Thread: Pathological collecting

I am a life member of the club

OK. I am a sort of member too. I try to blame my parents. They went through the Depression and so you make what ever you had last. Dad's philosophy was "If someone offers you something/anything take it, even if its an injection (He was in the Airforce in WWII)'. So with that as a grounding what chance did I have?
I try to get ruthless from time to time and have a big "clean up", that ends up with somethings being thrown away while the rest just gets reorganised into a different place.
What I have noticed that disturbs me is, I will see something and reckon that I could make it, so I think about it and nut it out in my head, even go to the trouble of buying/collecting bits and pieces to make it, then......move on to another project with out using the initial bits to make that thing.
I have a mate that we call Military Man or Gunna (Gunna get around to it one day). Because he does the same thing but on a grander scale involving serious dollars. We helped him move house and discovered an off road trailer that had all the parts, even folded sheet metal, that never got assembled. There were a few other things and as I said serious money
I don't think I am as bad as Gunna, well I hope not.

Does a stainless steel hospital gurney count? If so I picked one up yesterday. I have absolutely no idea what I will do with it. At worst I will pull it apart for the materials. Funny that SWMBO thinks this was quite a reasonable score, I think she must be getting used to it. Actually just recently I notice she has been pretty proficient at collecting stuff from kerbside rubbish collections,

What is the opposite to this disease? I hate junk and clutter, I have even stopped looking at websites to buy tools! I looked at some saw stools tonight and as they haven't been used for a long time they might get the flick this week.

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

What is the opposite to this disease? I hate junk and clutter, I have even stopped looking at websites to buy tools! . . .

Oh I hate it too, but not enough to get me to chuck stuff out. . . . . .

Chris is Helensburgh far from Woy Woy !
Col

Originally Posted by BobL

Does a stainless steel hospital gurney count? If so I picked one up yesterday. I have absolutely no idea what I will do with it. At worst I will pull it apart for the materials. Funny that SWMBO thinks this was quite a reasonable score, I think she must be getting used to it. Actually just recently I notice she has been pretty proficient at collecting stuff from kerbside rubbish collections,

Good find Bob TTIT at Emerald in Central Queensland might be able to use it for his in feed table on his band saw just add some roller you can get a four pack $29.00 at Carba Tec lift the log on and lift to correct height push the log through the saw....... or it might be good on the Hills are there any around your way !!!! if there are any more uses we will know in a couple of hrs
Col

A partial cure was imposed on me, the pain gradually went away.
I had no choice but to clean 31 years of academic dross out of my office when I retired.
I worked so awful dang hard to create most of it, to toss it was hard (at first). Books, lecture notes, unlabelled jars of specimens, old paper grade records = it all HAD TO GO.

At home, I began to ask myself: "When, in the rest of my life, am I ever going to get to this and finish it off?" Some 50% or more of half-stocked project parts collections went out.
If I can't recall using the stuff (tools excepted) in 5 years, maybe toss it.

For any and all of you younger folks, hang onto that stuff if you have space. It enhances your versatility and stimulates your sense of innovation. The day will creep up on you, soon enough, when you get to heave a sigh of distress and say: "Oh, to Hell with it."

Originally Posted by colbra

Chris is Helensburgh far from Woy Woy !
Col

Trust me, they aren't worth the trip. A few guys here have been fortunate to get stuff from my clean up but I have finally reached a point that I feel happy with. At one time I backed a trailer into the garage three times and filled it each time and then went to the tip. I miss none of it.

Best of all Chris, I don't remember what I threw out!

Originally Posted by BobL

Does a stainless steel hospital gurney count? If so I picked one up yesterday. I have absolutely no idea what I will do with it. At worst I will pull it apart for the materials. .............

Good score I picked one up about 15 years ago and I'm still using parts from it . . . and still have some stored . . . that pneumatic damper is going to be handy for something one day

Originally Posted by TTIT

Good score I picked one up about 15 years ago and I'm still using parts from it . . . and still have some stored . . . that pneumatic damper is going to be handy for something one day

It's that old it doesn't appear to have a pneumatic damper. It has some sort of simple friction damper on it which I still have to work out how it works. The stainless on it is very "chunky" , and the braked wheels alone are worth a few bob.

Originally Posted by Robson Valley

Best of all Chris, I don't remember what I threw out!

Good God…… Robson Valley it looks like you have Alzheimer as well I have it but mine is selective or I think it is I can't rember at the
moment

Colbra