Chris Nolin
01-19-2010, 3:06 PM
Now that I’m officially out of the military and settled in one location, I’ve been surfing Craigslist often, looking for deals so I can rebuild my workshop without spending a fortune. Last week, fellow SMC’er Jeremy Gibson alerted us all to a SawStop table saw on CL in Colorado Springs. Since I already have a SawStop, I didn’t think much of it…until I started thinking much of it. The guy in Colorado Springs was selling a 5hp SawStop ICS, and my ICS is “only” 3hp. Hmmm. I emailed, and then spoke with John, the seller. In his 70s, his injured back no longer allows him to stand for long periods, so he can’t woodwork anymore. I set up a time to meet him the next day. It was a two-hour drive to the Springs, AND I had to take a day off work. It’s a sickness. I have a sickness.
I found John’s house and met him in his garage. The SawStop looked great, and the price, $2,500, was reasonable considering it came with a 52” fence and table, six extra blades (all Forrest, Freud and DeWalt), three extra standard ZCIs (all uncut), one dado ZCI, one dado brake cartridge, and one extra standard brake cartridge, PLUS an Excalibur SLT40 sliding table. After a brief test-flight, I told him I’d take it at his asking price.
Then I lifted my head and started glancing around his garage shop. LOTS of nice tools and machines. “What are you doing with the rest of your tools?” I asked. “I’m selling all of them, but so far my grandson only had time to post the SawStop. But everything has to go.” Hmmm, again.
So, here comes the twist. I walked to the back of the garage to get a better look at things, and there…there among many beautiful tools…was an ugly plywood box with a drawer, sitting atop a grey metal stand. I pointed at it, pursing my lips, and then said, “You know, I lived here in Colorado Springs seven years ago. When I got an assignment overseas, I had to sell my entire workshop. I sold the whole shop to one guy. That wood and metal stand right there—that’s from my old shop! I built that!” Suddenly, John recognized me, and I recognized him. “That was me!” he said. And now I started to see other things in his shop that I had built. A crude router table and fence, a plywood cutoff bin on cheap casters. I had to take a minute to gather myself as I dealt with the coincidence and nostalgia together.
Most of the tools I’d sold him seven years ago were long gone—upgraded to bigger and better, like the SawStop. John, a retired Air Force Colonel, has an eye for fine tools, the best he could buy. All were in near new condition, either very well-cared-for or never used at all. They were all around me, and all for sale! When he’d bought my entire shop in 2003, I was desperate to sell quickly, so John got an incredible price from me. I always felt like I’d undersold. So, as John himself said at this point, “What goes around, comes around, I guess.” Indeed. How good would this deal be? I’d dreamt about opportunities like this! I knew other Craigslist-savvy woodworkers were fast on my heals. In fact, another guy was coming over to look in a couple hours. I had to move quickly!
I’ll refrain from boring you with the details of the negotiations and just tell about the deals John gave me:
$2,500 – SawStop and accessories already mentioned above (near new condition)
$200 -- Akeda Jig w/ full accessory kit + four Whiteside router bits (new in box)
$150 -- Porter Cable 7518 3-1/4hp router and base (lightly used)
$200 -- Turbinaire MiniPro HVLP sprayer, hose and gun + accessories (new in box)
$280 -- Powermatic 719A floor standing mortiser w/10 chisels (brand new + NIB chisels), plus mobile base
$400 -- Lie-Nielsen planes (#8 Jointer Plane, #4 1/2 smoother, Cabinet Scraper Plane, Rabbit Block Plane, Model Makers Plane, Bogg's Spokeshave, Phiel Drawknife, 4 SackUps plane socks) -- all brand new condition, never touched wood
$70 -- Bessey clamps, 2 x 31”, 2 x 40” (no signs of use)
$20 -- Starrett 6” Combination Square (NIB)
$30 -- A-Line-It Jig, the deluxe version (NIB)
$240 -- Wood (300 linear feet of 4/4, 6/4 and 8/4 curly and quartersawn cherry, quartersawn white oak, black walnut, mahogany, red oak, quilted maple, birdseye maple, etc. All boards still have the Woodcraft stickers on them. Many are 10-14” wide.)
Free -- DeWalt DW618B3 2-1/4hp router kit w/three bases (slightly used)
Free -- the junky, but nostalgic stand and cutoff bin (with some nice exotic cutoffs)
During the drive home I was still shaking a little from the adrenaline and excitement. The inside of my car sounded like it was full of tin cans as different metal items rattled lightly against each other (except, of course, all things Lie-Nielsen, which were carefully wrapped in towels!). I ended up spending a lot of money that day, but I bought great tools that I eventually wanted to buy anyway, at some incredibly low prices. Pretty good deals, yes? Only happened because I chose to join this awesome forum! Thank you Jeremy!!!! (and thank you, John!)
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I'll attach the rest of the pics below.
I found John’s house and met him in his garage. The SawStop looked great, and the price, $2,500, was reasonable considering it came with a 52” fence and table, six extra blades (all Forrest, Freud and DeWalt), three extra standard ZCIs (all uncut), one dado ZCI, one dado brake cartridge, and one extra standard brake cartridge, PLUS an Excalibur SLT40 sliding table. After a brief test-flight, I told him I’d take it at his asking price.
Then I lifted my head and started glancing around his garage shop. LOTS of nice tools and machines. “What are you doing with the rest of your tools?” I asked. “I’m selling all of them, but so far my grandson only had time to post the SawStop. But everything has to go.” Hmmm, again.
So, here comes the twist. I walked to the back of the garage to get a better look at things, and there…there among many beautiful tools…was an ugly plywood box with a drawer, sitting atop a grey metal stand. I pointed at it, pursing my lips, and then said, “You know, I lived here in Colorado Springs seven years ago. When I got an assignment overseas, I had to sell my entire workshop. I sold the whole shop to one guy. That wood and metal stand right there—that’s from my old shop! I built that!” Suddenly, John recognized me, and I recognized him. “That was me!” he said. And now I started to see other things in his shop that I had built. A crude router table and fence, a plywood cutoff bin on cheap casters. I had to take a minute to gather myself as I dealt with the coincidence and nostalgia together.
Most of the tools I’d sold him seven years ago were long gone—upgraded to bigger and better, like the SawStop. John, a retired Air Force Colonel, has an eye for fine tools, the best he could buy. All were in near new condition, either very well-cared-for or never used at all. They were all around me, and all for sale! When he’d bought my entire shop in 2003, I was desperate to sell quickly, so John got an incredible price from me. I always felt like I’d undersold. So, as John himself said at this point, “What goes around, comes around, I guess.” Indeed. How good would this deal be? I’d dreamt about opportunities like this! I knew other Craigslist-savvy woodworkers were fast on my heals. In fact, another guy was coming over to look in a couple hours. I had to move quickly!
I’ll refrain from boring you with the details of the negotiations and just tell about the deals John gave me:
$2,500 – SawStop and accessories already mentioned above (near new condition)
$200 -- Akeda Jig w/ full accessory kit + four Whiteside router bits (new in box)
$150 -- Porter Cable 7518 3-1/4hp router and base (lightly used)
$200 -- Turbinaire MiniPro HVLP sprayer, hose and gun + accessories (new in box)
$280 -- Powermatic 719A floor standing mortiser w/10 chisels (brand new + NIB chisels), plus mobile base
$400 -- Lie-Nielsen planes (#8 Jointer Plane, #4 1/2 smoother, Cabinet Scraper Plane, Rabbit Block Plane, Model Makers Plane, Bogg's Spokeshave, Phiel Drawknife, 4 SackUps plane socks) -- all brand new condition, never touched wood
$70 -- Bessey clamps, 2 x 31”, 2 x 40” (no signs of use)
$20 -- Starrett 6” Combination Square (NIB)
$30 -- A-Line-It Jig, the deluxe version (NIB)
$240 -- Wood (300 linear feet of 4/4, 6/4 and 8/4 curly and quartersawn cherry, quartersawn white oak, black walnut, mahogany, red oak, quilted maple, birdseye maple, etc. All boards still have the Woodcraft stickers on them. Many are 10-14” wide.)
Free -- DeWalt DW618B3 2-1/4hp router kit w/three bases (slightly used)
Free -- the junky, but nostalgic stand and cutoff bin (with some nice exotic cutoffs)
During the drive home I was still shaking a little from the adrenaline and excitement. The inside of my car sounded like it was full of tin cans as different metal items rattled lightly against each other (except, of course, all things Lie-Nielsen, which were carefully wrapped in towels!). I ended up spending a lot of money that day, but I bought great tools that I eventually wanted to buy anyway, at some incredibly low prices. Pretty good deals, yes? Only happened because I chose to join this awesome forum! Thank you Jeremy!!!! (and thank you, John!)
138996
138997
138998
138999
I'll attach the rest of the pics below.