Talk about Over-Selling a Tool’s Usefulness!

I remember talking to a salesman in the Sears Tool Department back in the early ‘80’s about how useful a Craftsman Radial Arm Saw would be in my shop, and he began a soliloquy that made my head spin!

(Sung to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas) 12” disc sander, 11 shaper cutters, 10” saw blades, 9 preset angles, 8” dado, 7 optional saw blades, 6” aluminum moulder, 5 GOLDEN RINGS, 4 ripping options, 3” capacity, 2 router collets and a saw guard in a junk drawer!

I’ve never felt comfortable Moulding (aka; molding, but without the musty smell) on a RAS, and I’ll NEVER again rip on one. Shaping and router aren’t so bad, but the results always are.

Anyway, all that is to segue into the photo below from Life Magazine of a then-new Shopsmith 10er from Magna Tool Co. How funny is that? Churning ice cream, polishing Dad’s shoes, painting the wagon (just like Clint Eastwood) are all well and good, but what the heck is Mom up to? Too funny. Click on the picture to Biggie-Size it.

“The new "Shopsmith", a multi-purpose power tool, being used by an entire family for multiple duties.” Date taken: 1949 Photographer: Peter Stackpole Life Magazine