Selling old (massive) woodworking tools

bazzabear

bazzabear

bazzabear

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My dad is a retired joiner, and his workshop was (and still is) around the back of my parents house. It still contains a set of ancient and massive industrial woodworking tools.
There's a table saw, a band saw, a drill press, lathes, planes. It's a while since I've been in there, so there may be more.

All run on phase 3, I would estimate they are from the 40's or 50's - my dad started in business on his own in the 60's, and he bought them as a job lot from his retiring boss.

I'm asking here because I haven't a clue where to start. How do I find out if there's any value in these for what they are - or if they want selling for scrap? (They must weigh several tons taken together.)

Anyone got any ideas?
 
Might be worth asking on a more specialist forum like UKworkshop.co.uk. I recall they had a lot talk about old hardware when I went on there, when I hoping to get into a bit of woodworking (before everything took a dive/stupid increase with costs etc).
 
Thanks guys.

The lead to a specialised forum is a great one, thank you.

I would post up pictures, but I haven't the faintest idea how to get photos up on here.
 
I did have a look at some of the manufacturer / supplier information on the machines, including:
Wadkins Bursgreen
Dominion Halifax
Metalclad Ltd
D.B.Keighley

One google search of those names found a company that buys modern second hand machines. Obviously these are not that - but I've contacted them on the off chance they will have interest, or a lead to someone else.
 
Proper industrial tools can often retain a surprising amount of value from what I understand, at least amongst smaller companies and the serious hobbyists because they're often built to last and easy to maintain compared to more modern stuff.
It might be worth looking at the likes of a woodworking magazine/forum.

I'd hate to scrap something like that:)
 
Given I don't know how to attach files here - here's the thread on ukworkshop with pictures attached!

www.ukworkshop.co.uk

Trying to help my retired joiner dad

Hi All Thanks for the welcome to the forum. I have to admit at this point that I am terrible at all crafty and DIY type activities! I have joined your forum to try to help out my dad. He is a joiner who retired a few years back, and still has a workshop at the back of his house with ancient...
www.ukworkshop.co.uk www.ukworkshop.co.uk
 
Puzzled said:
Someone will buy them, old tools like that seem to be indestructible and still very useful today.
Click to expand...
Yup a lot of people on youtube etc are using stuff that is 50+ years old, sometimes pre WW2 especially for relatively simple ones like woodworking lathes and mechanical hammers where the standards were set long enough ago that you can still get all the normal consumables and many of the other parts (bearings etc) were made specifically with the intention they should be fixable by if not the average user, then pretty much any mechanic (or experienced user) with common tools.

20 years ago my dad would probably have known several people that would have bitten off bazzabear's arm or known someone who would have, I know my dad always wanted a good (single phase) woodworking lathe but could never afford it, and my uncle was rather peeved when his company was getting rid of a working metalwork lathe because it didn't have the tolerance* and they IIRC scrapped it for less than he'd offered to pay.

*It wasn't up to the tolerances they needed for a new job, but was fine for most things including high precision hobby work.
 
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