My newest acquisition for preservation

[everettdavis]

I have negotiated a price to acquire and preserve the 1948 Chromed 10ER that Bob Chambers appeared with at the 1948 Bay Area Industrial Exposition.

In the spring thaw, when the Canadian geese fly home from their Snow-Bird Lubbock annual visit, I also will head north to pick it up.

As some will recall, I wrote about it in May of this year. http://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/viewt ... 69#p248969

I will update you more in coming weeks. If a clear weather and scheduling possibility manifests itself, I will precede the snow birds trek home to Canada.

Through the years, a newer motor with chromed end bells was added, replacing the original white motor, and the chromed variable speed accessory was installed on the machine, not pictured in 1948.

Everett

Bob Chambers.png (607.99 KiB) Viewed 12850 times

Chromed 10ER from 1948 Bay Area Industrial Exposition.jpeg (164.83 KiB) Viewed 12850 times

[BuckeyeDennis]

Congratulations, Everett ... that is one sweet-looking machine, and a unique piece of Shopsmith history!

[beeg]

NICE looking machine. Have safe travels picking it up.

[amboyna]

Way to go Everett. A piece of history for sure. Bet you can't wait to actually have it in your possession.
Question- Is the Shopsmith badge on the headstock larger than normal?

[everettdavis]

Yes they were. The provenance of this chrome machine passed through Anthony Fox, (yes the same Tony Fox of Fox SuperShop) and there is discrepancy in whether the article was correct in naming it 10,000 or 25,000 tribute machine.

It is clear from other documents I have read from the period the Chromed 10ER was a tribute to the event their Marketing sought to memorialize not the specific machine produced as the event happened without much fanfare in the production plant and was siezed upon for marketing and advertising at trade shows.

Note also the badge on the Chrome machine is not affixed with the drive screw but appears without holes.

I have yet to see this unit in person. From documents I have read from the period it is clear they were both stunned and overwhelmed by their success.

I am still digging and preserving what I can.

It is an adventure for certain.

Everett

[chapmanruss]

Everett,
A wonderful addition to your Shopsmith collection. We will all need to keep an eye out for a set of chromed retractable castors for it. Maybe you are becoming a museum curator after all or at least for your own collection.

[everettdavis]

Russ,

I now believe this was the 2nd Chrome tribute machine. At the time of the 1948 article the serial number registry by Skip Campbell with projected dates would put production at 10000. The Chrome one I acquired is going to be in the 20’s if I make out the number on the badge right. It was definitely the one Tony Fox owned as it has the history in chain of ownership.

The one Bob is with is not confirmed as the same machine. I cannot tell more about it at this point. If they were making 2500 machines a month in each plant it would have only been 8 weeks to 20,000. I just don’t know yet.

Did they update it to 10ER with the Chrome Varaiable Speed during its life? Don’t know.

Tony Fox did own this one. He said it was gifted to him. He was working with MAGNA Engineering, then left, designed a larger more robust machine for wood and metal supposedly as an outgrowth of their Mark 5 that they turned down. He patented that and formed the Fox Super Shop. His real interests were in aviation were he later did a good bit of engineering and applied for patents.

Nothing I have found yet identity him as a listed inventor with Magna or Yuba and he was gone long before Shopsmith Inc. He had no Magna patents in his name that I can find yet.

He was also rumored to be boisterous, flamboyant and self-promoting and by some accounts disreputable based on who one spoke with.

The evil that one does sort of thing is what survives in many cases as personal diaries are frequently not what historians write about. Truth is I don’t know what’s true, what’s conjecture and what was done in those days. I was not born whe Chrome machine(s) were made and barely a toddler when Tony Fox worked there.

Now that I will own his Chrome 10ER, I suspect a chapter in my book should speak some to Tony. I will see what I can find.

I was delighted to find Mr. Folkerth’s original business plan as he sought financing to bring Shopsmith production back to life.

It is an exciting time for me and I seek information and documentation like a sponge.

I am humbled by some are willing to share with me as we contribute to the pool of knowledge, history and speculation in some cases.

I want to leave something for others who come after us regarding the amazing journey of all things Shopsmith, and the remarkable people of the remarkable companies who made and continue to make and improve them.

Everett

[Gene Howe]

It's a beauty. Congratulations on the get.

[chapmanruss]

Everett,
Hopefully when you get the chrome Model 10 you will get a little more history on it. Things like is it the one from the picture with Bob Chambers or a different one. The thing I am finding interesting is it is called a 10ER, but the lowest 10ER serial number I have seen is above 18,000 and from the eastern plant. The lowest 10ER serial number I have seen from the western plant is over 31,000. Up to that the western plant machines were 10E's. Is the chrome 10ER the 10,000th or 25,000th machine company wide or that number made in the western plant? Hopefully there is information somewhere to answer that. Comparing the parts to other model 10's may help identify it better. The Headrest with two mounting bolts is a change well into the Model 10ER's. The Chambers picture does not show which headrest it has. The headrest going to two bolts and the base becoming smaller happened at nearly the same time in the lower 40,000. The Headstock may narrow it down the most. Unfortunately when I started my list of Model 10 serial numbers and locations I only listed the Serial Number, Model Number, Logo Plate type (10E, ER or 10ER) and location. Out of the over 300 I now have listed only about a third have Headstock, Base, Headrest, Extension Table type, Tailstock, Fence, Blade Guard, Lathe Arm, Belt Cover and Trunnion listed when able to be seen. Some machines are missing parts and others have had parts replaced but not necessarily with the correct version. My list leaves some gaps when changes happened and some by thousands. Still the more information that is collected the more it will narrow down the changes. Sorry getting off topic a little.

No matter what, a factory Chrome Model 10 is a prize to hold on to.