My fathers Workshop and Projects – New home?

[John Bell 1Participant @johnbell1]

With the passing of my father I wish to make sure that his model engineering projects (traction engine and locomotives) and his extensive workshop (lathe, mill , and innumerable tools) plus raw materials find an enthusiastic new home or homes. The complexity and extent of the workshop contents is beyond daunting…My father was an avid Model Engineer reader and seeing the magazines in the workshop prompted me to seek guidence from fellow Model engineers. Thoughts? Advice ?

[John Bell 1Participant @johnbell1]

How to ensure my Fathers model engineering workshop and projects finds a good new home

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Hello John,

I'm sorry to hear of your loss.

Some of the contents of your father's workshop are probably of significant value. If he was a member of a local club, you may well find that they will assist in identifying what has real worth and advising on ways to find it a good home, perhaps in return for a donation to club funds. IT would help to know roughly what area you are in (don't be too specific, so as not to invite the wrong kind of attention).

Items like machinery, locomotives etc. can find good but fair prices through the classified ads here and in the magazines and will probably go straight to other model engineers. Alternatively, there are a number of advertisers in the magazines who will buy and clear a workshop wholesale. This is less effort for you, but obviously they have to make a living and won't pay as much.

Hopefully you can find someone nearby who can assist you.

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Again sorry to hear your bad news and cant fault Neil's advise, when a friend of one of my fellow club members passed away myself and fellow club members helped with valuating the content of the workshop and list it on the club website then a few weeks later when the larger items had been sold we held a auction night to sell off the remaining bits and pieces the widow was more than pleased with the sum raised donated half to club funds as a thank you for the clubs help.

[Lee Wood 2Participant @leewood2]

Hi John

I have been selling the contents of my uncles (who died over Christmas) workshop on here and Homeworkshop and I am sure your father would approve that it's going to like minded people.

Good advice from other members and if you have the time try to sell yourself, commercial dealers try to pay the bare minimum. It's the same with ebay now.

Good luck

Lee

[Oompa LumpaParticipant @oompalumpa34302]

A friend of mine's father died a year last January. I helped her sell an absolute load of stuff last year, the biggest issue was identifying everything – the family didn't have a clue what they had – and they are still ebaying stuff!

Just start listing stuff on here and home workshop and if you are not over-ambitious with your pricing you will steadily sell stuff as opposed to re-listing stuff. And it will go to people who will actually use it. Get rid of the big stuff first because as people come along to pick the machinery up they will be interested in the things you have and maybe make an offer – but be prepared for some chancers.

graham.

[dave greenhamParticipant @davegreenham19379]

Hi John

sorry for you loss. I know how hard it is to have to go through his workshop. I remember when my father in law passed away. It wasn't a big workshop but had quite a lot of kit. And everything had it's place. He could tell you where anything you needed was. I suppose this is how all tool room guys were. I wasn't into engineering at that time, I was a wood man. But my mother in law asked if I would use any of the tools that he had and I was given the stuff I would use. She then brought in someone who buys and sells engineering tools & machinery . I was at work the day he came, so she dealt with him and was pleased ( she thought ) with what she was paid by him. That was until she told me what he had paid her. Bare in mind this was all quality stuff. He gave her. £0.10p each for boxes and boxes of reamers of all sizes. £ 2.00 for his power drills. I can't remember what he paid her for the measuring equipment verniers, dial gauges, cutting tools. etc and as for his Myford well, I think he got a bargain at £75. So I'd be very wary about getting someone like that in. Far better his club or mates that are into engineering and know the true wort it all. I've been to boot sales and picked up bargains because the person selling it had no idea of what it was or what it was worth. Fore warned is fore armed.

dave

[Boiler BriParticipant @boilerbri]

Hello john, my sincere condolences. Two years ago I came across a lady selling her late fathers equipment on eBay. He had a large collection of tooling and parts for lathes as well as a mass of other things, cameras, telescopes etc. I arranged to visit her and was astonished at what he had collected from car boots sales and second hand markets. The first thing that struck me was her openness and I warned her to take care about people who would take advantage of her situation.

I purchased a few items from her and paid her a fair price which she was very happy with. So please be careful.

Brian

[Andrew EvansParticipant @andrewevans67134]

Hi John

I think there are 3 choices.

Do you want to get rid of the stuff without much hassle – get a dealer to take it all as a job lot but you won’t get much for it.

Do you want to get as much money as you can – spend the time to research each item, photograph it and describe it and advertise on eBay.

If you want stuff to go to fellow enthusiasts and get a fair price advertise here and on homeworkshop.org.UK

You could always bring the smaller stuff to an autojumble like my local one in Rufforth, Yorkshire. Things tend to sell for fair prices.

Maybe post a few pics here and I am sure you will get ideas of what things are worth.

Sorry about your Dad.

Andy

[Andrew EvansParticipant @andrewevans67134]

Other option is to use the workshop and finish the projects yourself.

[John Bell 1Participant @johnbell1]

Thank you all for your kind words and sound advice, you're certainly given me some hope that the equipment, projects and materials could find new homes.

The workshop is in South East of England, actually North Surrey, just inside the M25, would anyone have a contact for local Model Engineering Club that would be active in that area? Thanks Neil for that idea! Our goal is to really ensure that everything finds a good home rather than selling at a highest price,

Some of the equipment is straightforward, for example the long bed Super Seven Myford and accessories, and a beautiful little milling machine, then theirs the Big mill, small precision bench drill, normal bench drill, vast array of taps and dies, dividing head etc etc. Unfortunately I'm not the engineer my father was so when it comes to matching equipment and tools I'm struggling. (he want that tidy!)

As for the model projects in construction,, I'm sure ones a RobRoy locomotive, but theres also a traction engine and a smaller locomotive.

I'll be over there next week and will take some pictures so you can guage what I'm taking about.

Many thanks,

John

[John Bell 1Participant @johnbell1]

Andy,

I'd love to have the time and skill to take on the projects, but you have to be realistic about both! One project is now finished, but it was a restoration of an XK Jag, really a much more easier job than building a steam locomotive….

One of my issues is sorting the place, both practically and emotionally. It was the place my father stood by me while I first learned to use a lathe, his oily fingerprints are, sometimes even metaphorically, over everything! Being that connected makes it hard to make any progress!

John

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by John Bell 1 on 24/08/2014 10:38:59:

The workshop is in South East of England, actually North Surrey, just inside the M25, would anyone have a contact for local Model Engineering Club that would be active in that area?

There's **LINK** in Leatherhead or **LINK** in Sutton if either of those are near you.

Condolences.

Russell.

[OuBallieParticipant @ouballie]

John,

Condolences.

By the sounds of it, you could use quite a few of your Dad's tools for you car restoration.

I use my Workshop to help me with the 'rejuvenation' of my Classic cars, as well as building a traction engine, making tools & modifying/adding to my machine tools.

Geoff – All that needs energy at three score 10months. Hence Red Bull

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