A Great 10ER Score

[jsburger]

Here is the third part of the score from Skip. It is a book by Mary Cristy (DeCristoforo) R. J.'s wife. She was also a free lance writer and the book is about their life together. Cris had written many DIY magazine articles but neither of them had a steady job.

Enter Bob and Frank Chambers. They were the team and money behind Magna Engineering. They were born in Salt Lake City, Utah and lived in Magna, Utah which is about 10 miles west of Salt Lake. Doug Reid new Bob Chambers personally and he confirmed to me when I asked him if Magna Engineering was named for Magna, Utah. He said Bob Chambers told him that is where the name came from. Magna Engineering hired Chris to write Shopsmith manuals and a how to book called Power Tool Woodworking For Everyone. Hans Goldschmidt also consulted Chris on machine design, modifications and accessory design. Chris actually had a desk at the Menlo Park, CA offices of Magna.

Chapter 18 of the book is titled Power Tool Woodworking For Everyone. It is a short chapter where Mary describes a little bit about how the book started and the surprise party thrown at Hans Goldschmidt's house where they presented Chris with the first pre-publication copy.

This was Chris' first book and solidified him as a DIY writer. He would go on to write a total of 42 books and countless magazine articles.

Mary's book is signed to Bob and June Chambers and includes a hand written note thanking Bob for letting them be a part of Shopsmith. The pictures show the book and the note. The woman in the picture is Mary from an article in Popular Science.

This book will also be preserved in a shadow box along with the note displayed beside it.