I'm back from a week-long northern Minnesota canoe trip not 12 hours, and find an estate sale like 3 miles from my house. I've driven by this place for years on my way to work, wondering what was in the big outbuildings and watching the property fall into disrepair.
Well, today was the day to see the place. It was evident right away that the former owner was one of those people who never threw anything away. There were boxes and boxes of old magazines, a dozen different titles going back 40 years. [editorial note: I have a Hot Rod magazine collection that dates to the early 90s, so I'm not judging]. He also had everything neatly organized, labeled and arranged, so not exactly a hoarder situation.
This was day 2, so many of the tools were long gone, but it was also half-price day. I managed to find some bargains.
Snow shovel, because New England winters make these tools consumables
78 feet of threaded rod of various sizes and lengths, most are six feet long
6-ft x 1-1/2" round hand rail--perfect for an extension to my wrench rack
2 NIB 4" wire wheels
30 6" spikes
1/4" turnbuckle, plus parts
Jar o' coat pegs
Jar o' wood plugs
Velvet Vernier dial, by National Co Inc in nearby Cambridge, Mass
Stewart Warner Hobbs meter, looks to be unused
Tiny no-name clamp on vise
Jar o' lock washers
Jar o' washers
3x Jars o' wire nuts
32" B&C bar clamp
2 packs of Red Devil razor blades
5 super long drill bits, sizes 1/8", 1/4", 1/2"
5 different arbors for turning motor shafts into bench grinders
1 drum sander fitting and a few rings of sand paper
1 sand paper cleaning stick
2 shop vac fittings
3 brand new Klein hard hats, model 60011--two were still in their wrappers
Craftsman table saw blade guard--can anyone help narrow down what saw this might go to? No part number anywhere.. I hope to put it up on eBay to cover my costs, which were...
$15 for all of the above!
I also spotted a pile of two by twelves in a shop basement that looked like new, and a 12" x 6" Craftsman planer/molder with a $400 price tag. While I was still there, I ran into some former Boy Scout troop members who had bought a Craftsman RAS and were looking to take it home in their Pontiac Vibe
. I told them all about the recall on the Craftsman RAS' and the retrofit blade guards they could get for free from Emerson. Then, I offered my truck to help haul their new acquisition home.
I returned a half hour before closing to ask about the planer. It was a monster Craftsman with a 5 hp 230V motor and although I don't really need one that big, I'd buy one if the price was right. Fortunately for me, the guy who runs the company was gone, so his female partner did the negotiating. I like negotiating with Sue, because she always offers a lower price for tools than I'm thinking will be my starting position. I got the planer for $200. She also gave me a price of $20 for the 2x12x16-ft boards that would have cost me $150 at Home Depot. Oh yeah.
Now, if you read this far, here's where things turned weird. Right at closing time, the current property owner shows up with the police and orders everyone off the property precisely at the closing time of the sale--at once, everyone out! Fortunately, I had already paid for the planer and boards, so a bunch of us buyers scrambled to get our purchases either loaded or off the property post haste. I had some help from a father and two boys loading the he-eh-eh-avy planer into my truck, and I in turn helped them get their jointer to the curb. I didn't hear why the owner was so sour, and didn't wait around to find out!
I had to do a little tetris work to make room in the garage for the planer. I really need to get my second garage and wood shop built to free up some floor space in the main garage. Maybe I should also just stop bringing **** home...
But at least you made a clean getaway!
