Thread: What happens to your workshop equipment when you are gone

I know Evan uses a spread sheet to catalogue his array of "stuff", but is there a simple program that will record a picture and written description of an article then store it with an index that can quickly bring it up?
My computer skills are scant so I don't want anything that is too complicated for my old brain.
My life time of accumulating tools and machines comes with a story attached to each piece. Its probably only significant to me and not to anyone else.

Originally Posted by chambezio

I know Evan uses a spread sheet to catalogue his array of "stuff", but is there a simple program that will record a picture and written description of an article then store it with an index that can quickly bring it up?
My computer skills are scant so I don't want anything that is too complicated for my old brain.
My life time of accumulating tools and machines comes with a story attached to each piece. Its probably only significant to me and not to anyone else.

You can put pics into Excel Rod. It would be no harder to learn that than any other bit of software, and Excel would be much more flexible for updates. Excel can be used from absolute beginner's level right up to extremely high falutin' and very powerful procedures. I reckon it's the software of the century actually - I even prefer to use it rather than Word for letters or similar documents - much better behaved and controllable than Word.

I have to agree, excel is very useful program. If you claim tax on your machines then it's easy also to put together a depreciation schedule, so satisfying this need too.

If you put pictures in excel, makes sure that picture borders are fully within a cell and make sure the format of the pic is 'move and size cells'. That way, if you sort your list, the pictures will move with the associated details. If you don't the pics will stay where there are but the rest of the info will be reordered.

There are free photo catalog programs out there too where you can add several fields of information to each photo. Many such programs also store the EXIF info - which includes the hidden date, geographic coordinates, etc. info of when the photo was taken. So I guess even less chance of insurance companies questioning the stockpile (although EXIF info itself is also editable)

Personally I don't catalog anything - I wish I was that organised/committed - but I'm not

Cheers
- Mick

Originally Posted by chambezio

I know Evan uses a spread sheet to catalogue his array of "stuff", but is there a simple program that will record a picture and written description of an article then store it with an index that can quickly bring it up?
My computer skills are scant so I don't want anything that is too complicated for my old brain.
My life time of accumulating tools and machines comes with a story attached to each piece. Its probably only significant to me and not to anyone else.

You could always find a shoe box and take the lead from Arlo Guthrie's Officer Obie ...

eight-by-ten colour glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was

Originally Posted by ian

You could always find a shoe box and take the lead from Arlo Guthrie's Officer Obie ...

eight-by-ten colour glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was

I have that lp somewhere.... brings back memories. You can get anything you want at ....

Originally Posted by RayG

I have that lp somewhere.... brings back memories. You can get anything you want at ....

Me too...

Originally Posted by RayG

I have that lp somewhere.... brings back memories. You can get anything you want at ....

The song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_7C0QGkiVo

And the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP05C_agI3k

Enjoy!

Cheers

Doug

Many here seem to have a succession or dispersal problem, and the more I consider my situation the sooner I need to take some action. Sold my earthmoving equipment off when I retired round 5 years ago, but kept most of the workshop gear, a 20 tonne vintage cable excavator plus numerous spares and scrap. Have since added a restored vintage tractor and some vintage engines. Most of this is located within a townsite in the Kimberley, and no other locals share my interests so when I go, all this must go too. Cost of shifting it to any other part of Australia would exceed its value on all but perhaps the tractor.
May be able to sell some workshop gear locally at giveaway prices, but for the rest of it the scrappies want to charge me to haul it away to Darwin. Local Shire waste disposal rates would be even worse. Cheaper choice would be to haul it out of town, hire an effin' big excavator and bury the lot. Hope it never comes to that, can only hope that scrap prices will rise, (unlikely) or I start buying Lotto tickets in the hope I can afford to quit it all in an orderly fashion. Regards,
Combustor.

My father in law was a pawn broker, ( Dinny O'Brien ) and he always said " It's worth what you get for it when you need to sell it in a hurry "

My father was a carpenter , I Have his tool chest ( which I have had to re-build ) I'm in the process of making 4 others 1 each for each of my grandchildren 3 boys and 2 girls, and I will split my hand tools between them . Weather they dump them or sell them or hang on to them long enough to appreciate them who knows
The power stuff the SIL's can have and what they don't want can go to a men's shed

I have enjoyed using what I have bought and used after I'm gone who cares.

Who remembers what happened 100 years ago, get real when was the last time you visited your grandparents grave.

When you go ( other than your wife ) it's about what money they get, what they can use or sell

What was important to you means bugger all to your descendants and if you believe different "your Dreaming"

Originally Posted by Ashore

Who remembers what happened 100 years ago, get real when was the last time you visited your grandparents grave.

When you go ( other than your wife ) it's about what money they get, what they can use or sell

What was important to you means bugger all to your descendants and if you believe different "your Dreaming"

I guess what each of us believes is a personal matter.

For me. Well in 2 days it will be 1 year since my Father died. We certainly didn't keep all of his accumulated shed contents (so many bottles of screws and nails), but his tools are cherished by myself and my 3 brothers.

John

Originally Posted by GuzziJohn

I guess what each of us believes is a personal matter.

For me. Well in 2 days it will be 1 year since my Father died. We certainly didn't keep all of his accumulated shed contents (so many bottles of screws and nails), but his tools are cherished by myself and my 3 brothers.

John

When FIL passed away, his son was not at all interested in FILs gear but the two grandsons and myself were, not so much for the gear itself was fairly ordinary but more for having something that belonged to their Granddad.

Most of the younger generation have no care nor thought for their ancestors. The new 'me' generation. The answer from them is "we don't want any of your old ".

Funnily enough one item I have of my fathers is a 'niggerboy' (yes that is the name on it) block tobacco cutter. Its history as I remember it, is that my father who would have been 99 next month used it to shave tobacco for an 84 year old bloke called Kelly. Just happened he was the uncle of Ned and was the one born after Ned was hung. Dad was 7 years old when the old bloke was 84.

How do you prove the story though when they are all now dead and nothing is in writing. My boys (28 & 30) couldn't give a rats a**e about items like this or their history.

Ken

I was just reminded of when we had to tidy up Dad's house after he and Mum went into the nursing home. My sisters did the house stuff while my brother and I did the workshop/garage. It was not a pleasurable job (1988) but had to be done. My brother ended up with Dad's tools. I already had my own collection and really wouldn't have used them while my brother still uses Dad's stuff even now. (It is nice to visit the brother and see his shadow board displaying his tools as well as Dad's)
I am beginning to rethink my situation as I read more on the topic with these posts

Originally Posted by Toggy

Most of the younger generation have no care nor thought for their ancestors. The new 'me' generation. The answer from them is "we don't want any of your old ".

Funnily enough one item I have of my fathers is a 'niggerboy' (yes that is the name on it) block tobacco cutter. Its history as I remember it, is that my father who would have been 99 next month used it to shave tobacco for an 84 year old bloke called Kelly. Just happened he was the uncle of Ned and was the one born after Ned was hung. Dad was 7 years old when the old bloke was 84.

How do you prove the story though when they are all now dead and nothing is in writing. My boys (28 & 30) couldn't give a rats a**e about items like this or their history.

Ken

If its written down, there are always ways to corroborate it. There will be a museum or such that would be interested in it, even its for the story alone. Maybe no value, but sentimentality and interestingness has its own value. Too many good things lie under the pile at the tips.