New purchase and un-crating
Hello all.
I am a new member to Lumberjocks, but have been reading the blogs and reviews as a guest for a number of months. I really enjoy how members share their various experiences, so I wanted to contribute mine. I am in the tool buying stage, working towards becoming a novice woodworker. As such, I am constantly searching craigslist and reading woodworking forums.
I came across this ad on craigslist for a new in crate Hammer A3 31 jointer/planner - $1500. With such a low price, I immediately called the number and drove out to see it. When I got there, I saw that the crate was unopened, but it had been stored outside the garage only partially covered by the eave. The person selling explained that the crate had been outside for 2 or 3 years under plastic. The owner bought the Hammer from the factory, but his health sadly deteriorated before he could use it. The owner recently passed away, and he was helping the wife sell it.
The crate clearly showed some water damage on top. We opened the top and saw that there was significant rust on the jointer beds. The cutter-head looked clean and the blades were still sharp. I could really only inspect from the top, but the rest of the machine looked ok. The top was rusted, but the rest of the box showed no signs of water damage. The machine had never been plugged in or turned on, so he did not know if it would run. I knew the item would not last long on craigslist, so I took a risk and bought it.
The first problem I had was finding a way to get the machine home. At 800 lbs, I did not want to try to move it myself. I called a few movers, but none of them had the lift gate capacity to handle the 4' x 5' pallet. I was told that I needed to find a truck with a "rail gate". I finally located a mover and two guys moved the crate with a pallet jack without any drama. It was expensive, but worth it for the safety (my own).
Here is the crate sitting in my spacious garage. My eventual workshop will be slightly less than half the garage.
You can see the water damage here.
Rust clearly visible under the oil paper
Removed about 100 staples to get the sides off the pallet.
Did I mention that I do not have 220V in my garage yet?
Hello all.
I am a new member to Lumberjocks, but have been reading the blogs and reviews as a guest for a number of months. I really enjoy how members share their various experiences, so I wanted to contribute mine. I am in the tool buying stage, working towards becoming a novice woodworker. As such, I am constantly searching craigslist and reading woodworking forums.
I came across this ad on craigslist for a new in crate Hammer A3 31 jointer/planner - $1500. With such a low price, I immediately called the number and drove out to see it. When I got there, I saw that the crate was unopened, but it had been stored outside the garage only partially covered by the eave. The person selling explained that the crate had been outside for 2 or 3 years under plastic. The owner bought the Hammer from the factory, but his health sadly deteriorated before he could use it. The owner recently passed away, and he was helping the wife sell it.
The crate clearly showed some water damage on top. We opened the top and saw that there was significant rust on the jointer beds. The cutter-head looked clean and the blades were still sharp. I could really only inspect from the top, but the rest of the machine looked ok. The top was rusted, but the rest of the box showed no signs of water damage. The machine had never been plugged in or turned on, so he did not know if it would run. I knew the item would not last long on craigslist, so I took a risk and bought it.
The first problem I had was finding a way to get the machine home. At 800 lbs, I did not want to try to move it myself. I called a few movers, but none of them had the lift gate capacity to handle the 4' x 5' pallet. I was told that I needed to find a truck with a "rail gate". I finally located a mover and two guys moved the crate with a pallet jack without any drama. It was expensive, but worth it for the safety (my own).
Here is the crate sitting in my spacious garage. My eventual workshop will be slightly less than half the garage.
You can see the water damage here.
Rust clearly visible under the oil paper
Removed about 100 staples to get the sides off the pallet.
Did I mention that I do not have 220V in my garage yet?