Shopsmith History
Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 12:42 pm
Does anyone else have an issue with the Shopsmith history found on its (this) website? The first section has a glaring error as to the company responsible for the Mark 5. And yes, I used Mark 5 since that is how the machine was labeled until 1980 when Shopsmith Inc. changed it to Mark V. Nowhere on the history page is it referred to as Mark 5. The following is directly from the history page.
Shopsmith Mark V/Mark 7 Tool History
Shopsmith Mark V Model 500 -- An American Classic Since 1953
Mark V (Model 500) Magna America put this American classic 5-in-1 tool into production in 1953. Since its introduction the Mark V has gone through a series of important upgrades to improve its performance, working convenience and safety.
Magna Engineering Corporation, the company formed by the inventor and his partners to produce the Model 10 made the original Mark 5 not Magna America. Magna American not Magna America didn’t even exist until the 1960’s. I find it somewhat sad that they have this part of their history wrong.
The next item is from the time Yuba Power Products, Inc. changed the Shopsmith/Magna tool line colors to Goldish and Copper Hammer Finish Paint which was also the colors used for their line of power garden tools and the Sawsmith Radial Arm Saw. These colors have been described as gold, tan and brown but do appear more of a tan color than gold and very closely resemble Rust-oleum Oatmeal and Copper Hammer Finish paints. Many people refer to these “Goldies” and sometimes “Brownies” as the “Anniversary Model”, including the history of the Mark V on Shopsmith’s website (see below) but at the time of this color change the Mark 5 had only been in production for 6 years. Again, the following is directly from the history page.
Shopsmith Mark V Goldie
1960 to 1963 -- Goldies
Brown / Gold / Tan / Anniversary Model machines produced during this period were painted tan/gold.
So where did the idea that these were an anniversary model come from? I have not seen any Shopsmith literature from that time period suggesting it was an anniversary model, although I could be missing something. Was it the color that made people think it was? Is Shopsmith perpetuating a myth by including it in their history?![Confused :confused:](./images/smilies/confused.gif)
Shopsmith Mark V/Mark 7 Tool History
Shopsmith Mark V Model 500 -- An American Classic Since 1953
Mark V (Model 500) Magna America put this American classic 5-in-1 tool into production in 1953. Since its introduction the Mark V has gone through a series of important upgrades to improve its performance, working convenience and safety.
Magna Engineering Corporation, the company formed by the inventor and his partners to produce the Model 10 made the original Mark 5 not Magna America. Magna American not Magna America didn’t even exist until the 1960’s. I find it somewhat sad that they have this part of their history wrong.
![Embarrassment :o](./images/smilies/redface.gif)
The next item is from the time Yuba Power Products, Inc. changed the Shopsmith/Magna tool line colors to Goldish and Copper Hammer Finish Paint which was also the colors used for their line of power garden tools and the Sawsmith Radial Arm Saw. These colors have been described as gold, tan and brown but do appear more of a tan color than gold and very closely resemble Rust-oleum Oatmeal and Copper Hammer Finish paints. Many people refer to these “Goldies” and sometimes “Brownies” as the “Anniversary Model”, including the history of the Mark V on Shopsmith’s website (see below) but at the time of this color change the Mark 5 had only been in production for 6 years. Again, the following is directly from the history page.
Shopsmith Mark V Goldie
1960 to 1963 -- Goldies
Brown / Gold / Tan / Anniversary Model machines produced during this period were painted tan/gold.
So where did the idea that these were an anniversary model come from? I have not seen any Shopsmith literature from that time period suggesting it was an anniversary model, although I could be missing something. Was it the color that made people think it was? Is Shopsmith perpetuating a myth by including it in their history?
![Confused :confused:](./images/smilies/confused.gif)