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just a thought about hanging on to stuff

L

larry@stinescorner

Well-known Member
I was kind of thinking today,each one of us hangs on to stuff.If you are good at fixing machinery,tractors etc,,you hang on to stuff,because someday when you have time,,you will fix it or use parts off it/some of us cant fix things,,we see it as junk.i have all kinds of lumber stashed all over,,More than I need,but in my mind when I have time I will use it>maybe?
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Now,in some peoples eyes,this is junk,,I can use it in my mind,so I keep it,,same with all this scaffolding ,and buckets of sand,,all stuff I got for free ,that in my mind I will use some day
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Now to those that dont use sand or scaffolding in their mind its hoarding,,and it may be,,but not in my mind,,,lol....so,,,the people that can fix stuff,or make one good tractor from three,or fix something they got for free,,,they keep that stuff,,and in their mind,when they get time,,they will fix it...lol Does any of this make sense.I know what im trying to say,,but having trouble typing it out to have it make sense....
 
Looks like we think alike. Your place looks a lot like mine. I bring home stuff other people throw away. Its a good thing I don't live near
enough to see what goes into the landfill sites.
 
Yea, I understand. I didn't get involved in that other thread, seemed it went kinda bad there for folks like us.

Paul
 
Ok, in the last couple weeks, I used a piece of scrap lumber left over from construction of our barn which my dad built in 1951. Has been in a pile of scraps in the haymow ever since. Most of that was native lumber harvested on this farm. Wife wanted a custom made "lazy Kate" (spool rack for those of you into wool spinning,). This piece was one of the nicest pieces of wood I have used in a long time. Think it was walnut, sure worked nicely, finished beautifully.

Just came in from the workshop, am working on rebuilding an amateur (ham) radio repeater station. Made from a couple Motorola mobile transceivers. Using parts salvaged from other used units.

So yes, I keep salvageable parts, who knows when you will need them.
 
Makes perfect sense to me Larry, just need you
to visit and organize my stuff to look like yours.
One question - what's a stone guy doing with an
aluminum brake??
 
comes in handy when patching up the old buildings,my neighbor in NJ Has a newer one,he let me borrow this old one,,he is happy its inside,,said he knows where it is if he needs it.It really is handy,and its set up to use inside if you only need a piece or two,do it right there
 

I keep a few scraps around, some other materials too. My place used to look like yours, then I downsized for various reasons. Wanted the floor space instead of the clutter. Being a fairly disorganized person, the "cleaner" look has a somewhat calming effect on me. And if I want to start in on a project, I don't have to reorganize to make room. I should add that I got rid of a lot of neat machines and projects but I don't miss any of them. If your system works, don't change anything--looks like you're ready to build or fix just about anything ????
 
Sigh! Maybe I am not so crazy. Any body need a stack of 24" square rug tiles about 4 feet high? Or 9 sheets of plate glass, or a piece of 80 year old round downspout? Or maybe a rectangular sheet metal air duct left over due to change of plans.

The real heroes in this antique business are NOT the cleaver ones who find, fix and fatten their pocketbooks with old stuff....it is us who destroy useless stuff to make what remains precious!!!!

Leo
 
If you get rid of it you will soon need it. I hold on to lots of
stuff and it comes in handy to not have to run into town to get
it.
 
I like 'stuff' mostly tractors,equipment,parts and related 'things' some run, some work, many don't and lots I may never do anything with except just enjoy it all.I paid for it,its mine and its my business and choice to keep it or not.And if some neurotic neat freak don't
like it too dang bad they'll just have to wallow in their own miserable life.BTW Bought 2 non running tractors,front end loader,2 rear blades and a bush hog today that needs some work.
LIFE IS GOOD!!!(LOL)
 
I have some old ferguson parts I am getting rid of taking to consignment auction Sat. if it doesn't sell I am sending it to CHINA never to come back. Someone told me that I would die with this stuff I said I aint aiming to I hope someone keeps it from going to CHINA
 
A piece of metal of any type and thick enough to weld has to be pretty small, and NOT triangular, to be
scrap around me. Lol. I can throw away wood as long as it doesn't make good blocking for jacking or
holding things up.
 
If you live in the country an hour drive from town, the scraps are the lumberyard and metal mart. I'm getting a bit more organized about it, the
scrap metal bins do get emptied every few years. Any wood below a certain grade goes in the burn pile or stove.

What prompted less saving was what did that square foot of shop cost vs what is the value of the junk sitting in it preventing enjoyment of the
shop.
 
I was kinda disappointed that JayinNY went off a couple of weeks ago when I posted about the pickers coming!
Prolly wouldn't hurt tho - As long as SWMBO wasn't around !
 
I save everything. Over the years I have saved many $$$ using various materials I picked up free from construction projects, grabbed from the
dumpster,etc. I have bought most of my farm equipment needing work, and now have inexpensive, top running machines. Built 4 hay wagons,
my over the road wagon, etc. even rebuilt the frame of my pickup. But my barns are full and fairly disorganized. Time to organize, clean up, toss
stuff and stop thinking I have time to fix so many small things. Moving stuff from spot to spot is driving me crazy. Funny thing, tonight I brought
home some 1x4's I will be using to rebuild lambing pens. Just last week I rebuilt 2 pens with oak boards I salvaged 15 years ago. I do love the
word 'free'.
 
Let me guess though Larry, when someone you
know needs scaffolding, they ask YOU about
borrowing YOURS? Funny, because in my case,
I work on a lot of different stuff and have
many odds and ends parts to fit different
equipment, and metal to build whatever I
want. But it always seems that the guy that
doesn't want any of that stuff "cluttering
up his area" always comes over looking for
parts or needs something to fix a piece of
equipment, or just a piece of certain sized
metal. Now, if it is truly scrap, too many
welds to grind off to reuse in a reasonable
amount of time, wore out and needing more
repair than it is worth, it goes straight to
the scrapyard. I have a lot of stuff, but
try to keep it organized and neatly stashed.
 
Many years ago I had in my mind I wanted to make an outdoor grill to cook with wood fire. I brought the blocks home from one job,,then got all the scrap limestone from another job.My co workers really thought I was crazy when I used to save grates from old grills I saw along the curb in the city of new brunswick nj,I did pay 2 dollars for the front screen at a yard sale.May be it took ten years tilL I did it ,but about four years ago I did build this,,,all from free stuff
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I like to keep stuff I think I can use. It is really nice to have inventory but I hate to store unused things for years on end. Sometimes a man has
to purge. In fact this week I have been purging scrap, I have a load almost ready to take down Friday morning. Monday I took down 5 tons of
scrap that I had been holding back on till the price went up.
 
I buy a lot of stuff for the replacement parts, one example is milking equipment. I can go to sales and pick up a lot
of stuff for not much money and store it in the top of the barn till I need something. I bought a complete milking
setup just like I have in the barn for 75 dollars one time, just had to rip it out of course, but that has saved me
lots in the long run, and it is there when I need it, no need to call dealers trying to find parts. At the moment I
have 2 spare receiver jars, cost used from dealer is 1200, bought the 2 on sales, one with the set up for 75 dollars
and bought the next for 40 on consignment sale.
 
Hey, I said sorry, it was a misunderstanding! I dident understand the way you worded your post, I don't care if you have junk, no offense, stuff, what ever you want to call it!! Lol, now glennster might need more help, just be sure he dosent lock you in that pipe with the fancy end cap!!
I think he's up to something!!!
 
My Dad is 86 and has been a scavenger most of his life. He called me the other day to say he had a power problem in his house. I went over to check it out. When I went to the shop to check the breaker box, I found lumber stacked on the floor all across the 1 bay garage(shop). This was mostly trimmings from the lumber mill in town and broken down crates etc. the lumber was about 4 ft deep. Only the top of his power tools could be seen.
He admits that it needs to go, especially knowing that he will probably never use it. Now I will have to Ease me into letting me help him with that project.
I finally got to the breaker box after climbing on that rickety pile.
Tim in OR
 
I have a piece of nice bois d'arc (osage orange) that my dad brought home from work one day. WWII was still going on. I
still haven't figured out what to use it for. I have some nice walnut he gave me in 1965, still looking for a purpose. I
have easily as much wood in storage as Larry, as well as doors, windows, siding, flooring, etc., all of which have been
waiting for the day when I could get started on many wonderful building projects. I have numerous woodworking tools,
including a 14" bandsaw, still in boxes, awaiting their opportunity to contribute. But now, at nearly 76 with bad knees,
bad shoulders, bad back and diabetes, I have come to realize that all those things I said I would someday do are not going
to be done. So, if you have something you really want to do, don't put it off waiting for the perfect time to arrive. It
won't.
 
I think a lot of the folks on this forum are the children of depression era parents- I fit that description. I was never keen on saving out and out junk, but I sure accumulated a lot of STUFF over the years- I even moved it all a few times. The epiphany came when I had to clean up my parent's accumulation. Three auctions later, things are becoming more manageable. I still keep an inventory of good parts and material, but a lot of substandard stuff got recycled or just plain went to the dump. I guess each of us has to find a balance that works for them. A lot of things that used to be important no longer are. I'm still keeping my tractors, though! unc
 
I think unc is right in that folks in some way connected with the depression ear tend to save stuff. On the other hand maybe wise/thrifty folks save stuff. In your case
you seem to be very organized and still have a lot of room. I don't see anything you have that I would get rid of. If you have to buy new the price will usually make you
wish you had it saved it and wern't buying new.
 
Larry you have the same kind of stuff
my dad does. His isn't as organized but
he does seem to know what he has. I'm
guilty of telling him to have a
fire.... and going to his house and
asking for stuff out of the hoard. He
doesn't care and laughs he says I'm as
bad about keeping usable steel and
heating parts.
 
Now jay, I'm not a hoarder, I'm just a-kumlatin various treasures for my future estate sale someday!!!! I know fer sure the corner guy will be there biddin on my window sash weight collection!!!! And my either shot put or cannon ball. Haven't figgered out which and can't remember even getting it!!
 
I have to compliment you on your organization skills, Larry. I may not keep everything you have, but yours is well organized and safely stored. Have at it!
 
Who else has searched their shop for hours looking for some sort of widget, gave up and went bought a new one, later they ran across a brand new one tucked away somewhere almost in plain view in the shop grrrrrrrrrrrrrr lol

John T
 
My wife says I'm a hoarder because I keep everything, but unlike yours, mine is stored with unorganized chaos.
 
My workshop used to be fairly organized. I'd keep stuff around then get tired of it and sell off what I didn't want, always keeping stuff related to several ongoing projects. My
adult son decided to store some of his stuff in my workshop which gave me the excellent excuse not to mess with the clutter in the workshop whenever my wife got onto me about
having too much stuff.
 
Larry,
I have a building, friends nickname the Mini menards warehouse. That's where I
keep all my used lumber. Friends need wood, they come to me first. They also
bring me their scrap lumber to store. I get a chuckle when a friend asks if I
have any scrap plywood. I ask them what size do they need? 4x8 foot. I tell
them that's not scrap, that's a full sheet.

I agree, nothing like going to the warehouse and getting something free to fix
things with.

I know a man with a small sawmill. When I have a large tree removed from a
yard, he will pick up the log and then bring me some of the lumber. I have
about 100 feet of red oak and 150 ft of tulip poplar. I dried the poplar in
rafters of pole barn. Some of the poplar boards were 19 inches wide. Daughter
made a table out of.

I also have scrap RUSTY metal stored in another building for welding projects.
Same thing, people need metal they come to me. They also bring me their scrap
which I sort out for welding projects and some I recycle.

I feel like a pack rat, I pack things someplace. I have a basement, pole barn,
two 2 car garages, two 1 car garages, four storage sheds. Every spring and
fall I get the urge the organize the rats nest. I either fill the dumpster or
make a trip to the recyclers. Last trip to recycler made $120. So I hang onto
things and I get rid of things too.

I have room to store my 4 tractors, many lawn mowers, kaw mule, generators and
all my toys.

geo
 
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