Headstock to see if everything looks okay. Inspect for rust or other problems. Besides applying oil to the sheaves of the Idler Shaft you can inspect the back of the Speed Control Assembly and use a dry lubricant on the worm gear. Yours being an early Mark 5 it may not have the oil holes in the movable sheaves of the Idler Shaft Assembly and Motor Pulley Assembly.

[HopefulSSer]

If the stud(s) is/are broken, I'd think a dab of silicone sealer or some mounting tape would work just fine to hold the plate on.

Didn't SS have a template for cutting the access hole if someone wanted to do so and install the later removable plate?

[hkp7fan]

Thanks, I will check all that out and re-secure the nameplate (I think the stud is intact). I do have all the manuals for everything. I appreciate the pointers on access to the head stock.

Regarding the owner's manual: It is TMG-3469A-84(0)-P-7B*. On the back it is Cat. No. EM 9100-A-M5-8-55, copyright 1954. I said the machine was 1955 vintage because I also have the 1955-56 Montgomery Ward Power-Kraft Tool catalog in an envelope addressed to him, as well as Issue 10 (final issue) of Shopsmith Shavings and Issues 1-3 (Fall 1956, Winter 1956-57 and Spring 1957) of ShopMag. They built their house in 1955 or 1956, and he made all the cabinetry in it himself, presumably on the ShopSmith.

And after all of that, I did the obvious: went to the serial number chart. #309273, almost smack in the middle of the 1955 range. Probably July production, assuming an even distribution across the year's production numbers.

[hkp7fan]

Interesting. I edited that photo and made it right-side-up before posting it, but it still came out sideways.

[jsburger]

Interesting. I edited that photo and made it right-side-up before posting it, but it still came out sideways.

Yes, that is a "feature" of this forum software. Depends on what took the picture originally. It is off 90° clockwise. Rotate it 90° counter clockwise on your computer and save it. Then upload that image. It should be right on the forum then.

[hkp7fan]

Thanks I tried that and now it says the file size is too large, even though the limit is supposedly 3 MB and the file is only 1.8. Guess I'll learn the ins and outs eventually.

[hkp7fan]

Photo upload experiment.
1. sideways right
2. right side up
3. sideways left
4. upside-down