Vintage Garages - Clearing out a Horders Time Capsule

[Fishingfoolemjak]

Having cleaned out 4 homes, I don't envy you. No one realizes how much work it is until they've done it. Good luck! I hope you find many more cool things.

I agree. I’m cleaning one out now as well, and I can attest that it is A LOT of work!

We are stepping back until after the holidays, then we’ll finish ours.

 

[KZ1000J]

Enjoying your pics old-timer, generally speaking, what does it cost to buy out an estate like this? I really have no clue......3-5K, 10K?

 

[ttpete]

I agree. I’m cleaning one out now as well, and I can attest that it is A LOT of work!

We are stepping back until after the holidays, then we’ll finish ours.

We recently had to do the BIL's house, and we offered the buyers the remaining contents for free, mostly top quality furniture, and they jumped at the chance.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

Nov 20th...more finds. A hobby table top wood lathe.....many old motors which I'll have to test to see if they still run. I'd be surprised if they didn't. These old cast iron motors seem to run forever.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

......also found a small table top belt sander built into an office typewriter table. Don't know yet what this machine does till I have time to research the maker.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

This drill press is pretty cool and old and I finally found its missing parts.......I also found several of these really cool old cast iron Mortar and Pestles.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

I'm now on the last leg of digging in the front main room of the shed. Sadly these trunks were empty.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

Over the years I"ve dug thru many estates like this and one observation I've always made is while you're picking thru someone's possessions who passed away many years ago you learn a lot about that person. This man was not only a watchmaker, clockmaker and manufacturing jeweler, he also did his own metal casting, worked on lapidary and was an avid rock hound. During this whole process I kept coming across many many boxes, cigar boxes, sacks, and cloth pouches of all sizes of raw rocks in all sizes. On the last leg of digging I came came across these huge boxes full of rocks. the cardboard boxes were so rotted and aged they just fell apart when I tried lifting them. So I found some old wood crates and filled them with rocks one or a handful at a time.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

Among my many interests I've always liked unusual rocks, gems, minerals and fossils. Which I have a small collection from my travels. Usually small samples and spheres. Here's some on a desk at home. I'm especially fond of the large sphere on the far left. Its fossilized Palm Tree millions of years old.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

Now here's something fascinating....upon removing one rock box and pulling a big box of nails off......why does this guy have so many damn huge boxes of nails everywhere???.....I found what looked like a tiny nest full of eggs, each about the size of a pea....long ago some had hatched and then there was several unhatched dead eggs still in it. First thing I thought was humming bird? But no.....I'm familiar with many species of birds especially here but humming birds don't go into dark sheds and crawl under into crevasses to build nests. Rodents don't lay eggs and have live births. So I'm guessing this is either a snakes nest or lizard. Once had photographic evidence I gently put a few of the unhatched eggs into a baby food jar for further research. At this time I decided to call one of my "go to guys" from the local gem and mineral society and have him come down to pick up all the rocks....I called and of course he was excited to come soon as he had time. Then proceeded to transfer all the rocks to crates for my rock hound buddy.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

Forgot to mention.....I also found many unused crucibles while digging this last pile of rubble.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

Nov 21....Yesterday my rock buddy showed up early with boxes and hopes to fill. We filled up about 1/2 his pickup or boxes of rocks and some fossils we found. Sorry but I neglected to take pics mainly because I was too busy to think about it and exhausted. I did however take one pic of a few rocks I held onto for my collection. Among many petrified wood we found I kept this tree branch with bark still intact. Also found some copper ore in its raw form, some what I'm sure is Lapis. Some metallic ore with iron pyrite crystals, quartz crystals and a couple real pretty stones I still need to identify. Also an old tobacco can full of sand...later I will pan this in hopes there's gold dust in it.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

Last item to explore in the front room. This tool box.....opened I found a few old dies and some vintage auto tools.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

On to finish the back room..stay tuned

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Thanks for posting.

I once went to a yardsale that was for a gent that passed on. I went specifically for a homemade BBQ turned into pancake griddle. I left with 2 20' trailer loads that were going into the dumpster. I saved countless old hand-made and factory tools and lawn tractors. I made some money on stuff I didn't have room for. But what I wrote this for is that every time I use a tool from his collection I think of the man that used and made them and am glad I can have that tenuous connection to a man I never met.

I'm glad you're saving these memories for us.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

So yesterday I got busy finishing digging thru the back room.....not as much rubble or stacks of trash to dig thru....I'll just post pics of what I pulled out of there.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

A couple of things I will probably have to leave....Going back in awhile.....more images to come

 

[Private Lugnutz]

and some vintage auto tools.

What brand is the axle chaser?

 

[Plombob]

Nov 20th...more finds. A hobby table top wood lathe.....

That is a McGraw-Edison Sabre Lathe. I just sold one my uncle bought back in 1967. It came with a table that mounts to the top of the motor by the back for the sabre saw, a grinding wheel and buffing pad with the guards for the wheel.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

What brand is the axle chaser?

I have no idea.......its buried in storage right now.....remind me later once I start posting tools on craigslist

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

*GROAN* ....Family just left.... *BURP* ....just a quick update..... *MOAN* ..... Yesterday finished picking thru the rubble ...... *YAWWN* ......Only thing left to do is run this stuff to storage ....... *EEP* ........ Good grief, Thanksgiving dinner was great and can hardly move..... *CREEK*...... Why oh why do I do this to myself every year?.....hope your holiday was good......nite.

 

[tym]

Looking forward to what other treasures you uncover!

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

Long day today.......cleaned and swept out my storage to make room for the new finds. With my friend Dan's trailer we took many things like old clothes, outdated appliances and broken furniture to the dump. After that I had to run a few errands then back to the shed.
Many thanks to my friend Randy. Without him and his car trailer I wouldn't have finished loading up the rest of the finds today. Even with his help it still took us from approx 2pm to 7:30pm to finish. Randy knows how to load and make maximum use of a trailer. Pictured is him helping with a large cabinet. We still have to unload tomorrow but I'm so glad this part of the adventure is over and I can sleep a couple days before getting to the more fun part of going thru boxes to see what surprises await. I'm so exhausted right now my whole body hurts....and Advil doesn't help much.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

With the trailer filled up, a few last items we loaded up.....an old cast iron stove of which I found all the parts for, an old cast iron wood burning heater and a vintage Craftsman table saw with extra long table extensions...that little saw is ******** heavy. More to come...once I recover.

 

[3baygarage]

Pretty interesting cleanout there. Some odd machines. It does look like the stuff has gone untouched for quite a while.

Nice rock and mineral specimens too. I hope you were able to get some money for those guys.

Seems like you're having a blast. Cool post.

 

[Fishingfoolemjak]

Do you not have a goodwill or thrift shop you could donate the unwanted clothes, etc to? Or were they too ratted out?

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

Do you not have a goodwill or thrift shop you could donate the unwanted clothes, etc to? Or were they too ratted out?

Too "ratted out"

 

[Cee3PeeOh]

Neat stuffies there oldtimer.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

Well first phase is done....everything in storage or my van.....

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

....now the chore of going thru boxes and seeing what I brought home. Some last minute finds as we were unloading to storage.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

...but first....my 2 day nap.....well, at least til my feet and legs stop hurting and throbbing along with the rest of my body........later

 

[drivesitfar]

OTE: thanks for the vise pictures!!

Are those STOUT pliers homemade or is there a brand name on them?

thanks for taking the time to post up all the pictures and tell us about some of your cool finds.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

OTEAre those STOUT pliers homemade or is there a brand name on them?

No name......I also don't think these are pliers but most likely some kind of blacksmith or forging tool. Maybe someone here can identify it.

 

[Mr_P]

Wow! OldeTimeEtc, I wish I was closer, so I could take some of those excess vintage tools off your hands to help you free up some space in your storage/van. I think I see a lathe in those pictures.

 

[Mr_P]

Hobby lathe you say? Any manufacture markings? Any knives?

 

[drivesitfar]

OT: i only said pliers cause it was close to describing them and yes i'd like to know if they had a specific job or if handmade.

when you say PHASE 1 are you saying you have maybe a few more Phases to go? any idea how many and did you post pictures of everything that i missed?

cheers

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

Hobby lathe you say? Any manufacture markings? Any knives?I wish I was closer, so I could take some of those excess vintage tools off your hands to help you free up some space in your storage/van.

The lathe is a McGraw Edison I believe. No Knives yet but have a long ways to go.....doesn't matter how far you are. I do ship whenever Its feasible. There is at least another lathe among the horde. A jewelers lathe I hadn't dug out yet.

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

OT: i only said pliers cause it was close to describing them and yes i'd like to know if they had a specific job or if handmade. when you say PHASE 1 are you saying you have maybe a few more Phases to go? any idea how many and did you post pictures of everything that i missed

The "Pliers" aren't handmade....just no makers mark on them. When time allows and I'm finished processing everything then I'll have more time for research.

Phase 1 - Search thru house, garage and shed. Load up all I've purchased from estate and transport to storage.....FINISHED (Being alone and with little help...took me about 2 weeks to complete)

Phase 2 - Clear out storage of nonessential items and take to dump ....1/2 finished One side of storage cleared and all machinery settled in. Still working on clearing other 1/2 of storage.

Phase 3 - Take van load of many many boxes of items I dug from estate which I still have yet to look thru and unload to storage.

Phase 4 - Go thru one box at a time (loads of boxes) and separate items into different categories... Watch/jewelers tools, parts & materials, whole clocks & watches, books, other tools and machinery, antiques & collectibles, Misc then set up on tables. All the while taking 100s of pictures as I go along.

Phase 5 - Finish uploading pics and descriptions to my ads online.

Phase 6 - go see my therapist.....I must be crazy

 

[OldeTimeEtc]

Found an awful lot of old electric motors while digging the shed.....I think this one is a keeper......it just looks so cool, made of heavy cast iron and just love the badge. I think it will make a great addition to some future project.

 

[Recordus]

Love that motor. I've picked up two old drill presses with old motors, and just got an old General Motors 1/3HP motor being used as a buffer...will post pics for a laugh at the horrific wiring. But the motor is cast iron and a true work of art, and smoother that anything I've ever owned. It puts all the newish motors on my power tools to shame.