I've had my 7 completely dismantled for over 10 years now when I started the restore of it Hopefully watching you get yours running will get me motivated to complete mine
I always wondered what the L shaped table was all about. Thanks for explaining that. This model has always intrigued me and I'm so glad that you are doing this series.
Thanks for the great intro to the older Mark Vll. One thing I noticed with mine is that you can put a modern type head-stock on the Mark Vll base, but not the other way around. The older Mark Vll headstock is taller and the distance between the way and bench tubes is a few inches more to accomodate the larger head-stock. When I got mine, 2 of the caster sleeves were broken. They were cast and weak. I ended up making replacements by first cutting off a 3/4 long bolt, trimming down the head, and drilling out a hole in the bolt to accept the caster. A bushing will not work, because unlike the modern caster sets the top has to have a lip or it will fall out. I also have heard that the 3D printed cams do not hold up.
I think the durability would depend on what material and print parameters were used. A print made of ABS or a carbon fiber PLA with enough infill and proper orientation would be quite strong.
Great overview of the Mark VII. Although I had seen pictures of it before, I had not seen the actual set up procedures. Also, I learned a lot about its various features (quirks?). My 1974 Mark V had that secondary slot in the table, which I used often when ripping cuts that were too wide for the standard slot. Very handy because I didn't have to worry about aligning the aux table or worse mating the two tables together for those in-between cuts. Thanks for the education. Blessings, Glen
Thanks, Glen. Yeah, Shopsmith moved away from the second slot due to safety concerns (the blade is exposed) and because the little portion of table to the left of the slot can be deformed easily when drilling and mortising. Even so, it’s a neat idea that certainly offered convenience. Scott
After owning a 10 ER for years, I picked up one of these. The table plus extension made me feel like I had an aircraft carrier. Oh and I did pick up an aftermarket aluminum cam to replace the original (damaged) cam. My impeller was long gone from mine.
I realize that Shopsmith woodworkers is a small community, but with this many videos, every person who owns a Shopsmith should be subscribed to you. I only have part of the one I bought thirty years ago, just found you and just subscribed. Now I have a lot of videos I will have to check out.
My dad recently gifted me his mark VII. Im watching your videos to learn all I can before using it. I especially want to know more about keeping the plastic cam in good condition. Im hoping to learn to turn bowls 😃
Scott, check the power switch as well. My mid 80's Mk V buzzed the same way so I pulled the motor and took it to a repair shop where it promptly started right up on their bench. Turns out the switch was worn and wouldn't pass enough current to start the motor. Since motor was already out and a PITA to remove the shop recommended changing the bearings even though they weren't that worn. One less thing to worry about.
Thanks for the great video sir! I'm in a wheelchair so the lower height of this unit might be great. And the gear driven headstock adjustment in drill press mode would be great too. My shoulders get a workout lifting the headstock when switching from small to larger drill bits.
@@edmcgugan2079 Our daughter is also in a wheelchair and it looks to me like the base of the Mark VII would also be in the way. I’ve known of some people who took the standard Mark V and removed the front lower bench tube in order to gain closer access with their wheelchair. This could be an interesting topic to discuss alternatives for universal design in the shop.
@@MyGrowthRings It would be a very interesting topic for sure. Both my old greenie and the newer 510 are fine for clearance. Maybe my long arms come in handy? Love my ShopSmith! And my son-in-law has the old greenie now. Great machines!
I really liked the folding cranks on my Mk VII. I have arthritis in my thumbs and the locks were easier to use with one hand than the current locks. I had the folding cranks on the table also and preferred them to the newer ones. Overall I prefer my much newer MK V but I miss the cranks, rack and easy speed adjustment. I also liked the rod that could connect the head and table. You should restore that feature on your unit.
Good stuff, Scott - very interesting machine. I acquired a Mark VII about 10 years ago for what I thought was a pretty good price. I think it had all the basic parts except for a miter gauge. It ran when I bought it, but I haven't used it for anything, mainly just getting it as a collector's item. I guess it will primarily be an exhibit in my own personal Shopsmith museum! Regarding the drill press mode, it looks like it should have been marketed as a sit-down drill press!
@@MyGrowthRings You're located in the Piedmont Triad, correct? I'm actually kind of in your neck of the woods - I live in northeast Charlotte. The problem with my "museum" is that most everything is boxed up or in storage of some form or another. I don't really have a decent space for any active woodworking - even with a Shopsmith. I haven't heard of a Dayton get together - can you provide additional info? It might be a possibility, but I also have a nephew's wedding to attend in Nebraska around Thanksgiving which might eat up available travel funds for the year.
@@nutball7537 Yes, we are just outside of High Point. The get together is Fri-Sat Oct 6-7. I need to share some links that aren’t quite at my fingertips. Watch for a video with more details.
Rather fascinating the engineering that went into the Mark V11. A feature I’d like to see on the MarkV,7 is the headstock/carriage movement. The plastic toothed insert could be made of stronger material today - I wonder if SSmith has thought of making tubes that could use such? Cool video.🤜🤛
@@MyGrowthRings I was twelve and still couldn’t run my dad’s handsaw…. But made a tree fort anyway. That 6’ of height from the ground made me King on the Mountain!
Scott, Looking forward to see the completed shop, I've gone through a divorce and have been working with just hand tools. I've been missing my Shopsmith, it's in storage.
This is by far the best machine SS made. I own and use one along with 5 other SS machines (2 10 ER'S, 2 500'S, AND A new Mark 7). The under table routing works just as well as the Mark 7 (I know it doesn't spin as fast) and the over all operation is just cleaner and to me more functional. Be careful with the switch, it works wonderfully, but just remember they don't make them anymore (There is a guy that says he will 3D print switches if someone will lend him a complete switch, he also sells 3D printed Cams.) If you put the key in the forward position and repeatedly start and stop the relay will start working. Just needs to me massaged. Again, a superior design, use it and learn to work it, you will love it!
Does the main table have a tie bar between the legs? The trunnions resemble the ones on the Model 10 main table, but those can't rotate 90° in both direction because of the tie bar, just as with the Model 500 and later tables. Obviously the tie bar can't go straight across from one leg to the other because it would be in the way of the opening in the table where the tools have to go.
i have this same Shopsmith mkvii and its in poor condition and awaiting me looking at renovating it sometime in next??months/years/decades.does switch on.but main problem for me is i am expat in South Africa! but could let the auction house sell it for the price i got it for.will keep a close eye on the post her(have also got a mk5 from same auction which is all working)
I suspect there aren’t many Mark VII’s there, so not only will parts be expensive, but you’ll likely have shipping on top of it. I can’t believe I’m actually recommending this, because I’m fundamentally against it, but this might be one of those cases, where it makes sense to part it out, as it may be worth more in parts than as a whole. Scott
That was pretty cool to see. I have only ever seen one in person and was back in the early to mid 80's when I was a kid. I have never seen everything in demo. I did not know of many of the difference. I know a Mark V very very well as my dad got his when I was 4 years old and I have 3. He paid $800 brand new. I do like the gear rack down the way tube but I did not realize it was plastic. I you break one maybe you could find the right size in metal now a days, being several CNC machines use them. I can imagine how easy it is to break them as sawdust loads up in the gear. Like the main table up and down on my machine will get tight and harder to turn if I do not keep it clean. I use a wire brush on it a few times a year it is not like everyday. I am sure you are plenty aware of it. LOL I do have a Mark 5 main table that has the extra slot in it for the table saw. I have even use it a few times. It is nice because you can keep the fence on the main table if you only need a extra few inches. It feels weird to use tho. I normally do most table saw work on my 510. So that feature carries over to some of the old 5s and I think even the Mark2 has them also. Now is the speed range the same on both machine's? Because 5500rmp is the second reason I do not use my overhead shaper. That is pretty slow. Also some off the mark 5 motors have reverse windings connections in the motor but they are not used. So depending on your model you can wire up another switch to go backward on a 5 if you want. That leads me to my final question... In shaper mode does the vacuum direction reverse too? Sorry to ramble on so much... you most likely have noticed by now... that I love these old machines too.😅 You have a good one.
Good questions. Yes, the vac works in forward or reverse and it has the exact same speed range as the Mark V, so the shaper runs slow. It’s fine for some cuts in most woods, but would work poorly in others.
Nice overview Scott. Hope u sort the motor issue out-they are worth rebuild/rewind if necessary. When you get the position rod working, it may spoil you-nice to move table and headstock in unison while maintaining alignment of the blade. Drill press is lower, but I just use a shop stool. For under table, you can raise it as high as u want. Unless yours is different than mine, table tilt locks front *and* back.
Also, back before I had a shop vac, I used a pillow case and hose clamp on dust collector. One thing you’ll discover is for vac to work in both directions, the impeller blades Are flat-likely not helping efficiency.
Also. To adjust the fence there is a nut at the back you can loosen slightly. One glitch (maybe just mine), when u use the fence on the l-shaped extension,, it clamps On just slightly different..so sometimes I need to fidget with the nut when moving fence from one to the other.
One other feature you may mention later. There should be on the left side of the headstock, just under the closest way tube, a lever. When you flip it it releases the crank from the nylons gears…allows you to rapidly slide headstock/table one way or the other. Flip it back again and you can crank to fine tune position.
Hey Scott, just curious, what is the diameter of that sanding disk? Mine is only 10 inches. I assumed it was not made by Magna, but now I'm thinking that it was?
Hey Scott: my father has one of these rusting away on my back patio, should we consider restoring it? He found it really inexpensively and the motor works and I think it still might have the nylon gear on the way tube.
To me in many ways it is/was a better machine, the bugs can be worked out quit easily with out much trouble. Not sure why they can't reengineer a new Mark "8". Would be nice.
@@MyGrowthRingsThank you for replying! Would the upper guard not fit because of the opening in the table? I wonder if i could use a mark V table instead?
@@trickyjude5990 No, the mount for the upper guard of the best version of the 500 guard mounts onto the tie bar, which is a different shape and in a different spot on the Mark VII. The best best would be to look at a complete 510 or 520 conversion kit, which will come with a new carriage and the guards, as well as the tables and fence.
My first shopsmith was a Mark VII just like this, that nautilus gear was the bane of my existence. Finding replacements was a pain and I ended up just 3D modeling my own. You can now order (last i checked) them printed in aluminum on Shapeways
I really like the mark V11 too bad they did't continue that arrangement, For all of it issues, I sill like it and I think they could have all been addressed the problems fairly easily. Maybe the biggest issue is dealing with that switch. I don't think I have sen anything like it. I think it would be cool if it had telescopic legs so that you could adjust the height of the table, down for those of us who are vertically challenged and higher for those who like it a bit taller. one of the things I don' t like about my mark 5 greenie is that the lathe is too short by about 6 inches and it hurts my back to try to work that way, so I put in on some blocks.
The height is an issue for everyone. I’ve never met a person who thought that the lathe was the perfect height AND who thought that the table saw wasn’t too high, and vise versa. Shopsmith Inc patented a solution for this issue but never brought it to market.
Yes, there is one on the speed dial on the front and one on the back that covers an access hole. There's also a name barge on each end! They really wanted to make sure you knew what tool you were buying!
I've had my 7 completely dismantled for over 10 years now when I started the restore of it
Hopefully watching you get yours running will get me motivated to complete mine
I always wondered what the L shaped table was all about. Thanks for explaining that. This model has always intrigued me and I'm so glad that you are doing this series.
Glad you enjoyed it. Scott
A really interesting machine! I am looking forward to additional videos on this machine!
Interesting machine, looking forward to learning more about it!
Thanks for the great intro to the older Mark Vll. One thing I noticed with mine is that you can put a modern type head-stock on the Mark Vll base, but not the other way around. The older Mark Vll headstock is taller and the distance between the way and bench tubes is a few inches more to accomodate the larger head-stock. When I got mine, 2 of the caster sleeves were broken. They were cast and weak. I ended up making replacements by first cutting off a 3/4 long bolt, trimming down the head, and drilling out a hole in the bolt to accept the caster. A bushing will not work, because unlike the modern caster sets the top has to have a lip or it will fall out. I also have heard that the 3D printed cams do not hold up.
I think the durability would depend on what material and print parameters were used. A print made of ABS or a carbon fiber PLA with enough infill and proper orientation would be quite strong.
Great overview of the Mark VII. Although I had seen pictures of it before, I had not seen the actual set up procedures. Also, I learned a lot about its various features (quirks?). My 1974 Mark V had that secondary slot in the table, which I used often when ripping cuts that were too wide for the standard slot. Very handy because I didn't have to worry about aligning the aux table or worse mating the two tables together for those in-between cuts. Thanks for the education. Blessings, Glen
Thanks, Glen. Yeah, Shopsmith moved away from the second slot due to safety concerns (the blade is exposed) and because the little portion of table to the left of the slot can be deformed easily when drilling and mortising. Even so, it’s a neat idea that certainly offered convenience. Scott
Another throw back review. Great job cant wait to see it up and running. The sharp angles remind me of the fins on the old Cadillacs.
After owning a 10 ER for years, I picked up one of these. The table plus extension made me feel like I had an aircraft carrier. Oh and I did pick up an aftermarket aluminum cam to replace the original (damaged) cam. My impeller was long gone from mine.
I bet it was quite an improvement.
I think all of us that own one of these would love to stumble on a metal cam. Do you know of any out there for sale? thanks.
@@jamesellery9238 I haven’t seen one in quite some time, but if mine were to fail I would 3D print one.
I got mine through the old 10ER group on google. Which is probably not a help. They have moved to a different site now, when google killed groups
What a cool old machine! Thank you for sharing this with us Scott.
I realize that Shopsmith woodworkers is a small community, but with this many videos, every person who owns a Shopsmith should be subscribed to you. I only have part of the one I bought thirty years ago, just found you and just subscribed. Now I have a lot of videos I will have to check out.
Wow, thank you!
I might be wrong but I'm pretty sure he is THE guy on youtube. At least currently. Nick Engler maybe but thats almost cheating.
Pretty cool! My first intro to this machine! Thanks Scott
Glad you enjoyed it.
My dad recently gifted me his mark VII. Im watching your videos to learn all I can before using it. I especially want to know more about keeping the plastic cam in good condition. Im hoping to learn to turn bowls 😃
Sorry about the spammer. More information about the Mark VII to come.
Scott, check the power switch as well. My mid 80's Mk V buzzed the same way so I pulled the motor and took it to a repair shop where it promptly started right up on their bench. Turns out the switch was worn and wouldn't pass enough current to start the motor. Since motor was already out and a PITA to remove the shop recommended changing the bearings even though they weren't that worn. One less thing to worry about.
Will do.
Thanks for the great video sir! I'm in a wheelchair so the lower height of this unit might be great. And the gear driven headstock adjustment in drill press mode would be great too. My shoulders get a workout lifting the headstock when switching from small to larger drill bits.
@@edmcgugan2079 Our daughter is also in a wheelchair and it looks to me like the base of the Mark VII would also be in the way. I’ve known of some people who took the standard Mark V and removed the front lower bench tube in order to gain closer access with their wheelchair. This could be an interesting topic to discuss alternatives for universal design in the shop.
@@MyGrowthRings It would be a very interesting topic for sure. Both my old greenie and the newer 510 are fine for clearance. Maybe my long arms come in handy? Love my ShopSmith! And my son-in-law has the old greenie now. Great machines!
I really liked the folding cranks on my Mk VII. I have arthritis in my thumbs and the locks were easier to use with one hand than the current locks. I had the folding cranks on the table also and preferred them to the newer ones. Overall I prefer my much newer MK V but I miss the cranks, rack and easy speed adjustment. I also liked the rod that could connect the head and table. You should restore that feature on your unit.
That’s a very good point. I need to think about if and how to adapt then to the Mark V.
I like the folding cranks. Adjust the tension once and they will always be the same tightness as well as providing a good visual for lock/unlock.
wow!! there was a lot of good innovations on that machine , pretty wild thanks for the history lesson here .as always great job
Happy to share.
Good stuff, Scott - very interesting machine. I acquired a Mark VII about 10 years ago for what I thought was a pretty good price. I think it had all the basic parts except for a miter gauge. It ran when I bought it, but I haven't used it for anything, mainly just getting it as a collector's item. I guess it will primarily be an exhibit in my own personal Shopsmith museum! Regarding the drill press mode, it looks like it should have been marketed as a sit-down drill press!
That’s actually not a bad suggestion. Where is your “museum” located? Are you going to the get together in Dayton in Oct? Scott
@@MyGrowthRings You're located in the Piedmont Triad, correct? I'm actually kind of in your neck of the woods - I live in northeast Charlotte. The problem with my "museum" is that most everything is boxed up or in storage of some form or another. I don't really have a decent space for any active woodworking - even with a Shopsmith. I haven't heard of a Dayton get together - can you provide additional info? It might be a possibility, but I also have a nephew's wedding to attend in Nebraska around Thanksgiving which might eat up available travel funds for the year.
@@nutball7537 Yes, we are just outside of High Point. The get together is Fri-Sat Oct 6-7. I need to share some links that aren’t quite at my fingertips. Watch for a video with more details.
Rather fascinating the engineering that went into the Mark V11. A feature I’d like to see on the MarkV,7 is the headstock/carriage movement. The plastic toothed insert could be made of stronger material today - I wonder if SSmith has thought of making tubes that could use such? Cool video.🤜🤛
The crank mechanism is more complex than the entire speed controller on a mechanical Mark V, so I doubt that SS would consider making it.
Great information Scott. Like you, this would be more something I would have to use sitting down. At 6'5", I'm a little on the tall side.
Yeah, it would be impossible for you. I have a friend who is 6’10”. Perhaps I should invite him over for a photo opp!
@@MyGrowthRings, that is a photo op I would like to see.
Scott… that’s quite a find… when was it made?
Thanks for sharing this imagineering voyage!
She was born in Cincinnati in 1965 when I was two years old.
@@MyGrowthRings I was twelve and still couldn’t run my dad’s handsaw…. But made a tree fort anyway. That 6’ of height from the ground made me King on the Mountain!
Scott, Looking forward to see the completed shop, I've gone through a divorce and have been working with just hand tools. I've been missing my Shopsmith, it's in storage.
This is by far the best machine SS made. I own and use one along with 5 other SS machines (2 10 ER'S, 2 500'S, AND A new Mark 7). The under table routing works just as well as the Mark 7 (I know it doesn't spin as fast) and the over all operation is just cleaner and to me more functional.
Be careful with the switch, it works wonderfully, but just remember they don't make them anymore (There is a guy that says he will 3D print switches if someone will lend him a complete switch, he also sells 3D printed Cams.)
If you put the key in the forward position and repeatedly start and stop the relay will start working. Just needs to me massaged.
Again, a superior design, use it and learn to work it, you will love it!
Does the main table have a tie bar between the legs? The trunnions resemble the ones on the Model 10 main table, but those can't rotate 90° in both direction because of the tie bar, just as with the Model 500 and later tables. Obviously the tie bar can't go straight across from one leg to the other because it would be in the way of the opening in the table where the tools have to go.
It does, but it is different than any other I’ve ever seen. It it dead centered between the legs, but not centered on the table, if that makes sense.
I like that it came with the ability to do under table routing.
i have this same Shopsmith mkvii and its in poor condition and awaiting me looking at renovating it sometime in next??months/years/decades.does switch on.but main problem for me is i am expat in South Africa! but could let the auction house sell it for the price i got it for.will keep a close eye on the post her(have also got a mk5 from same auction which is all working)
I suspect there aren’t many Mark VII’s there, so not only will parts be expensive, but you’ll likely have shipping on top of it. I can’t believe I’m actually recommending this, because I’m fundamentally against it, but this might be one of those cases, where it makes sense to part it out, as it may be worth more in parts than as a whole. Scott
My initial thoughts were just use it as a upright drill press or as a dedicated lathe but it's one of those items on the waiting list for now
That was pretty cool to see. I have only ever seen one in person and was back in the early to mid 80's when I was a kid. I have never seen everything in demo. I did not know of many of the difference. I know a Mark V very very well as my dad got his when I was 4 years old and I have 3. He paid $800 brand new.
I do like the gear rack down the way tube but I did not realize it was plastic. I you break one maybe you could find the right size in metal now a days, being several CNC machines use them. I can imagine how easy it is to break them as sawdust loads up in the gear. Like the main table up and down on my machine will get tight and harder to turn if I do not keep it clean. I use a wire brush on it a few times a year it is not like everyday. I am sure you are plenty aware of it. LOL
I do have a Mark 5 main table that has the extra slot in it for the table saw. I have even use it a few times. It is nice because you can keep the fence on the main table if you only need a extra few inches. It feels weird to use tho. I normally do most table saw work on my 510. So that feature carries over to some of the old 5s and I think even the Mark2 has them also.
Now is the speed range the same on both machine's? Because 5500rmp is the second reason I do not use my overhead shaper. That is pretty slow.
Also some off the mark 5 motors have reverse windings connections in the motor but they are not used. So depending on your model you can wire up another switch to go backward on a 5 if you want. That leads me to my final question... In shaper mode does the vacuum direction reverse too?
Sorry to ramble on so much... you most likely have noticed by now... that I love these old machines too.😅 You have a good one.
Good questions. Yes, the vac works in forward or reverse and it has the exact same speed range as the Mark V, so the shaper runs slow. It’s fine for some cuts in most woods, but would work poorly in others.
There's one of these for sale locally, I need it like a broken leg, but I'm tempted..............Impeller appears missing, but otherwise looks good.
Following this as I just acquired one of these.
Nice overview Scott. Hope u sort the motor issue out-they are worth rebuild/rewind if necessary. When you get the position rod working, it may spoil you-nice to move table and headstock in unison while maintaining alignment of the blade. Drill press is lower, but I just use a shop stool. For under table, you can raise it as high as u want. Unless yours is different than mine, table tilt locks front *and* back.
Also, back before I had a shop vac, I used a pillow case and hose clamp on dust collector. One thing you’ll discover is for vac to work in both directions, the impeller blades Are flat-likely not helping efficiency.
Yes, my table locks front and back. Could come in handy with heavy stock.
Also. To adjust the fence there is a nut at the back you can loosen slightly. One glitch (maybe just mine), when u use the fence on the l-shaped extension,, it clamps
On just slightly different..so sometimes I need to fidget with the nut when moving fence from one to the other.
@@CessnaDaredevil Thanks for the tip.
One other feature you may mention later. There should be on the left side of the headstock, just under the closest way tube, a lever. When you flip it it releases the crank from the nylons gears…allows you to rapidly slide headstock/table one way or the other. Flip it back again and you can crank to fine tune position.
Hey Scott, just curious, what is the diameter of that sanding disk? Mine is only 10 inches. I assumed it was not made by Magna, but now I'm thinking that it was?
My brother in law gave me two aluminum discs; One is 12” and the conical disc I showed is 10” and was a stock disc with some of the Mark VII’s.
Hey Scott: my father has one of these rusting away on my back patio, should we consider restoring it? He found it really inexpensively and the motor works and I think it still might have the nylon gear on the way tube.
Could be a fun project. If gig aren’t going to rest or it at least get it covered, if it isn’t already.
To me in many ways it is/was a better machine, the bugs can be worked out quit easily with out much trouble. Not sure why they can't reengineer a new Mark "8". Would be nice.
HI Scott, would you know if a saw guard from another model would fit the VII? I really feel like I need one.
The lower guard would fit, but unfortunately not the upper guard.
@@MyGrowthRingsThank you for replying! Would the upper guard not fit because of the opening in the table? I wonder if i could use a mark V table instead?
@@trickyjude5990 No, the mount for the upper guard of the best version of the 500 guard mounts onto the tie bar, which is a different shape and in a different spot on the Mark VII. The best best would be to look at a complete 510 or 520 conversion kit, which will come with a new carriage and the guards, as well as the tables and fence.
@@MyGrowthRings thank you!
Have you thought about upgrading the wheels?
It needs some other major work, but yes, the casters are on the list.
@@MyGrowthRings I feel like it wouldn't be a Scott approved shopsmith video if the discussion wasn't at least brought up.
My first shopsmith was a Mark VII just like this, that nautilus gear was the bane of my existence. Finding replacements was a pain and I ended up just 3D modeling my own. You can now order (last i checked) them printed in aluminum on Shapeways
Yes, Shapeways will print them in plastic, aluminum or steel. We live in an amazing time.
I really like the mark V11 too bad they did't continue that arrangement, For all of it issues, I sill like it and I think they could have all been addressed the problems fairly easily. Maybe the biggest issue is dealing with that switch. I don't think I have sen anything like it. I think it would be cool if it had telescopic legs so that you could adjust the height of the table, down for those of us who are vertically challenged and higher for those who like it a bit taller. one of the things I don' t like about my mark 5 greenie is that the lathe is too short by about 6 inches and it hurts my back to try to work that way, so I put in on some blocks.
The height is an issue for everyone. I’ve never met a person who thought that the lathe was the perfect height AND who thought that the table saw wasn’t too high, and vise versa. Shopsmith Inc patented a solution for this issue but never brought it to market.
I just acquired one of these. 1st question I have is, Did they have a Name badge on both sides?
Yes, there is one on the speed dial on the front and one on the back that covers an access hole. There's also a name barge on each end! They really wanted to make sure you knew what tool you were buying!
Is the mk7 a universal motor?
No, it’s an induction motor, similar to the one used on the Mark V. The speed is changed via a Reeves Drive variable speed pulley system.