Van Huskey
04-17-2010, 3:21 AM
So this afternoon I am sitting in a car dealership in the office of the F&I guy waiting to write a check for the new car my wife has been bugging me for and I get a text from a neighbor of mine. Now Danny isn't a wood guy but he is a metal guy, he knows I am planning a new woodshop since we have both been smoozing the architectural commitee of our HOA to let us build shops. The first text was a picture BUT for some reason my phone hasn't been able to download pictures for a couple of weeks and I have been too busy to get it straightened out with the carrier. I text back I can't get pics. The next text comes in and he explains in short cryptic text speak that he has a friend with a cabinet shop that has some sort of money issue and is trying to come up with cash TODAY by 5pm or loose his lease and has a planer he is trying to sell TODAY. I text back OK whats he got. Danny replies its a 20" planer weighs a ton and it is a Marton. I figure it is a sad old piece of iron from back in the day remembering a "Marston" from OWWM and I don't really want a rehab special but ask whats he wants and is it 3 phase, figuring one of the two of these would settle it for me. Danny replies "he wants $6k but I know he NEEDS 5K and it is 3 phase". I figure maybe it is a very nice piece of old iron but at 5K AND 3 phase not gonna happen, plus I was about to become cash poor in about 30 minutes anyway, plus I can get a spiral head Griz 20" in the shop for ~2,500, so I let him know not interested.
Fast forward until about 2 hours ago and I am out letting my dog do his business and I see Danny out too, knowing he is an F1 fan also I figure he is waiting on qualifying to start as Formula 1 is racing in China this weekend so I stroll down to see if he wants to watch it together. I had forgotten about the planer after the "fun" of the dealership but as we waited for qualy to start he pulls up the picture he took and I am gobsmacked. One tends to forget the Germans call a jointer a surface planer and there in the picture sits a Martin T54. Lets just say if Danny could spell better I would have broken every speed limit from the dealership to the bank and to this guys shop and left my wife and the dealership none too amused. As it is my wife and the dealer are happy, the guy got his cash "just in time" from some other luckier SOB and I am left with a 20" or should I say 500mm hole right through my gut that feels like it was put there by a Panzer.
What the heck, if I had gotten it the thing would have made anything else I bought look and run like a toy and would have had to pop for a 3 phase coverter. I am better off without it...right?
I guess I shouldn't feel too bad since it is only a 19.7" "planer"... :(
Fast forward until about 2 hours ago and I am out letting my dog do his business and I see Danny out too, knowing he is an F1 fan also I figure he is waiting on qualifying to start as Formula 1 is racing in China this weekend so I stroll down to see if he wants to watch it together. I had forgotten about the planer after the "fun" of the dealership but as we waited for qualy to start he pulls up the picture he took and I am gobsmacked. One tends to forget the Germans call a jointer a surface planer and there in the picture sits a Martin T54. Lets just say if Danny could spell better I would have broken every speed limit from the dealership to the bank and to this guys shop and left my wife and the dealership none too amused. As it is my wife and the dealer are happy, the guy got his cash "just in time" from some other luckier SOB and I am left with a 20" or should I say 500mm hole right through my gut that feels like it was put there by a Panzer.
What the heck, if I had gotten it the thing would have made anything else I bought look and run like a toy and would have had to pop for a 3 phase coverter. I am better off without it...right?
I guess I shouldn't feel too bad since it is only a 19.7" "planer"... :(