On 9/18/2012 6:45 PM, scritch wrote:
On 9/16/2012 2:47 PM, Lee Michaels wrote:
I was driving home from the hardware store today and saw a sign for an
estate sale. Those things are often a bit sad. Because somebody's
whole life is boxed up and sold. Often without any reverence for the
folks who lived that life.

I walked down a long sloping driveway to a big garage. I walked into it
and saw a wonderful shop. All the tools have been presold. This old
guy worked in his shop until almost 90. The table saw had been removed
and a couple other pieces. BIG windows on two walls of the shop. It
was bright in there. Lots of shelves built in to the rafters and on the
walls around the shop. Lots of drawers and work surfaces down two walls.

The most interesting thing about the shop were all the OLD tools. There
was an old Dewalt radial arm saw. That is the only thing I recognized.
Very old, obscure equipment was the rule in this shop. Everything was
well maintained and operational. All with brand names I never heard
of. Drill presses, a sharpening station, sanding machines, down draft
tables, and at least 5 machines that I had no idea what they were. And
a number of old machines, with big wheels (drive pulleys) made of cast
iron. I think they were belt driven. Again, no idea what they were.
I would have loved to talk to this guy and have him explain to me what
all this old, operational equipment did. It is a little sad that I
never got to find out about it or him. Life goes on, I guess.

It was nice visiting an old shop. Those things are rapidly
disappearing. I enjoyed it though.



We don't live forever, and it's good that someone is willing to buy the
old tools instead of scrapping them, but I get sad when I think that the
best tools are going into collections, never to be used again, just
gazed upon. Tools were made to be used, and unless they are worn out or
irreplaceable, it seems to me that it's a crime to just put them on the
shelf next to myriad other examples that are also languishing.

I hope that whoever bought those tools is putting them to their intended
use.
Here here, I'll second that.