Share your Magna memorabilia!

[jpdalton]

It appears the story began in late 1952, when Mr. Claude Weyant, an industrial arts instructor at what was then known as the North School in Herkimer, NY, purchased Shopsmith serial number R69038, presumably for use in his woodworking instructor’s role.

I appreciate everyone who has tuned into this narrative of my acquisition of a Model 10er used for industrial arts instruction in a small NY town, but I still have one final chapter to add to the story…

When I saw Mr. Weyant’s name on pages in the machine’s document stack, I did a quick Google search and was surprised to see reference to an ongoing annual award given by SUNY Oswego in his memory:
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So, I was intrigued enough to do some more digging. I next reached out to the local Herkimer County Historical Society, hoping to get lucky to find a picture in an old yearbook - or even better, a picture of the man with the machine!

And while the Society rep that responded was kind enough to do some research, there were no yearbook pics to be found. They did, however, find some additional references that offer a much clearer picture as to why Mr. Weyant has been memorialized by what turned out was his alma mater.
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Sadly, within a few months of receiving this award, Mr. Weyant’s surgically repaired heart gave out, with a local newspaper painting another flattering picture of the service and mentorship he provided to so many students:
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Shortly thereafter, the State University College at Oswego announced their plans to honor the service of one of their alums with a well-deserved memorial award.
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I imagine he introduced many students to woodworking and Shopsmith during his long career, and perhaps some of their children and grandchildren are still Shopsmith users today…

[jpdalton]

[This thread is now up over 400 posts!!! I know I have a few more items up my sleeve to share, so stay tuned for more…]

The only Shopsmith catalog reference I remember seeing was for the Lower Saw Blade Guard. It is listed in a 1958 catalog (section below) but is for the Mark 2. I believe the Lower Saw Blade Guard listed there is the same one from the Model 10's. The part number 12 370 follows the Model 10 part numbers

Wow, that is some superior detective work! I’ve since found similar references all the way up through 1960-vintage accessory catalogs, but never made that connection previously…

Makes sense though - Magna suddenly was introducing an all-new 8” table saw machine, so why not dust off an existing 8” saw guard! That rough casting of the 10er guard certainly didn’t fit the motif of the Mark 2 design - I wonder if they at least gave it a coat of green paint?!

I believe, at one time, I found a reference to the Lower Saw Blade Guard in some Model 10 materials with that part number. I wish I could remember where it was listed so I could confirm that.

So one reference in Magna literature is the discontinuance notice to dealers in 1954, meaning it was out of production for 4 years when recalled to active duty. Wonder what that upper saw guard looked like on the Mark 2…? There’s a needle in a haystack for us collectors!!
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[chapmanruss]

John,

You said

Wonder what that upper saw guard looked like on the Mark 2…? There’s a needle in a haystack for us collectors!!

I believe the Mark 2 may have used the last version of the Model 10ER Upper Saw Blade Guard too, even though the part number of 26 070 is different than a Model 10 P/N's. The Mark 2 Main Table has a threaded hole on the back (outfeed) edge of the table in the same location and size as the Model 10ER. I haven't seen a green painted Model 10 upper guards though. If I ever confirm that the Mark 2 used the Model 10ER Upper and Lower Saw Blade Guards I may paint a set to match my Mark 2.

There were 4 different Upper Saw Blade Guards for the Model 10's during their production. Three are shown below. The top is the second and differs only in how deep the splitter slot was cut and the splitter itself.

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Below is the 1st version of the Splitter for the Saw Guard. the difference is the width between the slot and the front edge being narrower as compared to version 2 above.

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There were three splitter versions used.

[jpdalton]

SHOPSMITH Mark 2 - Through The Years

While the title of this post may be a little misleading - there weren’t exactly a lot of years of Mark 2 history, but at least two anyway - there are some tidbits in remaining historical documentation that hint to the decision making trajectory that led to the temporary demise of the Shopsmith product line by the end of its second decade. And for the record, while I am a Mark 2 owner, I’m not much of a Mark 2 proponent.

And why not a proponent?! I seem to be a fan of all things vintage Shopsmith, and what could go wrong if you combined some of the best features of a Model 10ER (accessible and configurable motor and pulleys) with those of a Mark 5 (out-of-the-box compatibility with all contemporary Add-A-Tool accessories) for a low, low price?? Well unfortunately, the low price point was clearly the primary driver, which resulted in some truly great features of their predecessor machines - Mark 5’s internal speed adjustment and Model 10ER’s heft and durability - being left off the drawing board. So, yeah, lots could and did go wrong (don’t even get me started on the table size)…

Anyway, this is a “show & tell” sort of thread, so let’s get to the showing part…

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I've had the Mark 2 Owner's Manual pictured on the left in my collection for a few years, and recently acquired a second copy pictured on the right.  As these show, both Magna Power Tool Corp. and Yuba Power Products were providing this product during its brief history.  And while the cover photos show some changes to the standard product offering - the later Yuba edition dropped the superior steel bench tubes in favor of 2-by-4's (steel tubes were still offered as a purchased option) - the pricing is more indicative of the greater trend going on with the product line.

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The original $179 base price with a la carte bench and motor (remember the 10ER?!) resulted in a nearly $230 price for a usable system.  

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While a later 1959 Yuba price list shows that same configuration for only $199.

So it appears the powers at Yuba saw poor sales with the Mark 2, and rather than addressing some of the functional deficiencies, they opted to find ways to take more away from the design to cut the price.  Unfortunately the same was true in the latter days of the 1960s Mark 5, based on what I've seen in comparing Greenies and Goldies.

So, here's a bit more detail of the Magna vs. Yuba Mark 2, as seen in the manual.  First the abbreviated Packing List (Magna then Yuba):

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And then what I guess is the removal of the speed chart from the belt cover on the Magna version…

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...in favor of an extra page in the Yuba Owner's Manual with the more familiar Mark 5-styled speed chart.  

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I've never actually seen an intact belt cover with a Yuba Mark 2, so maybe they maintained the sticker speed chart approach.  If anyone out there has one, I'd love to see that.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

[chapmanruss]

John,

I agree with your statement as I feel the same.

And for the record, while I am a Mark 2 owner, I’m not much of a Mark 2 proponent.

So, for anyone reading this the Mark 2 is not a Shopsmith I would recommend to anyone who wants to get into woodworking. I own 2 of them, one which is restored and a second waiting to be restored which I may get to someday but not anywhere near the top of my restoration list. Below is my restored Mark 2.

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It does have a mostly intact Belt Cover which is rare since it is a thin plastic part. Most have broken over the years and past being able to be repaired. The Belt Cover above has a small worn spot from the lower Pulley on the back side. I don't even have a picture showing that damage. The Mark 2 waiting to be restored has the Belt Cover too but with more damage to it. It is shown below. The lower pulley damage on it is similar but worse than the restored Mark 2 Belt Cover.

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The plastic Belt Cover is just one example of how they reduced costs in making the Mark 2.

[jpdalton]

Rare/Restored Model 10E/10ER Accessories

I recently finished restoring the accessories on the shop teacher machine that I acquired earlier this summer (full system restoration won’t be long…), and I realized I had a lot of other pretty hard-to-find 10E/10ER accessories restored as well. So, time for a group shot!

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This grouping is intended to showcase items that were not part of an original base system purchase, so I’m not sure if the steel extension table counts… I honestly have no idea whether the few of these that were made were a legitimate accessory, or just a stock component of a certain lot of machines.

Regardless, I think this is a grouping that has rarely been seen together - now it’s time to get ‘em back into service…

[jsburger]

Rare/Restored Model 10E/10ER Accessories


Regardless, I think this a grouping that has rarely been seen together - now it’s time to get ‘em back into service…

Nice picture. I have all of them except the miter gauge. One that is missing that I think should be included is the key switch. I have one of them also in the original box..

[jpdalton]

One that is missing that I think should be included is the key switch. I have one of them also in the original box..

Thanks, John. I do have the key switch and a lot of other accessories like it (NIB jigsaw, lamp, canvas cover, etc.), but the ones I featured in the picture were those that I’ve restored.

Maybe I’ll do another group shot of as-is accessories - that would be a big one!

[cooch366]

Rare/Restored Model 10E/10ER Accessories

I recently finished restoring the accessories on the shop teacher machine that I acquired earlier this summer (full system restoration won’t be long…), and I realized I had a lot of other pretty hard-to-find 10E/10ER accessories restored as well. So, time for a group shot!

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IMG_4639.jpeg
This grouping is intended to showcase items that were not part of an original base system purchase, so I’m not sure if the steel extension table counts… I honestly have no idea whether the few of these that were made were a legitimate accessory, or just a stock component of a certain lot of machines.

Regardless, I think this a grouping that has rarely been seen together - now it’s time to get ‘em back into service…

BEAUTIFUL John, definitely a labor of love…. Excellent work…. Thanks for sharing….

[jsburger]

One that is missing that I think should be included is the key switch. I have one of them also in the original box..

Thanks, John. I do have the key switch and a lot of other accessories like it (NIB jigsaw, lamp, canvas cover, etc.), but the ones I featured in the picture were those that I’ve restored.

Maybe I’ll do another group shot of as-is accessories - that would be a big one!

I have two un-restored 10ER's in my garage. I was looking through the accessories today and found I actually do have the miter gauge.