What will happen to your tools when you die?

[Freddyjersey2016]

There are charities that will collect and tidy up if needs be unwanted tools and send them to developing countries. I imagine usually smaller tools rather than workshop machinery but who knows.

I live near Workaid in Chesham - they take most types of tools - some get sent to Africa in 10' containers - others get sold locally in their shop, or in occasional clearance tool sales; rare / valuable stuff I believe they put on eBay; They have a big group of volunteers who clean & refurb tools before sale - the Men's Shed I belong to have had a couple of items from them

 

[Amateur]

Im just working out how to get rid of 3.5 billion quid in cash.
My tools are a minor problem.

 

[Jonm]

Number of suggestions to sell on FB Marketplace. I have used it successfully for buying and selling but as a seller be careful. Firstly most people on Facebook use their correct name so anyone anyone looking has your name. I have received a number of requests along the lines of “wish to buy, postcode please”. On checking their profile things do not look above board. Why would someone in Germany be interested in my drill Etc. Of course they have your name and are after an address. Presumably will then go on to payment in advance to get bank details. Look carefully at their details, and decide if you want this person coming to your house, any suspicion either do not reply or say it is sold. I always ask for cash on collection.

 

[Homeless Squirrel]

Number of suggestions to sell on FB Marketplace. I have used it successfully for buying and selling but as a seller be careful. Firstly most people on Facebook use their correct name so anyone anyone looking has your name. I have received a number of requests along the lines of “wish to buy, postcode please”. On checking their profile things do not look above board. Why would someone in Germany be interested in my drill Etc. Of course they have your name and are after an address. Presumably will then go on to payment in advance to get bank details. Look carefully at their details, and decide if you want this person coming to your house, any suspicion either do not reply or say it is sold. I always ask for cash on collection.

Often PC is for courier price as "AI" just say's F off if can't get input in way it demands,so no logic in saying Rugby/Coventry/Solihull as can't deal with that and price would be the same!
Can list as an area so say Cawston/Alcester etc reasonably narrows it down a bit but not specific to be a threat.
And there is often good interest from likes of Germany/Brazil and other countries that don't have great tool supplies as picked up a No4 mint boxed and guy wanted to buy from Brazil(Spoke to friend and said lots want them over there not dodgy as many good craftsman out there and poor supply lines)Seller didn't want to send and i'd gone to pick up a 5 1/2 ended up with 4 for £30 "rude" not to buy.

To me these day's i always want items sent to parcel shops if can that way i know where item is and seller does also.
So if can send that way (Think have to select when listing in post options?)take pictures of item in box and wrapping/wrapped so can see wrapped and padded securely and make sure use time/stamp date on camera! videos are even better that way you have for any issues as with likes of MyHerpes there often is esp when they steal items as they do!(Case where they stole a £1000 ish Shimano Bluewater fishing Fixed spool which was sent in box for service & they knew what it was by weight n shape plus address so stole it giving a cock n bull story "It was damaged and hazardous so it was destroyed"

None of them are good just some/many are ******* than others! Even Royal Fail/Parcel Farce have got in on the act as had from RM woman just bangs n dumps outside on matt a few times

 

[Bruce Mack]

My last small build took too long and the previous one ended when the veneer split as I ironed it to the substrate. I'm slow and old (independent liabilities that assist each other over the cliff) and I'm unlikely to do much woodworking in the time remaining. I have tried unsuccessfully to interest 2 friends in woodworking. I will first take redundant tooling e.g. plate joiner, extra router and bits to the roadside and offer it to passersby for free when the ice and snow have gone in the spring. This will work very quickly. When it is time to divest myself of hand planes and saws, I will offer them for free to woodworkers who frequent the hand tool forum I read in the U.S. and who are near Minneapolis so they can come by. Members of UKW would be preferred and they, also, would have to be in Minneapolis to come and take them.
I'm not dying yet, but this thread allows me to think and plan.

 

[Hallelujahal]

This thread has given me much food for thought. Basically, i know i can’t take anything with me, ‘naked we came into the world & naked we shall leave it’.

So I’ve decided that I’m going to use what few tools I have as much as I possibly can to make stuff to give to people which may bring a little bit of happiness somewhere.

Once I’m gone I hope that my children and grandchildren may be interested- but it’s a conversation that I need to have with them long before I shuffle off into eternity.

 

[dzj]

I hope they burn everything and what doesn't burn winds up in a landfill.
(Anything to prevent some unsuspecting young soul of considering it a worthwhile,
profitable, creative profession)

 

[niall Y]

I hope they burn everything and what doesn't burn winds up in a landfill.
(Anything to prevent some unsuspecting young soul of considering it a worthwhile,
profitable, creative profession)

That was the sort of feeling that came over me when I completed my accounts at the end of each year. However, it is worthwhile, and can be creative - though not necessarily profitable. And, depending on what you are making, it can also be incredibly boring.
(oops, did I just admit this on a forum?)

 

[neilski]

I am currently trying to deal with this very problem. My father-in-law died in June, and I now have a Sedgwick table saw and a Sedgwick planer/thicknesser to dispose of together with an SMC Spindle Moulder. The equipment is big and heavy (very heavy). I have approached a handful of dealers, most of which are not interested and another that offered me £900 for the lot, which seemed on the light side. There is also the problem of 'family expectation' to deal with - "Dad paid a small fortune for these tools. They must be worth a lot of money...".

I need to sell these tools, but I don't know what they are worth or the best place to place them. Maybe someone should create a BequithedToolsExchange website!

Until they do, if anyone can offer me any advice, it would be much appreciated.

 

[Keith 66]

Big old machines are worth very little because 1) There are a lot of them on the market, 2) They need space not many people have so are not desirable by Diy people.
I would suggest that if a dealer offers £900 for the lot i would bite his arm off.
I am in a similar position with father in laws lathe, a 1943 Mitchell Junior, 2 1/2 tons of cast iron 9ft long.
In reality such old machines are worth little more than the current price of heavy iron approx £200 per ton.
So Father in laws lathe might fetch £500 in scrap, for that it will need a days work for a couple of strong men to get it to where a hiab lorry can pick it up then take it to the scrap yard. Fairly slim pickings once everyone gets paid.
You could try putting them on, www.homeworkshop.org, its a good site for selling machines & its free.

 

[neilski]

Big old machines are worth very little because 1) There are a lot of them on the market, 2) They need space not many people have so are not desirable by Diy people.
I would suggest that if a dealer offers £900 for the lot i would bite his arm off.
I am in a similar position with father in laws lathe, a 1943 Mitchell Junior, 2 1/2 tons of cast iron 9ft long.
In reality such old machines are worth little more than the current price of heavy iron approx £200 per ton.
So Father in laws lathe might fetch £500 in scrap, for that it will need a days work for a couple of strong men to get it to where a hiab lorry can pick it up then take it to the scrap yard. Fairly slim pickings once everyone gets paid.
You could try putting them on, www.homeworkshop.org, its a good site for selling machines & its free.

Thanks, @Keith 66 - the space is the issue. We have got them into my garage, and even 'stacked' in (i.e. unusable!), they have taken up half of a double garage!

 

[benitod]

I told to my wife to sell all of them.

 

[RobinBHM]

I am currently trying to deal with this very problem. My father-in-law died in June, and I now have a Sedgwick table saw and a Sedgwick planer/thicknesser to dispose of together with an SMC Spindle Moulder. The equipment is big and heavy (very heavy). I have approached a handful of dealers, most of which are not interested and another that offered me £900 for the lot, which seemed on the light side. There is also the problem of 'family expectation' to deal with - "Dad paid a small fortune for these tools. They must be worth a lot of money...".

I need to sell these tools, but I don't know what they are worth or the best place to place them. Maybe someone should create a BequithedToolsExchange website!

Until they do, if anyone can offer me any advice, it would be much appreciated.

Did you mean SCM spindle moulder?

if the sedgwick pl/th and saw are single phase you should get good money for them - have a look at sold listings on eBay or ask on here - we all love pics of machinery

 

[Keith 66]

Trouble is at the moment we are in a recession that shows no signs of getting better, Big machines are going to be hard to sell. I recently advertised a flamefast brazing hearth, Good machine in perfect working order, it just didnt sell so i had no alternative but to break it up & scrap it.
The space i have gained in the workshop is worth far more than the faint possibility it might sell in a month, 6 months, a year, never!

 

[okeydokey]

I don't have machinery of any great value or bulk and when I've gone they will be easy for my family to value and sell.
Hand tools I have said look at them carefully as some will be worth more than they look at a casual glance.
But perhaps I should start to consider moving/selling triplicates and some tools mainly planes that I bought to renovate and will never get around to it.

 

[neilski]

Did you mean SCM spindle moulder?

if the sedgwick pl/th and saw are single phase you should get good money for them - have a look at sold listings on eBay or ask on here - we all love pics of machinery

Yes, SCM MiniMax T40 (bad typing ), also has the cross-slide attachment. All are single-phase. I will try them on eBay and see if I get any interest. Thanks for your advice @RobinBHM.

 

[James555]

I’ve been watching decluttering vids on YouTube recently. Makes it easy to get rid of stuff.
It’s equally liberating and sad that the only person who cares about our stuff is us. A small number of items are valuable, financially or sentimental, but most aren’t and get binned.

 

[Drifter2406]

I’ve been watching decluttering vids on YouTube recently. Makes it easy to get rid of stuff.
It’s equally liberating and sad that the only person who cares about our stuff is us. A small number of items are valuable, financially or sentimental, but most aren’t and get binned.

You are absolutely right, whats even worse, I have no family but my extended family would not know what the tools are worth and either chuck em or give them away. One example is, I spoke to my brother in law when he came round and saw one of the Lie Nielson planes and said "Oh my Dad left me one like that" it was an unbranded plane that he bought at a boot sale for £3 years ago.

 

[James555]

I’ve found decluttering extremely benenficia for quality of life. Clutter is draining. Walking into a room or my workshop and everything being ordered and there being space is great.

 

[dannyr]

ebay them.

Tools given to sheds and charities are (in my opinion) UNappreciated, often misused, frequently sold on for a pittance or even thrown out as soon as they are blunt.

If someone takes the trouble to look for a tool on ebay and pay something for them, they tend to value it more. Yes there are fees and yes it takes time to list things, but ebay is a better way to get your tools into the hands of people who will appreciate them.

The problem with the sheds and charities is that they don't have time, motivation and often limited even no knowledge of tools at all.

Harsh, but I think disappointingly true.

The local charity at St Wilfrid's, Sheffield is very knowledgeable and does a good job fixing and sorting (I'm not a member, but have passed on tools and stopped for a chat, seen what they do). They used to pass all the refurbed tools on to 'Tools for Self Reliance', but now they make up tool kits for various similar charities.

If you have something special (eg a full kit from a local retired pattern-maker) with good provenance, then how about a local museum (but they won't want just any old tools - it takes lots of work to catalogue etc - been there, done that).