Letting go

[dkemppai]

This made me think of something - OT, and nothing to do with metalworking, but just to illustrate a point -
I knew a guy that built a 26' catamaran - When I went to see the boat as it neared completion, I looked around the building, and asked where his tools were.
He pointed to a cardboard box in the corner, containing a circular saw, saber saw, a drill, and a couple hand tools - Those, a pile of wood, and a couple drums of epoxy, and he created a pretty decent looking boat, that he sailed to the Bahamas and the Caribbean last I heard.
Just sayin'

Yes, a lot of things can be done well with a few simple tools. But when you need a flat piece of lumber the jointer and planer speed that process up. When you want a flat piece of steel, a surface grinder beats a file and hand scraping in most cases.

I like doing more stuff with less tools too, but time is a commodity that has value also. If the tools cost less that the time would, the tool might make sense. Likewise if the tool isn't getting used, and the space is more valuable that's a consideration also. Everything is a compromise. In the case of downsizing prior knowledge of what gets used can be very helpful in deciding what to keep / let go.

(Admittedly, I'm still in collecting mode so not much goes away here yet. However, the tendency is to collect only what will be useful or has a high value compared to purchase cost...)

 

[BGHansen]

Congrats (I guess. . . ) on the move! Not adding anything that hasn't been said above, except my personal experience.

It can be tough to let stuff go, but in the end it's just "stuff". George Carlin has a good stand-up routine on it. If you can easily replace it, let it go. My wife and I spent around 9 months cleaning out one of my parent's homes after my mom passed in May 2022. I left a lot of my dad's tools behind since we are gifting the house to our daughter, leaving dad's stuff means I don't have to carry tool boxes over to work on the house! There were a few things I cherry-picked out of my dad's stuff for sentimental reasons more than anything. I was 59 when my dad passed; I'd long before bought anything he had that I wanted or needed, I didn't need another 3 propane torches (for example).

My wife and I are contemplating a move at some point which I'm not looking forward to. We have "stuff" that might have been precious to us at some point, but we've accumulated so much of it that it will be a nuisance. It was eye-opening spending 2 days a week for 9 months going through the stuff at my parent's house. My bad, but my reply to people asking how things were going was usually a story about getting rid of stuff as they didn't throw anything out (house was built in 1964, one of the things I pitched was their tax return from 1964. . .). I finally realized I was discrediting my parents by ranting about their accumulation. My wife and I are working to not hand our kids the same job when we eventually pass and have at least started to pare stuff down.

Bruce

 

[matthewsx]

Thanks for the replies, good to get other's perspectives.

This morning while lying in bed I realized it's probably time to let go of more stuff here in California too. The die filer is cool, but I've really only used it once. That 2x72 belt grinder project, will I really need it if I bring my Hilco sharpener out here? The little Hardinge BB4 mill, super cool but really not practical for my shop here. Oxy/Acetylene? Probably can consolidate down to two toolboxes, one for hand tools and another for machining stuff, I'm probably not going to do a whole bunch of auto restoration work....

What I do have in the shop here that I don't want to part with is my dad's workbench and desk, they're connections to him as the places where he designed and built so many things. I totally get marveling on how folks before us did so much with so little. My dad told me he would have liked to have a Bridgeport when building his airplane but couldn't afford one, he made due with a homemade disk sander instead.

As I move forward in life I too would like to simplify so my wife, or our daughter doesn't have to deal with a bunch of "stuff" that hasn't been used in years and has no value. I always thought my dad was un-sentimental about things and didn't accumulate much until I had to clear out his home in 2014. I've been working on my mom's stuff for years now but there's still many, many boxes that need to be gone through and disposed of. Organization is good. It's particularly hard when you know someone had a habit of mixing important stuff with random junk, I've found some valuable stuff in the strangest places.

Anyway, I'll probably be posting my machines here after I get back to give forum members the first crack at them before FB market.

John

 

[C-Bag]

Congrats (I guess. . . ) on the move!

LOL! My sentiments exactly. Seems all I’ve done my whole life is move. 4 times with my parents, 23 times in the 30yrs with my x and once with my SO. SO keeps toying with idea of moving(her excuse is I need a bigger shop, yeah riiight) and all I can see is the process and my back starts hurting at the thought.

I also got stuck with liquidating passed relative homes and I am way past being BRUTAL about getting rid of stuff. I have always granted the elders special compensation for hoarder tendencies owing it to depression survival etc. But when my dad’s wife who was 20yrs younger than my dad decided they HAD to buy a new mobile and to do that had to get rid of everything I saw first hand that hoarding is a very serious mental illness. I was tasked with getting rid of my dads tools which were outside and my SO was to help with the inside. As brutal as I am SO puts me to shame. I call her the tidy girl. She is a honey Badger when it comes to stuff. And she had to finally quit in frustration and came out and help me because dads wife would NOT let go of anything. When my mom passed and this woman showed up and then they married inside of 6mo the house was basically stuffed with the living room and spare bedroom being inaccessible for piled boxes. Turns out the major portion of those boxes shoulder high were empty plastic binders along with old files from past jobs. Like 15-20 boxes and all she would allow is them to be cleaned then reboxed and if SO offered to take them to Goodwill she would get visibly upset and start sweating.

I am now very proud of those who can discern trash from useful and LET GO.

 

[dkemppai]

This morning while lying in bed I realized it's probably time to let go of more stuff here in California too. The die filer is cool, but I've really only used it once....

Not sure the logistics would work, but I've been keeping my eyes open for a die filer...

 

[matthewsx]

Sure would be easier if the Keller was in Michigan rather than California. I'll be back here early August and will be posting stuff for sale first or second week, check back then.

John

 

[matthewsx]

Posted some pictures of the Michigan shop here.

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/complete-shop-nearly-in-elk-rapids-mi.107156/

John

 

[matthewsx]

Packed up what I wanted from my Michigan shop and home and flew back to California yesterday. The new homeowner asked for a price on the shop contents and we agreed on a sale. So happy it will stay intact and he can work there with his daughters.

Definitely bittersweet but knowing that what I built had value to someone else as a whole is very affirming.

John

 

[C-Bag]

Packed up what I wanted from my Michigan shop and home and flew back to California yesterday. The new homeowner asked for a price on the shop contents and we agreed on a sale. So happy it will stay intact and he can work there with his daughters.

Definitely bittersweet but knowing that what I built had value to someone else as a whole is very affirming.

John

Outstanding John! Congratulations.

I’d forgotten this is becoming a thing, including the shop/tools in a house sale. My SO who is always watching real estate first told me about this.

 

[Aaron_W]

Packed up what I wanted from my Michigan shop and home and flew back to California yesterday. The new homeowner asked for a price on the shop contents and we agreed on a sale. So happy it will stay intact and he can work there with his daughters.

Definitely bittersweet but knowing that what I built had value to someone else as a whole is very affirming.

John

That is a much nicer outcome for both of you. The shop stays together, and you don't have the headache of getting rid of everything, and he gets a nice shop without hunting it all down and then moving everything.