Can I ask you chaps, in all seriousness, when does "it might come in handy for something" tool become just junk, I have asked this question and now I'm banned from the shed! Sheila
Never Following Finaegal's General Theorem* it can sit around for almost ever but just after you get rid of it you'll encounter a need for it. *The Universe tends to the maximum of perversity
That is so true. I think you need to find a like minded beneficiary well in advance of your demise. I've seen a few examples recently of prized possessions of over 50 years going into a dumpster within a week of the owners passing.
Got a few Norton tools around somewhere. Never used them but then I've yet to start the rebuild of the 1961 Dominator I bought back in about 1975. Can't rush these things.
You rarely regret a very specific niche tool. Carpet stretcher/kicker. Bought in a fit of rage while doing up a mate's old house - still dragged out every 5-10 years to make a horrible job a relative pleasure. Pallet splitter - was £15, used all the time now for its intended purpose & multiple other lifting/breaking jobs. (Place I work had never seen them before despite pallets being a prime material. One use & ordered their own on the spot. Revelatory device if you've only ever done it with hammers & bars.) Etc. Etc. And Robert's point is spot on. Throw that 'old bit of junk' away, and within a week it will be needed.
Oh, I thought that screwdriver was the three foot dockyard! Not much there I haven't got, bar the jack planes. But my oldest tools (given, new, as a present) are only about 70 years old, which explains why my mallet is missing a large chunk, as a result of attacking a car wheel which would not come off any other way. But I'm doing well on the model building tools (and drawing instruments)! Chris
I'd never heard of a pallet-splitter, but we've got a lad at work who can do it quicker with a pallet truck ! I've had the odd moment with a fork lift too.
You never know ...... Works Progress Administration? Works Progress Administration - Wikipedia. When all else fails.
I’ve been clearing out my Dad’s shed and garage recently. Some of his tools, which were my Poppa’s I reckon are so well made. Beautiful wood handles, great balance and all round craftsmanship.
I treasure some hand tools, pocket watches, fishing gear and camping equipment handed down from my grandfather. Some of it still highly functional and all of it irreplaceable.
Tools from Lidl might not be top notch quality but you have got to admire a shop that sells yoghurt and angle grinders.
My eldest daughter is just about to buy her first house, so I am going to put together a toolkit for her which combines both her grandfather's tools. It is a nice way to keep these things in use and in the family.