Machines I just lucked into...

[ACHiPo]

A week or so ago a fellow listed three machines for sale. Asking $8500 for all three.

Gallmeyer & Livingston Hydraulic Surface Grinder, 8" X 24" Chuck
Parker Majestic, Manual Precision Surface Grinder, 6"X18" Chuck
22 Ton Bliss C-22 OBI Punch Press C/W Safety Light shield.

I messaged him about the Parker Majestic, he wanted $1700.
@Dabbler and I talked on the weekend about examining and moving a surface grinder. I was keenly interested but really struggled with trying to fit the Parker it into my shop.
Fast forward to this afternoon when the seller messaged me to say that he'd lowered the price to $1000.

For all the three machines listed above plus four more:
Kenco five ton punch press
Thermolyne heat treat oven
Two PEMserters
2 electrical distribution panels.

Needless to say I bought everything. For $1000.

Isn’t it wonderful to see the new ones take flight?

 

[DavidR8]

Tell you a funny story that this reminded me of. A girl I knew after high school wanted a horse in the worst way. She saw an ad in the paper "Horse for sale" and she convinced her boyfriend to take her to see it. You have to keep in mind she was 19 and in college but she wanted a horse even though she really had no place to keep it. But he humored her and went to "look at horses". So they get to this farm, kind of a hobby farm place, maybe 20 acres, half a dozen horses, barn, chicken coops, goats. So she knocks on the door and is met by a little old man. She asks about the horse and he says "Let me get my boots on and I'll walk you out there".

So he walks her out to the pasture and calls the horse over. He told her, "He's blind but if you call to him he will come to you". So she called to him and he came right over to her. She was smitten and had to have that horse. Now, there were 5 other horses there that were younger and healthier but she knew she couldn't afford "a real horse" but this blind old stud could be ridden and was sweet as could be. She told the old man she was interested and asked how much and he gave her a number and she said she would have to arrange things like a place to keep the horse and a trailer and feed and vet care.

The boyfriend was dead set against her getting the horse but she had already decided she was going to get that horse come hell or high water. And she looked into it and discovered boarding horses was expensive and caring for them even more expensive. She thought about it for a week and drove out to tell the old man she just couldn't manage boarding the horse and everything else. And he told her, "Well if you buy him you can keep him here and if you take care of him and the other horses when you can, I won't charge you board". She bought the horse.

Now, this set the boyfriend off, they were supposed to be a team and she had gone off and bought a horse without his consent. And that was the end of the relationship. So after school and after work and on weekends she was taking care of the farm. This went on for about 2 years. She would spend every minute she had that she wasn't in school or working at the farm. And she graduated from college. And then the farmer told her that he and the Mrs. were moving away. She was devastated, she'd never be able to keep her horse because she would never find another place to board him "for free".

She went to the farm expecting the world to be yanked out from under her and the old man gave her the keys. Keys to the house, truck, trailer, all the other horses, the whole shooting match. She had been doing the hard part of the work around the farm and living there it would be easier to do. The old man and his wife moved to Florida and she got the farm. Last I knew she had found a deserving man and had a couple of kids and raised them on the farm that she bought for $400. That was the price of the horse. The old man knew he wouldn't be able to keep taking care of things and it just worked out they met each other. No one else was interested in the old blind horse, some even said he wasn't worth taking to the dog food factory but the old man knew that someone who wanted a horse so bad they'd take care of the old worn out horse and the rest of the farm deserved it. They were really well off. Owned hotels, many hotels. But they knew they couldn't just walk away from the farm without knowing there was someone who would take care of it.

And no she wasn't my girlfriend, I'd have wifed her right out of high school.

I just read this to my partner and she got all teared up. Life has a way of working out, and sometimes in amazing and wonderful ways. Thank you for sharing your story!

 

[DavidR8]

Isn’t it wonderful to see the new ones take flight?

Indeed. I was very touched by Ian, the seller because he was so gracious about what he'd manage to do with hos life and the people that he'd help launch into careers.

 

[NC Rick]

Heat treatment oven, drool, drool! I'm undecided on a surface grinder due to space constraints a d grinding dust. I need a grinding room.,. (Not happening). Presently I'm maki adjustments to my shop layout to accommodate grinding swarf.

congratulations, I am really happy for you! That should save you from boredom for a few days!

 

[tjb]

Congratulations, David.

Nice score.

 

[Papa Charlie]

Nice David, very happy for you. That is the type of find that you only hear about. Enjoy your treasure.

 

[projectnut]

David it sounds like you got the deal of a lifetime. Machines in this area are still plentiful, but I don't think we'll be seeing prices like that anytime in the near future. I'm betting the owner had either lost a lease, or had other extenuating circumstances. Rather than have to pay someone to haul away the machines he made you an offer that was hard to refuse.

I suspect that non OSHA compliant punch press are nearly worthless, except for scrap value.

I would agree. About the only outlet these days for non compliant machines are hobbyists, the one man shop, or the scrap yard. The company I worked for shut down one of it's major facilities about 5 years ago. They had dozens of machine tools, the majority of which were non compliant by todays standards, but had been grandfathered in. They went for pennies on the dollar because anyone purchasing them for commercial use would have to upgrade them to meet current regulations.

 

[addertooth]

DavidR8,
With all the tooling you are collecting, I am not sure you are still a "hobby-machinist". This is beginning to sound more like a Job Shop.. or the beginnings of a fine museum. Most of your new tools are skill-sets unto themselves, and once you master all your toys, there will be little which you cannot fabricate.

 

[Ken from ontario]

David, you sound excited with your purchase and that's all that matters, I am happy for you.

 

[DavidR8]

David it sounds like you got the deal of a lifetime. Machines in this area are still plentiful, but I don't think we'll be seeing prices like that anytime in the near future. I'm betting the owner had either lost a lease, or had other extenuating circumstances. Rather than have to pay someone to haul away the machines he made you an offer that was hard to refuse.


I would agree. About the only outlet these days for non compliant machines are hobbyists, the one man shop, or the scrap yard. The company I worked for shut down one of it's major facilities about 5 years ago. They had dozens of machine tools, the majority of which were non compliant by todays standards, but had been grandfathered in. They went for pennies on the dollar because anyone purchasing them for commercial use would have to upgrade them to meet current regulations.

The owner ran a local tool and die shop making prototypes and component parts for local industry. The machines are all mid-1980's vintage.
He's run into health problems forcing him to close the business.
Yes, I suspect that some of the machines may not be viable for commercial shops. We shall see.