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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Kyabram. Vic
    Posts
    632

    Default Clearing sale garbage machine tools.

    I went to a clearing sale today on a farm. Quite a few machine tools were advertised; a No 1.5 Cincinotti universal mill and an Arborcia pedestal drill were among them. Parking was a problem with muddy access. It appears that a couple of truck loads of a local soft, dusty limestone type of "gravel" had been dumped over the muddy driveway just prior to 15mm of rain a couple of days ago. I chose to park out on the road and walk in. There was no way I could have got in with my Crummydore ute.

    The above description also extended into the condition of all the sale lots. Absolutely appalling. As I walked in the was a steady stream of people leaving; 1/2hr before the auction start. The agent had obviously noticed this and had changed his tune from the glowing ad in the paper; and was now spruking the items were now being auctioned as scrap condition. Oddly I didn't notice any of the local scrappies there and no sign of there vehicles.

    The machines were housed in a farm shed mostly open to the north. The machines and floor were covered in a deep layer(hard to tell that the floor was actually concrete due to the depth of crap in most places) of dirt and dust. The old horizontal only 'Cinci' was possibly of WW2 vintage and appeared frozen up. There was a board attached to it with pegs holding probably 40 milling cutters. These were just lumps of rust. The pedestal drill was an Arboga as I had suspected. It was a dirty oily rather messy unit of recent manufacture and looked very unloved as well. It was huge; a good 2 metres high with a round 'leg' of about 150mm and I would guess somewhere around 1 tonne. The other machinery was probably in worse condition.

    I was walking back out of the gate also before the auction start time.

    How can people treat their equipment like this? Why do they do it? I just had another swig of port to try and take the bad taste out of my mouth. I think I will need quite a few more.

    A disgusted Ken.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Horsham Victoria
    Posts
    113

    Default

    Where was it all and was anythi g salvageable. Not that I can get any even if i wanted to lol

    Dave TTC
    Turning Wood Into Art

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Kyabram. Vic
    Posts
    632

    Default

    Dave

    It was between Kyabram and Stanhope, Victoria.

    Possibly the large Parkin horizontal mill, the large Herless lathe, the Arboga drill and Brobo saw would have been salvageable after a complete strip down and rebuild.

    Electrics were unknown and power leads cut.

    All items had to be cleared off the property by dark tonight. The large mill and lathe would probably weigh in around 3 tonne each and and were about 7 metres from a doorway and heaps of dirt and crap on the floor. A mobile crane would be needed for loading, but access was tight. A Franna might have done it; but manouvering? would have been a nightmare with wet ground and a 180deg turn to load. Then there was the soft slushy limestone dumped over top of the mud. I was sinking into it just walking on it.

    Ken

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Horsham Victoria
    Posts
    113

    Default

    Sounds like a nightmare.

    My wife would have killed me just for looking



    Dave TTC
    Turning Wood Into Art

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Kyabram. Vic
    Posts
    632

    Default

    I was hoping that the arboga drill was one of the smaller ones.

    Trouble is that these items were going to be the last lots sold. I am just glad that it was not suitable as I would still be there trying to drag it out in the dark. The wife was happy as I was home before 11am with an empty trailer.

    Ken

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Horsham Victoria
    Posts
    113

    Default

    That would satisfy my wife too

    Dave TTC
    Turning Wood Into Art

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Mackay North Qld
    Posts
    6,446

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Toggy View Post
    I went to a clearing sale today on a farm. Quite a few machine tools were advertised; a No 1.5 Cincinotti universal mill and an Arborcia pedestal drill were among them. Parking was a problem with muddy access. It appears that a couple of truck loads of a local soft, dusty limestone type of "gravel" had been dumped over the muddy driveway just prior to 15mm of rain a couple of days ago. I chose to park out on the road and walk in. There was no way I could have got in with my Crummydore ute.

    The above description also extended into the condition of all the sale lots. Absolutely appalling. As I walked in the was a steady stream of people leaving; 1/2hr before the auction start. The agent had obviously noticed this and had changed his tune from the glowing ad in the paper; and was now spruking the items were now being auctioned as scrap condition. Oddly I didn't notice any of the local scrappies there and no sign of there vehicles.

    The machines were housed in a farm shed mostly open to the north. The machines and floor were covered in a deep layer(hard to tell that the floor was actually concrete due to the depth of crap in most places) of dirt and dust. The old horizontal only 'Cinci' was possibly of WW2 vintage and appeared frozen up. There was a board attached to it with pegs holding probably 40 milling cutters. These were just lumps of rust. The pedestal drill was an Arboga as I had suspected. It was a dirty oily rather messy unit of recent manufacture and looked very unloved as well. It was huge; a good 2 metres high with a round 'leg' of about 150mm and I would guess somewhere around 1 tonne. The other machinery was probably in worse condition.

    I was walking back out of the gate also before the auction start time.

    How can people treat their equipment like this? Why do they do it? I just had another swig of port to try and take the bad taste out of my mouth. I think I will need quite a few more.

    A disgusted Ken.
    Ken,
    Try seeing the situation from the perspective of the original owner of the tools.
    Who knows of the family situation of the seller and their family. These things are never planned for and it should give food for thought for ourselves to what we could do to avoid a similar situation.

    What would we organise ahead of time should we at some point become too old ,ill or incapable of disposing of our machinery / tools assets.

    The gear some of us have spent half a life time assembling, what will happen to it.

    Due to circumstances that are beyond our control similar situations could occur for us.

    Life is what happens when your are making other plans.

    It is something I have thought about but done nothing about it.

    What of the rest of you?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Murray Bridge S Aust.
    Age
    71
    Posts
    5,942

    Default

    You are right Grahame, we can't predict when our demise/injury will be. One could be crossing the street, or could be sitting in the lounge room watching the idiot box and a car could hit you. A very recent accident, caused the death of a woman in such an accident. A stroke could strike one down at any age, I have a friend who was 32 when he copped it, now confined to a motorised wheel chair, with a little control of his right arm and hand.
    Depending on the will etc. probate could take some time 2-3 + years, a lot of dust settles on tools in that time, things deteriorate with time as do farmers roads when no one is there to look after them.
    What one values their equipment at and what it sells for are 2 different things.
    I went for a loan and was asked the value of collateral, I replied "They cost me $15,000" then was asked "What would you get for it, if you had to sell it in a hurry?"
    There is a lot of difference there.
    Kryn

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    near Rockhampton
    Posts
    6,216

    Default

    I have found a lot of the time is it people just holding on too long...

    But I suppose it is their gear and if it gives them comfort in their later lives who are we to judge them....

    The flip side is the problems it gives those left with everything.. I saw such a huge mess of an old long defunct manufacturing place last year and the heirs had to try to do their best to sell what they could so the widow had enough money for a nursing home... I got the impression the owner manager held on too long.. Seen the same with rural properties as well...

    So there are two sides to the situation..

    I picked up my cylindrical grinder in Melbourne as the retired toolmaker who owned it did not want to burden his family with it... I would like to think I did not take advantage of his situation as I know I did not pay massive amounts for it, but it was market value..
    Gold, the colour of choice for the discerning person.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    4,779

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by .RC. View Post
    I picked up my cylindrical grinder in Melbourne as the retired toolmaker who owned it did not want to burden his family with it... I would like to think I did not take advantage of his situation as I know I did not pay massive amounts for it, but it was market value..
    He's probably happy it's gone to a good home. When the time comes for me to make hard decisions, I'll be happy to sell to someone who will get the same enjoyment as me.

    Simon
    Girl, I don't wanna know about your mild-mannered alter ego or anything like that." I mean, you tell me you're, uh, super-mega-ultra-lightning babe? That's all right with me. I'm good. I'm good.

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