Unusual Production Tool, I've got a few Questions!

[bigcaddy]

I picked up this Thwing Albert 240-3 "Alfa Cutter" a few weeks ago at a private sale i arranged with a woman who was cleaning out her fathers estate.

This was one of the many contraptions he had buried in his garage from his time at Cal Tech as a scientist and Professor.

Its an older model but works fine, i know who made the tool and a basic idea what it does, (sample cutting of thin materials) but my question is this;

Who would have any interest in this tool today? The company is still in business and a current model is available for sale, and they are quite expensive, but i can't picture in my mind who would pick up the phone and order one of these.

It will get cleaned up a bit more, a new handle installed and will be put up for sale. All i want to know is who would want one of these and maybe a price to start with.

 

[bigcaddy]

Almost forgot, this thing is a tank!! Its solid cast steel and weighs about 250lbs. That press plate sitting below the ram is about 1" thick and 10" x 10"

Needless to say, it will have to be shipped freight and loaded with a lift on a pallet

 

[zkling]

Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure it is a sample cutter. Use to have one in the met lab at work for preparing samples. It was ancient, but still worked fine. I've seen people convert them to other types of presses for hobby use. Like star presses, small punching, etc, which I would be is what the PO used it for. As for who to sell it too?

Price is going to be dependent on your target audience. Will you be going after the hobby star maker that would not use it for intended purpose or aiming for a industrial place to use in the quality stuff?

EDIT: Oops, sorry I didn't initially see where you identified it. :
Did you get any blades or other accessories with it? Maybe scattered in a box somewhere? Where I worked, we used it to cut samples for pull testing of composite sheets. With you being out in Cali, and all the aerospace places maybe you could find someone local that needs one?

 

[bigcaddy]

Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure it is a sample cutter. Use to have one in the met lab at work for preparing samples. It was ancient, but still worked fine. I've seen people convert them to other types of presses for hobby use. Like star presses, small punching, etc, which I would be is what the PO used it for. As for who to sell it too?

Price is going to be dependent on your target audience. Will you be going after the hobby star maker that would not use it for intended purpose or aiming for a industrial place to use in the quality stuff?

EDIT: Oops, sorry I didn't initially see where you identified it. :
Did you get any blades or other accessories with it? Maybe scattered in a box somewhere? Where I worked, we used it to cut samples for pull testing of composite sheets. With you being out in Cali, and all the aerospace places maybe you could find someone local that needs one?

There was a cutter inside the jaws of the press but i had no idea what it was. It was made of plywood and was in horrible shape. I had to knock it out of the tool and it just came apart from sitting in a wet environment for many years.

Since the company is still in business and the templates can still be manufactured by Thwing Albert, they are readily available for purchase. I'm pretty sure the new ones will fit into an older tool since they are the exact same thing down to the max cutting size.

Ill get it cleaned up and hopefully somebody will want it. I'm tired of having the extra weight in my truck

 

[devoncoolman]

Thats made right in my back yard. Neat tool. Good luck with finding a buyer.