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

Hi,

I've got four boys, 15,13,4, and 2 plus a 16 year old girl. Hopefully one of them will be interested enough to want the old man's toys when I'm gone. I have high hopes for the youngest two, they love doing work with me in the shed (even if it's just placing my scrap around the shed)

Ben.

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

. . . . Given my situation there is no one in the family I want to have my metal work gear. I would will some of it it to a mens shed and /or to some deserving young person who had the need for it and family circumstances to use it.

Most Mens shed should be able to use it directly or find a good home for it.

My concern with some perhaps smaller mens sheds is they won't necessarily have the knowledge to maintain specialist gear.

I'm not that fussed about what happens to my stuff, for me its the voyage usually more than the destination.

I just hope my wife sells it for what it's worth, not what I told her I paid for it.


I know, an oldy but a goody.

Good food for thought Grahame. My son, who I've not seen for 5 years, won't want it as it's not car related and probably the same with my grandson, not seen him for nearly 9 years. So I'll probably end up giving most of it away, as I won't get much for it. Going to get buried as a paper, my first 2 wives saw to that, first one got the house, second got the super and left me with a debt.
Kryn

A lot of the men's sheds around here don't do metal for some reason - probably lack of knowledgeable people to drive the equipment.

The other thought I had was a few of the model engineer's clubs - there may be people there that would like to buy it (not that I'll care when I'm gone but my favourite solution would be to have a club set it up as the basis of a club workshop as I can see some of the more specialist gear that I have would be more useful as a group resource than going to an individual)

Michael

Yep...thought about it often....
Assuming none of the kids dont want it.. catalogue it all and leave instructions to auction it on ebay?

Dont know what will happen for the other toys locked in the safe and the $$$ she doesnt know we have

I face the exact same delema. My two eldest are girls and I reckon they wouldn't have a clue as to what my tools are worth.

I'm in my 70's so should start to put labels on everything saying what they are with suggested prices.

How would a girl know what a restored Hercus lathe is worth, or an Arboga EM 835 mill ?

Drop saws, Unimat 3 lathe, compressor, chainsaws, Singer boot patcher. These are all expensive items.

The sale of all these treasures now, would buy a fine marble head piece or two on two acres of land.

Who am I kiddin, I'll have the tools any day.

I also have a son, unfortunately he doesn't know the difference between a hammer and a screw driver. Long shoulder length doesn't help. No good for lathe work!

Ken

ps Grahame, my dear friend, I reckon you have won the gold logie for the year as the most important post.

I will be dead I won't care

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

Given my situation there is no one in the family I want to have my metal work gear. I would will some of it it to a mens shed and /or to some deserving young person who had the need for it and family circumstances to use it.

Perhaps now, or soon will be a good time to make an inventory at least to give someone a good start at sorting it all out.
What are your views then ? Have you thought about a home for the kit you have taken half a lifetime to acquire?

Grahame

my suggestion, for what it's worth is

find a forumite who is about 20 years younger than you who has some knowledge of what the tools you have are used for or are worth.
label your tools -- especially making sure that all a tool's parts and options are stored with the tool.
charge the younger forumite with the duty of disposing of your tools -- once you are dead -- direct that the procedes from any tools that are sold go to a charity of your choice.

Whatever the public trustee decides to do with them.

Originally Posted by snowyskiesau

Whatever the public trustee decides to do with them.

where would you like the cash from any sale to go?

Perhaps, the recipient of the cash would prefer the tools?

I've already made some arrangements with a good friend that I trust. He will take all my gear that is not wanted by a family member and sell it, the proceeds going to my wife or my estate. Part of my problem is I have a lot of gear that should have been disposed of a long time ago, but its very hard to bring myself to part with it, especially those items that have been bought for me by my wife and children.

I keep telling myself that there is always tomorrow...

I'm 20 So don't have this problem yet But I Have the entirely different problem of Where does my stuff go When I move out can't get an apartment

Originally Posted by ian

...find a forumite who is about 20 years younger than you who has some knowledge of what the tools you have are used for or are worth.
...
charge the younger forumite with the duty of disposing of your tools -- once you are dead -- direct that the procedes from any tools that are sold go to a charity of your choice.

Originally Posted by welder

I'm 20 So don't have this problem yet

Yeah, but you might have a whole bunch of problems in the next 10 to 30 years...

Michael