Considering selling up

[mike_imperial]

This isn't a sales post! (At least not yet).

I've lost the love of turning, which is sad, but I started turning around 18 years ago as my first venture into woodworking and have done a LOT of all the things you can imagine from small things up to large hollow forms.

But I moved ever more into furniture making and while I find turning handy occasionally for that, I now find it doesn't float my boat and am thinking of selling up my big bowl lathe and all those bowl/hollowing tools and maybe downsizing to a capable midi lathe that takes up a lot less space but would do all I need for furniture and things, and it would make my limited workshop space a much more sensible layout (currently the massive planer thicknesser is floating awkwardly as it doesn't have a wall/space to live and always has to be moved around).

So the question really is, if I were selling up, what would be people's thoughts about doing it as individual items vs a 'whole bunch'. Is there much appetite for whole workshop sales? There's a lot of stuff for selling individually, a lot of it I wouldn't want to ship.

 

[Inspector]

If you sell as a whole you won't get nearly as much as by selling pieces. The upside of whole is it is done in one. Parts will take longer and you'll have to ship. Your other option is to find a mens shed or turning group and see if they want it all and hope they will pay something for it.

Pete

 

[Tris]

How much stuff do you need to keep for your next lathe? That may determine your best way forward.
Think the vacuum chuck and pump could make a good bundle if you don't need it in future, then probably just the lathe itself, and hollowing tools as separates

 

[HamsterJam]

I suggest you sell the lathe and replace it with a smaller one then see what tools/accessories you use/don’t use and sell the surplus later.
I’m sure many of us have disposed of things only to wish we hadn’t parted with them a few months afterwards.

 

[Sachakins]

Check out your midi/mini lathe options and see which match your existing lathe spindle thread size and Morse Tapers, so if its a M33×3.5 and MT2 look for equivalents in next lathe. Then your not caught out re buying equipment you've already have.
I'd personally sell as separates, as that lathe is more for someone upgrading, whom likely has all the kit already.

 

[Blister]

Selling big items for big money currently is a no go , Even smaller items are not selling well
Think long and hard before you take this drastic step.

 

[cmoops2]

In the hope that you may decide to sell some of your items individually, could you tell me the size (dia / TPI) of the spindle collars on your vaccuum chucks ?

 

[Spectric]

Could you not combine turning with the furniture making ?

 

[Orraloon]

I have kind of got over the addicted part of turning myself and now only turn bits n pieces for other projects and when friends and family ask for the occasional item. My view on it would be to hang onto the big lathe and just move on the specialized tooling like the vac chuck and any other tools you no longer use. What you get for the lathe would likely not pay for a smaller replacement and a smaller lathe will be limiting. You may be a few quid in front rather than being out of pocket and with less turning options.
Regards
John