Picked up a drill press today

[Firstram]

About 12 years ago I found a Wilton VSG Twenty drill press laying on a pallet in the bone yard behind an industrial supply store. I told my buddy to go buy it and pay for the parts, I'd fix it up and we'd have a killer tool.. $50 later he was in possession of a 650 lb block of rust. New motor, bearings, replacement handles, quill return spring and a new belt cost him roughly $650. I spent a week of spare time bringing it back to life. We parted ways in 2012 and it was just part of his tool package until 2014 when he died. All of the tools were loaded into his trailers which his widow stored for a while. Eventually they went to his son who isn't in a position to set any of it up. Now there's 2 overloaded trailers full of tools (53' and 40') sitting out in the country since 2016 rusting away from the humidity.

I contacted his son a few months back about getting it, he remembered that it was a halfsies kind of thing and said sure. The trailers are parked at my friends older brothers house who lives about 100 mi away. When I talked to him he explained that he had them backed up to a ditch to limit access since he travels a lot. Fortunately the drill press was near the back door, it weighs 650 lbs and is top heavy. Herc equipment is 15 min from Terry's house so I rented a pallet jack and a mini ex, $275 for 4 hrs.




This thing towers 3+' over my cab


Full set of RotaBroach cutters and a 3/4" chuck. The coolant through Weldon arbor is mounted in the machine. No pictures of the Little Giant coolant pump/tank, hold down sets, Wilton 5" vise and a pile of various countersinks and spot drills.


I'm glad to have this drill press back. All in all it was a good day!

 

[Packard V8]

Glad you were able to get the DP back home.

One has to ask, "WTF are they thinking, leaving machine tools locked in a sweat box?" They'll be worth less every day until they're worth nothing.

jack vines

 

[Firstram]

Glad you were able to get the DP back home.

One has to ask, "WTF are they thinking, leaving machine tools locked in a sweat box?" They'll be worth less every day until they're worth nothing.

jack vines

They are all construction tools, not machine. Not that it matters, we're talking about hundred's of thousands worth of tools rotting, it is sad.

 

[Papa Charlie]

That is one big drill press. Glad that you got it back. Looks like you are about to repeat your original clean up. Hopefully, it is only clean up and you won't have to buy any parts.

 

[matthewsx]

They are all construction tools, not machine. Not that it matters, we're talking about hundred's of thousands worth of tools rotting, it is sad.

You should help your buddies kid take care of that, you obviously know what needs done and often times even if the family does too they just don't have the heart to make it happen without a little help.

John

 

[Firstram]

That is one big drill press. Glad that you got it back. Looks like you are about to repeat your original clean up. Hopefully, it is only clean up and you won't have to buy any parts.

Fortunately it's all surface rust, I think. I'm going back to work next week so I'll wipe it down and test it out. Other than a quick de-rust I wont have much time to make it pretty, it's a user!

You should help your buddies kid take care of that, you obviously know what needs done and often times even if the family does too they just don't have the heart to make it happen without a little help.

John

It is sad but, it's out of my hands. He should hire an auction company or sell it as a lot. I'm sure he has dreams of becoming a Construction Coordinator (Film Business) and putting it all to use. By the time that happens there won't be anything left. Every CC I've ever known has told me their kits are worth nothing when they retire or pass away.

We're talking about 120+ nail guns, 3 big air compressors, Hundreds of cords hoses and manifolds, 2 RT-40 Table Saws, 4 Unisaws, 3 24" Bandsaws, 2 14" Bandsaws, 12" Joiner, 24" Powermatic Planer with the sharpening set up, more Routers than anyone would want, Shaper w/ knives, 10 or 15 Skill Saws, Jig Saws etc...
That only touches what's in those trailers. The problem is that someone starting out cant afford the stuff and someone established doesn't want all of it. In this biz you need a tool kit to support 100 carpenters and keeping old tools running is more trouble than it's worth.

It is truly HEARTBREAKING!

 

[Firstram]

To everyone else, thanks for the likes!
I don't have a huge kit like above, but I do supply the shop kit for a Special Effects crew. We have a talented core crew but, good help is hard to find and we're always babysitting the extra shop help. Not long after I broke off from my buddy one of the guys was wearing leather gloves while drilling and he reached in to wipe the swarf off of the annular cutter, while it was running. It cost him his ring finger, little finger and half of his right hand (with the tendons attached). Now I have to worry about one more tool in the line up.