Too many

[Eyerelief]

My mentor from the 90's has gone to assisted living. He's in good spirits, close to his oldest son and his grand children. I feel fortunate to have been able to help him until just recently. I still talk with him weekly. I helped his boys sort through all that he had putting a value on everything that we could. It wasn't going as "lucrative" as they had hoped, but when tools set unattended for years, no good can come of it. I will say, that he only invested in quality. When the tools got small, the boys through all of them into a couple of big tubs and said I could have them or they were going to sell them by the pound. Probably 200-250 pounds I would guess. I told the old man what I had, and he was excited for me to have them. So far I have cleaned up and fixed a few of the items that were practical for any household and gave them back to my friend so that he could give them to his boys. Tap wrenches, taking various sets of drill bits and making a couple complete sets, allen wrench sets, socket sets etc. Some items that were in his first tool box from the 60's I am sure.
I'll share some of the other items as I get them cleaned up.
Here is a boring head that was pretty badly rusted but came out of the Evaporust looking OK. A little Bridgport #1 with a short 3/4" shank. Adjust as smooth as glass. If I only needed a boring head..... Sadly I have 5, this one makes 6, and I only paid for one of them.

 

[MrWhoopee]

Good on you for maintaining the connection and showing him that someone still appreciates the things that were important to him.

I find I have been inheriting tools in a similar fashion for nearly two decades. As my friends pass or are forced to down-size, my collection grows. Being in undeservedly good health, I am beginning to fear that I will end up with all the tools and no surviving friends.

 

[Eyerelief]

Good on you for maintaining the connection and showing him that someone still appreciates the things that were important to him.

I find I have been inheriting tools in a similar fashion for nearly two decades. As my friends pass or are forced to down-size, my collection grows. Being in undeservedly good health, I am beginning to fear that I will end up with all the tools and no surviving friends.

Me too! At this point, I have plenty of tools, would rather sit around and drink beer with the old friends. These guys were great at getting things done without hopping online and buying "a tool for that". Invaluable information. I have had the luxury of drawing on well over 150 years of accumulative machining and tool making knowledge, but its dwindling each year. If this keeps up, pretty soon I will have to start figuring the difficult stuff out on my own.

 

[C-Bag]

Good on you for maintaining the connection and showing him that someone still appreciates the things that were important to him.

I find I have been inheriting tools in a similar fashion for nearly two decades. As my friends pass or are forced to down-size, my collection grows. Being in undeservedly good health, I am beginning to fear that I will end up with all the tools and no surviving friends.

My dad became the de facto handyman for the 55+ park he lived in the last 28yrs of his life and every time one of the guys in the park passed he got everything. Some of the stuff I got. The pattern was any time I needed to borrow it he would say don’t bring it back. Either he already had 5 or didn’t need it in the case of the table saw.

It is a concern of many that none of your kids want tools and nobody who wants them. I’ve been lucky that I can give my surplus to the neighbors son who works as a mechanic.

 

[C-Bag]

I feel fortunate to have been able to help him until just recently. I still talk with him weekly.

+1. There are few things in this world I get sadder about than another hard working guy goes on standby. When my dad hung up his ability to work his only goal was to reach 90. He passed pretty quick after that. So I’m very watchful of my older friends as they get into their mid eighties. My neighbor down the street is the German version of my dad. Hard worker still sharp but unlike my dad his hobbies of building models etc keep him active mentally. But his wife has Alzheimer’s and he’s dealing with it alone. Caretaking is so hard and I try to keep in touch but it’s really tough. I’ve gotten him involved with some projects which has made him ask me to help him with a couple of projects like the two weather vane’s we’ve gotten restored. He’s sharper than my dad but the stress of his wife is really taking a toll. I only wish I’d gotten to know him decades ago.

 

[Eyerelief]

+1. There are few things in this world I get sadder about than another hard working guy goes on standby.

Isn't that the truth. I helped my friend with a few jobs in the last few years as his endurance faded. The last thing we did together was just a project making a brass presentation holder for a pocket watch his grandfather had given him, and he in turn was giving it to his granddaughter. He knew exactly what he wanted it to look like, so I machined it through his minds eye with no input from me. Understandably, he came up short on a couple of his ideas, but I let him keep going with his thoughts and fixed the issue when he wasn't looking. He had a blast just sitting in the shop watching the brass chips fly and giving me a hard time.
I do think it great that he moved closer to family though. His grandchildren will keep him younger longer than I can. And he always has a shop to come to if he gets a hankerin.

 

[C-Bag]

He had a blast just sitting in the shop watching the brass chips fly and giving me a hard time.

LOL. Horst sneaks down whenever he can, which is not often. His wife gets frantic when she can’t find him and that’s why he can’t work out in his garage. But when he comes down he wants to see what kind of stuff I have gotten into. Last time he was down as he turned around to leave he said “don’t ever stop, ever”. And seeing what happened to my dad I can see the writing on the wall. When I don’t want to get out there and tackle something or finish up some project or even just “visit the tools” it will remind me the slip n slide to the dirt nap is next and better get a move on.

 

[Eyerelief]

Words of Wisdom "Dont ever stop"

 

[mickri]

One of my best friends dad had a garage full of stuff. Not really machine related. Just stuff. Nuts and bolts, screws, gadgets that he had made to help do something. His dad wouldn't part with anything. Somebody might need that his dad would say. So Jim started offering his dad a $1 for one thing. $5 dollars for something else. And so on. Saying he had a friend who needed it. Took awhile but the garage was eventually empty. Jim's dad was happy. Some stuff was junk and it went into the dumpster. Metal got dropped off at a scrap yard. Some stuff Jim kept.

Who knows what my kids will do with my stuff. One grandson loves to make stuff. Loves tools. He just turned 6. I always give he some kind of tool for Xmas and birthdays. He's been learning how to use a hand drill this spring. If somebody has some construction happening on their street he puts on his tool belt and goes down to watch. He might want my stuff. Who knows.

 

[Eyerelief]

I as well wonder what will be the ultimate demise of my "stuff". My son has an engineering degree from the Academy, but is a pilot in the Marine Corp. He says he is excited that I have this machining equipment but I'm reserved. I hate to get rid of it if he wants it, but I would hate to burden him and my daughter with getting rid of it if when they throw dirt on my face. With his current line of work, his mind stays pretty full. Understandably, I have yet to get that call from him saying, "I have this idea".