rivett608
Diamond
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2002
- Location
- Kansas City, Mo.
Hello all, clearly I am in some kind of a mood here. I don’t know that I expect to find the answer but it is just to start the discussion. Lately I have been looking around my shop and thinking about getting rid of stuff. It is all small and I really don’t need the space or even the money which of course I could find a good use for. There is no pressing need to do this which makes me think it is a good time to think about it.
Here is a brief run down on my situation, I just turned 63, I have been collecting tools and machinery to use for over 40 years, many of you know I have good taste in nice tools. It has been said I don’t buy rust. My shop is where I make my living, it is about 500sf. It is very nice, not cluttered and decorated well. I have seen a lot of the old guys in their last years stressing over their stuff. I don’t want that to be me. I think of my friend the late Ed Battison.
Now I’m not even thinking about giving up my shop or it’s capabilities. What I’m thinking of getting rid of is all the stuff I never use, the stuff squirreled away in case maybe I might need that. Or something that was just so cool I wanted one, got it but never used it.
I’ll just give some examples so you can understand better my quandary. Rivett lathes, which I was and am a fan of, hence my name on the PM. I have a early #4 and a late 608-5c that are in fine condition, they are not mounted on bases nor have drives. Basically they are eye candy. They have been in this state for over 20 years. Clearly if I wanted to set them up or really needed them I would have. I simply have very little desire to fix up machinery anymore and haven’t in a long time. As I get older I have even less interest. Now I also have all kinds of drives for these (in the attic of the garage) and almost every accessory Rivett ever made. That is super cool stuff but most of it has never even been mounted on a lathe let alone used. I clearly don’t need this stuff, I have fun owning it but there is no one who cares for me to even share it with. There are even NOS lead screws and boxes of parts. I do have and would keep my “user” Rivett, it is a early 608 with the change gears removed, kind of ugly but it is the one I like.
The truth is I must face the fact I only have so many years left, now hopefully that might be 30 but after over 40 years playing in my shop I must admit I’m loosing interest. Will it come back? If I get rid of stuff can I always buy other cool things? Maybe it would make it exciting again? I mean I hardly ever buy anything because I pretty well have anything I wanted. No, by no means do I have the coolest most well equipped shop, but it is a shop I’m happy with and can do what I want in. I don’t really need more things.
In thinking of getting rid of rare good things some of the thoughts that go through my mind are. It will be less work for the estates trustees to deal with whenever that time may come. Btw, I have no kids. It would get near impossiable to find tools and accessories out in the market for the next owners to play with. It will lessen the “oh my god what am I going to do with all this when I’m old?” Question that perks up when I look at it.
So I guess the question is when is it time to start thinning stuff. It is good stuff, not junk. Also another example is I have a machineshop supply trade catalog collection. I’m referring to the 1920s to 1950s, a lot of nice hardbound dealer catalogs some with great color illustrations. Truth is I haven’t even opened the cabinet that houses these in nearly 10 years because there has been a sofa in front of it. I must not miss looking at them so why do I need to own them? Yes, they are cool with great info, but do I need that?
My interests have changed to much older stuff, 17th and 18th centuries and that stuff along with the good catalogs and rare machinist tools I fully attend to keep.
So what are your thoughts? I know most of us here on the PM are all about getting stuff, not getting rid of stuff.
How bad will I miss it?
Thanks
Here is a brief run down on my situation, I just turned 63, I have been collecting tools and machinery to use for over 40 years, many of you know I have good taste in nice tools. It has been said I don’t buy rust. My shop is where I make my living, it is about 500sf. It is very nice, not cluttered and decorated well. I have seen a lot of the old guys in their last years stressing over their stuff. I don’t want that to be me. I think of my friend the late Ed Battison.
Now I’m not even thinking about giving up my shop or it’s capabilities. What I’m thinking of getting rid of is all the stuff I never use, the stuff squirreled away in case maybe I might need that. Or something that was just so cool I wanted one, got it but never used it.
I’ll just give some examples so you can understand better my quandary. Rivett lathes, which I was and am a fan of, hence my name on the PM. I have a early #4 and a late 608-5c that are in fine condition, they are not mounted on bases nor have drives. Basically they are eye candy. They have been in this state for over 20 years. Clearly if I wanted to set them up or really needed them I would have. I simply have very little desire to fix up machinery anymore and haven’t in a long time. As I get older I have even less interest. Now I also have all kinds of drives for these (in the attic of the garage) and almost every accessory Rivett ever made. That is super cool stuff but most of it has never even been mounted on a lathe let alone used. I clearly don’t need this stuff, I have fun owning it but there is no one who cares for me to even share it with. There are even NOS lead screws and boxes of parts. I do have and would keep my “user” Rivett, it is a early 608 with the change gears removed, kind of ugly but it is the one I like.
The truth is I must face the fact I only have so many years left, now hopefully that might be 30 but after over 40 years playing in my shop I must admit I’m loosing interest. Will it come back? If I get rid of stuff can I always buy other cool things? Maybe it would make it exciting again? I mean I hardly ever buy anything because I pretty well have anything I wanted. No, by no means do I have the coolest most well equipped shop, but it is a shop I’m happy with and can do what I want in. I don’t really need more things.
In thinking of getting rid of rare good things some of the thoughts that go through my mind are. It will be less work for the estates trustees to deal with whenever that time may come. Btw, I have no kids. It would get near impossiable to find tools and accessories out in the market for the next owners to play with. It will lessen the “oh my god what am I going to do with all this when I’m old?” Question that perks up when I look at it.
So I guess the question is when is it time to start thinning stuff. It is good stuff, not junk. Also another example is I have a machineshop supply trade catalog collection. I’m referring to the 1920s to 1950s, a lot of nice hardbound dealer catalogs some with great color illustrations. Truth is I haven’t even opened the cabinet that houses these in nearly 10 years because there has been a sofa in front of it. I must not miss looking at them so why do I need to own them? Yes, they are cool with great info, but do I need that?
My interests have changed to much older stuff, 17th and 18th centuries and that stuff along with the good catalogs and rare machinist tools I fully attend to keep.
So what are your thoughts? I know most of us here on the PM are all about getting stuff, not getting rid of stuff.
How bad will I miss it?
Thanks
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