This Month in Shopsmith History!

[jpdalton]

I wonder if the ladies giving woodworking presentations had been working in factories 10 years earlier.

Dave - thanks for jumping into the discussion! It wouldn’t surprise me if some of the instructors and students had served the war effort in domestic factories, but the featured instructor of the post was probably a bit young (only 17 at the end of the war) for one of those roles. I read another article that indicated she had found her calling in DIY out of necessity, having been widowed at 23…
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[Edit: the title of the above article is a bit tongue in cheek, referring to wives who never saw their husbands when they retired to the workshop after returning home from their jobs, and not the unfortunate circumstance of Mrs. Zinnato…]

[jpdalton]

This Month in Shopsmith History - March 1953
Power Tool Woodworking For Everyone

As we close out March 2026, let’s go back 73 years to see what was hitting the shelves of your local hardware stores, department stores, and other fine retailers like Montgomery Ward!
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[chapmanruss]

There are a few copies signed by R. J. DeCristoforo out there. Mine is seen below. I happened upon it by accident when I bought a used copy online.

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[jpdalton]

This Month in Shopsmith History - April 1948
The very first SHOPSMITH brochure!

So, shortly after a successful Christmas 1947 launch, the team at Magna had a task in front them - it was time to ramp production of their new Model 10E. It was pretty clear from the demand they generated that first holiday season at Montgomery Ward that they had a hit on their hands, and they needed to strike while the iron was hot! And in addition to ramping production, they needed a marketing campaign - in April 1948, that era began with the production of their first brochure:
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This innocuous, 4x6-inch, 5-panel foldout heralded the start of a dizzying array of marketing materials to come out of Magna and Yuba over the ensuing years. But unlike so many other brochures that are commonly seen surviving with various vintage Shopsmith systems, this one is hardly known to even exist! In fact, the one I had acquired several years ago was the only one I'd ever seen... until today!

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Just like with a lot of items that we Shopsmith collectors seek out, as soon as you think you've found a true, one-of-a-kind unicorn item, someone's going to find another. And with the thousands of these that were likely printed back in the day, we're sure to see a few more. Keep on collecting, everyone!

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- back panel detail, including "448" print date

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- full back and front views

[jpdalton]

This Month in Shopsmith History - May 1948
Let the advertising begin!

Following up last month’s post regarding the original 10E brochure produced in April 1948, Magna’s print advertising campaign began in earnest the next month - May 1948.
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If you’ve never picked up one of these old magazines, I highly recommend a glance. It’s fun to see what was being considered as “futuristic” in that era.

This may be my last post for a bit, as I’m going to be busy moving soon. Not only will I get to see more of my granddaughter, I’ll be moving all the Shopsmith/Magna machines into this:
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Retirement can’t come soon enough!

[chapmanruss]

John,

Nice shop space.

Here is a "This Month in Shopsmith History" post.

June 10, 1961, Yuba Power Products is sold to a group of investors some formally part of Yuba. The new company is Magna Power Products and soon changed to Magna American Corporation.

[jpdalton]

The new company is Magna Power Products and soon changed to Magna American Corporation.

Thanks for pinpointing that date, Russ! “Magna Power Products” wasn’t around long enough to develop its own logo, but they did produce a Mark 5 brochure…
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[rcsaylor]

I always enjoy the Shopsmith history, thank you. Okay, that new shop. Love it. Please post pictures once you get moved in.

[jpdalton]

Okay, that new shop. Love it. Please post pictures once you get moved in.

You betcha!