Found this along side the road, now what to do!

[why worry]

So I was headin home over the weekend and found this along side the road.
Had to go home and get the tractor to pick it up and bring it home. Weighs about 1800 lbs. Anyway it appears to have fallen off a truck so now not sure what to do should I list it on Craigs list under lost and found or fixit up and keep it? Not much value due to age and lack of a motor.Thought I might run it by the good folks at the GJ for advice.
Thanks in advance for the input.
Dave

 

[FigureItOut]

You have a responsibility to make a good effort to find the owner. My first thought was that if that fell off a truck, someone certainly noticed, and left it anyway. But for all you know, someone was on their way back with equipment to reload it.

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[MDK22]

I would notify the police in the location that you found it. I would also look around and see if any buisness' are moving or recently shut down that would use it.

 

[jd_1138]

Is that some sort of winch?

 

[Marctrees]

Turret head multi punch


https://www.google.com/search?tbs=s...13GynzKtamvibDl17Vamv9KzgHHydZZs3J70wfR8n59tQ

 

[Marctrees]

http://www.sterlingmachinery.com/10602/Wiedemann+R-41P/

https://www.google.com/search?q=tur...ICCgD#tbm=isch&q=wiedemann+turret+punch+press

 

[Marctrees]

I would notify the police in the location that you found it. I would also look around and see if any buisness' are moving or recently shut down that would use it.

Bingo ! Agree on both bigtime.

Play Columbo, figurin from WHY it would have been traveling down THAT road.

Well, what with talk of tractors and all, I'm assuming not some major interstate.

If that's the case, probably yours.

Seems to ?maybe? not be worth much "as is", but I very well could be wrong.

If you do end up with it, contact some machinery jockeys to see if it excites them.

Let us know what happens. Marc

 

[454ragtop]

Suspect it fell off a scrappers truck, anyone else more than likely would have been more careful. I'd notify the police, but I doubt anything will come of it.

 

[ken w.]

If it was that important to someone , they would have waited there for some help. If it was a scrapper , they most likely got the heck out of there as they were most likely over weight and didn't want the hassle of being looked at by DOT or local law enforcement.

 

[bwringer]

Suspect it fell off a scrappers truck, anyone else more than likely would have been more careful. I'd notify the police, but I doubt anything will come of it.

Kinda what I was thinking -- the motor had already been removed, it's in very rough shape, and it obviously wasn't very well secured... I think it was just on the way to be scrapped.

Awfully nice of you to do your bit to clean up roadside litter.


Personally, I would take it the rest of the way on its journey, unless you happen to need a new anchor for your 80' yacht. It's a badly broken industrial tool with one very specific use, not something salvageable and useful like a drill press or mill.

 

[chruler]

Making an effort to at least notify the last owner would at least clear the conscience. After that, fair game!

 

[Bronson]

Scrap

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Ya' know, in almost every area of the country you are required to turn in anything in value over $50 or so that you find to the police, who will hold it for a while and let you have it if nobody claims it. I understand this makes me a "nerd", but I do believe in following the rules and doing the right thing. Not lecturing or judging you, just sharing my perspective.

 

[gdocktor3]

Put a sign up where you found it. A long time ago my buddy and I were leaving his house/shop to do a job. He left tail gate down and because of the tonneau cover on his truck he couldn't see. Backing out the driveway everything slid back and we lost a Milwaukee hole hawg and right angle drill. We only noticed it 10 minutes away at Dunkin donuts, but when we went back and they were gone. Later that afternoon when we returned home there was a sign stating "lost tools found" with a phone number. We called and the guy brought them back. We gave him $50.

 

[why worry]

Thanks for the reply's I went ahead and posted it on craigs list and let the local sheriff know. So we will see.
Dave

 

[crguy]

Looks like scrap to me. Good chance whoever lost it didn't have a way to put it back on the truck after it fell off.

 

[Bruce Lancaster]

"Ya' know, in almost every area of the country you are required to turn in anything in value over $50 or so that you find to the police..."
With that thing, this could be a lot of fun and a dynamite video!
Tell the cop at the counter you found a tool by the road...he says bring it on in...
Then your 15 strongest friends drag it in, shove it across the floor on a sagging industrial dolly, and with a mighty heave place it on the counter...which collapses and then drops into the basement...
That film will DEFINITELY be worth the jail time!

 

[justanengineer]

Not sure where you're at or what's broken from the pics but I'm sure I'm not the only one who would be interested in it. List it on craigs if you cant find the owner, you'll probably get a couple hundred bucks if its not too bad.

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

"Ya' know, in almost every area of the country you are required to turn in anything in value over $50 or so that you find to the police..."
With that thing, this could be a lot of fun and a dynamite video!
Tell the cop at the counter you found a tool by the road...he says bring it on in...
Then your 15 strongest friends drag it in, shove it across the floor on a sagging industrial dolly, and with a mighty heave place it on the counter...which collapses and then drops into the basement...
That film will DEFINITELY be worth the jail time!

I obey the letter of the law, not the spirit!

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Never knew anyone to find something weighing 1800 lbs that didn't have wheels and take it home. Looks like pure scrap.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Check with your local paper. They might run a lost and found ad for a few days for free. That's what one of my local papers does.

 

[zendriver]

Since it's worth about $50 my quess they quickly determined that it would cost way more to recover it so they likely skee-daddled.


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[why worry]

Update from Oregon State Police: I have recorded it with the county clerk and put an add in the local paper for 4 weeks at a cost of $20.00 USD. They will be coming to get it this Friday and will hold it for 90 days. If the right full owner doesn't come and pick it up then it becomes mine. As an up date as to condition that machine is sure built tough, cleaned out a punch of rocks from it's trip down the shoulder of the road and it appears to cycle and work by hand. So after 90 days I just might have me a punch to restore. I will post updates when I know more.
Dave

 

[pinkerton]

That's a heck of a lot to do for a piece of scrap. I would have left it if I didn't want it or taken it if i did. It clearly has no market value.

 

[bczygan]

I love to collect junk, but I would have left it there and notified authorities.

If it was something I wanted, I would have just taken it home.

Bill

 

[454ragtop]

Update from Oregon State Police: I have recorded it with the county clerk and put an add in the local paper for 4 weeks at a cost of $20.00 USD. They will be coming to get it this Friday and will hold it for 90 days. If the right full owner doesn't come and pick it up then it becomes mine. As an up date as to condition that machine is sure built tough, cleaned out a punch of rocks from it's trip down the shoulder of the road and it appears to cycle and work by hand. So after 90 days I just might have me a punch to restore. I will post updates when I know more.
Dave

I wonder who they're sending, with what, to pick that up. Should be interesting. Hopefully after your trouble and expense it's not claimed by someone who didn't actually lose it.

 

[LXCam]

Why in the hell would they send anyone. That sounds damn fishy to me. After all it's not like you found a canvas bag marked "Deposit" on it.

 

[tombell572]

Weideman was a builder of rotary punch presses and that is a small one. They could perform a number of operations on a single piece and were popular in job shops. Not much use in a home shop--the numerous earlier references to scrap are probably most accurate at this point.

Tom B.

 

[pamike]

That thing has some value to the right person. Around here in farm/amish country someone would easily give you a couple hundred for it, maybe more.

 

[why worry]

Well as one never knows for sure how something will turn out, i am now the proud owner of a punch. Now to pick it up on the 2nd of Feb. from the state police and start the journey on fixing it up and finding a spot for it in the shop or?
Dave

 

[JUNK-MAN]

I would make an effort to find the owner first, if it isn't claimed in a reasonable amount of time than keep it.

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[Brad54]

Amazing how many guys here have dismissed it as scrap.
A rotary punch press would be useful to a hell of a lot of small businesses.

-Brad

 

[Teenager with old tools]

I would make an effort to find the owner first, if it isn't claimed in a reasonable amount of time than keep it.

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Did you read the thread? Police held it 90 days and there was an ad in the newspaper for 4 weeks.


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[tool_scrounge]

That is a r4p punch without the motor, etc. It is not a manual punch. So I presume it scrap also

 

[bsg1]

Well as one never knows for sure how something will turn out, i am now the proud owner of a punch. Now to pick it up on the 2nd of Feb. from the state police and start the journey on fixing it up and finding a spot for it in the shop or?
Dave

now that a fair amount of time has elapsed since you rescued this piece from an almost certain ending, it almost seems as much that your find indeed has found you. i'd enjoy seeing updates to this story.

 

[justanengineer]

That is a r4p punch without the motor, etc. It is not a manual punch. So I presume it scrap also

Why presume it scrap? A powered punch would be more desireable for folks who actually would use it. The expensive part of the machine is there, repowering it is fairly easy. Probably the biggest PITA would be either digging up used dies or machining new ones, tho new could be bought for a price.

 

[Brunow]

Keep it & fix it!

 

[Jazz1]

If that fell off someones truck they have no business hauling anything. It's yours to claim your $80 at scrapyard

 

[jhelrey]

Hide the tractor and all means of being able to lift it. If they want to come get it and hold it, they can do it all themselves.

 

[why worry]

After some research it looks like I need a 1/2HP motor, belt shive and guard, along with a few other bits and pieces. Probably less then $300 dollars and it will be operational. The rotary die holder has twelve stations of which six have dies. It appears dies are still available if I want to fill the six empty holes. As far as uses goes this thing is a beast and is capable of punching up to 1/2" mild steel so I think it will be handy on the farm when fabbing up repair parts instead of drilling holes in flat sheet materials. After I pick it up I will start a thread on restoring to operation.
Dave