Iggi
Well-known member
So I stopped by a little estate sale one afternoon. The house had more vintage high quality tools than I have ever seen in one location. Mountains of every great tool, testing equipment and spare parts you can imagine. Being the first day, everything was WAY overpriced except for a dust and grime covered old miller thunderbolt priced at $125. I asked what was the story on the welder and they said it does not work. I offered $90 and they took it. While paying the man, he informs it was a great welder and he wishes it would have functioned. He said we plugged it in, turned it on and did nothing but buzz quietly. Hmm, interesting I exclaimed. I put the $90 in his hand and quickly started loading it. He mentions for me not to forget the leads. I had assumed it had none since i did not see any. The leads were covered in grease and decades of dirt.
I took her home and started pulling it apart to clean and service it. I noticed the internals were spotless and the movable shunt still had its original grease on the sliders. I cleaned the case and the paint was near perfect condition. Moving on to the leads, i cleaned years of grime off them and noticed the condition of the cable, ground clamp and stinger. The ground clamp and stinger did not have a scratch on them. They had never been used. I think this old girl sat unused since it was purchased. It looks like a brand new machine now. I wonder what it would be worth to a miller collector. You do not run into these in this condition every day. This model has no plastic parts. All aluminum and copper in this baby.
Anyone know the year of manufacture? I dont know if i should keep her or sell it.
I took her home and started pulling it apart to clean and service it. I noticed the internals were spotless and the movable shunt still had its original grease on the sliders. I cleaned the case and the paint was near perfect condition. Moving on to the leads, i cleaned years of grime off them and noticed the condition of the cable, ground clamp and stinger. The ground clamp and stinger did not have a scratch on them. They had never been used. I think this old girl sat unused since it was purchased. It looks like a brand new machine now. I wonder what it would be worth to a miller collector. You do not run into these in this condition every day. This model has no plastic parts. All aluminum and copper in this baby.
Anyone know the year of manufacture? I dont know if i should keep her or sell it.
