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What to keep (clearing out an old garage)

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  • #457615
    pcmdjasonpcmdjason
    Participant

      My wife’s grandmother passed away last year and I’ve been told by my mother in law that I’m welcome to any tools in the garage that belonged to my wife’s grandfather who passed away about 5 or 6 years earlier.
      Right now I just have some sockets, part of a wrench set (all smaller than an inch), a small pair of vice grips, and a small crescent wrench.

      He’s got a lot of stuff, just tool boxes full of old tools. No particular order.

      For what I have, it’s done ok for what I needed. As far as I know nothing on my wife’s car that’s engine related is more than 17 mm (aside from mounting hardware)

      I live in a small apartment so keeping a rolling toolbox is out of the question.

      Any power tools they had were roughly 30+ years old with repaired cords and not really worth it.

      Basically if you had a grandfather who literally threw nothing away (not a screw or nail either) that passed away and you had been given access to his garage to get what you wanted, what would you look for?

    Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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    • #457616
      TejasNWTejasNW
      Participant

        Jason,

        Sorry for your family’s loss. I personally would keep it all, but that is just me. I understand space constraints. I don’t have a garage currently and am working out of a 10X15 storage unit. I am sure some of it will have to go, albeit a shame.

        One word of advice, if he was a woodworker or collected old tools, don’t throw out any of the tools. They can be quite valuable. Riffle files, drawknifes, spokeshaves, rasps, planes… Very few companies left who make quality hand tools now. (both woodworking and otherwise.) The ones that do have to charge a lot of money to cover the cost of fine craftsmanship.

        Before you just ‘garage sale’ the tools, you may want to talk around with people who know that particular field and offer them the chance to pick up a piece that could be appreciated by someone who knows its value. Even the old power tools with repaired cords are better built than what one finds at the local big box improvement store. The motors are better and the frame/casting built to last. You may not have need for them, but someone will. They may even appreciate the quality. I have more than one power tool that has a ‘doctored’ cord. The tool is far from worn out, it has proven itself over the test of time, and it was much more reasonable priced than the import tool I would have purchased to do the job.

        Food for thought. Was her Grandfather a home handyman, mechanic, machinist, carpenter? Give us an idea of what some of those tools might be for a better list of what to look for.

        Again, I am sorry for the loss, but happy to see you have the opportunity to see good tools put back to work at their designed task.

        #457617
        jeffk14jeffk14
        Participant

          If it were me, I’d get it all, then sort through it as I had a chance. I’d keep what I wanted, repair what was broken and sell whatever I had no use for. I don’t live in an apartment though.

          It may even be worth your while to rent a small storage unit for a couple of months to keep the stuff in while you go through it. Judging from your description, some things hidden in there could be worth a LOT of money.

          EDIT; TejasNW beat me to it…..

          #457618
          TejasNWTejasNW
          Participant

            One another note, as to what to keep for yourself… Mechanics tools are essentially small. Even if you don’t think you will need it, how much space would it really take to stick it in a box? A few small boxes in a closet is not a major inconvience. In the future you may be in a different situation and wish you had not let them go.

            Case in point, when I did the valve gassket job on my honda the other day, the car was still at my father’s house. Since I had the valve cover off, I asked if he still had a feeler gauge around. He is almost 70 and gave up on working on cars many many years ago. I searched through a box and pulled out the gauge set that I had played with as a kid. (I remember threats of bodily harm if I bent any of the gauges.) I was able to perform the valve maintenance with a tool that was older than I am, and has a history in my family. That adds something special to the satisfaction of doing the job.

            Maybe I am too sentimental. But tools have history. Connections to our people and the past (even though he was not your grandfather) adds value to our lives. Don’t be too quick to discount that. You can always give them away; but you will never get them back.

            #457619
            twiggytwiggy
            Participant

              I agree with all the previous posts here. I am learning more and more lately that the old tools built while we were in diapers are far superior to the tools that we can buy today on our budget-even the power tools. Most of the tools in that garage will probably outlive most tools you will buy tomorrow. Companies back then actually took pride in what they produced and thought less about making a profit.

              #457620
              380380
              Participant

                you need to take the time to go through the tools. not just rummage through the boxes real quick. i personally would try to keep as much as i could.

                #457621
                pcmdjasonpcmdjason
                Participant

                  Well I won’t be the only one nosing around in there other male members of the family will have dibs also, and we have explicit instructions to only take what we can use and are not allowed to sell anything we take.

                  Anything valuable will be part of the estate.

                  Now that I think about it there was a breaker bar in that and I think if I could find a torque wrench that would be useful.

                  He has a shed full of old (really old) pvc pipe but much of it is brittle.

                  #457622
                  pcmdjasonpcmdjason
                  Participant

                    Oh and I did find a 12mm Matco wrench in with some of the small stuff I already had. I used it the other day when taking the rockers off my wife’s car. It was very thin and did have a really good feel to it. I think I may see if there’s any more Matco tools in there.

                    #457623
                    dreamer2355dreamer2355
                    Participant

                      Quoted From twiggy02919:

                      I agree with all the previous posts here. I am learning more and more lately that the old tools built while we were in diapers are far superior to the tools that we can buy today on our budget-even the power tools. Most of the tools in that garage will probably outlive most tools you will buy tomorrow. Companies back then actually took pride in what they produced and thought less about making a profit.

                      +1

                      And great points made above. Id try to keep it all and organise it if possible.

                      Sorry for your loss also.

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