On Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:32:43 -0700, "Michael Koblic"
wrote:

I am not sure if I am going crazy or the world around me is:

I am going around trying to price out a project: To reduce motor speed using
a pulley system by 16:1 would cost me in pulleys alone $50 using a local
supplier (2 6" and 2 1.5" pulley). I have just come back from an auction
where one could buy several drill pressess for around $40. For this I have
two step pulleys, a motor, a shaft, some bearings etc.

Since when has it become cheaper to buy an assembled piece of second-hand
equipment and cannibalize it for parts rather than buy parts alone? Come to
think of it, it would not even have to be second-hand equipment: Plenty of
cheap small drill presses for $100, i.e. a cost of 2 step-pulleys alone.
BTW a single sleeve 1/2" bearing - $5.00.

Is this an atypical observation? Is this a common phenomenon in the USA
also?


That's how I got my drill press. I really wanted the gears off of it
and while looking at how to go about that task I realized that this
old thing will probably work. Fixed it all up and then went back
looking for gears from another source.