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Kirk Poore
10-04-2010, 3:37 PM
I went to a cabinet shop auction Saturday. The shop was closing because the owner was retiring, not just going out of business. They were selling everything up to and including building. The owner had a good selection of stuff, nearly all Delta tools from the late 50's/early 60's. I went with a few friends, looking for a shop cart but not really interested in actually buying another machine since my shop is fully equipped and mostly operational.

The weather was good and attendance plentiful, and there was three flatbed trailers full of misc small lots, so the machines go up until maybe 4 hours after the start time. First up was a 12" Delta disk sander, single phase, very good condition--sold for $50. (All other machines were Delta too, so I'll stop saying that.) Next was a 14" RAS--more on that later.
Then a 17" drill press--$160. Sawbuck--$440 (must have been two guys who really wanted that.) 20" wood/metal bandsaw, excellent condition, single phase--bidding stuck at $275, but finally moved up to $500. 8" jointer w/sheetmetal base in perfect shape--$200. 18" wedgebed planer, clean and ready to go, 3hp single phase (you never see 1ph versions of these)--$500. Two Unisaws, both with goose egg motor covers, long rails, and original guards and splitters, both 1 ph--$275 and $300 respectively. HD shaper, both wings, 1 hp R/I motor--insanely low $150 (without cutters). I thought I had a great deal getting a 3ph one last February for $350-sheesh. 7" grinder--a more realistic $125.
http://www.biddersandbuyers.com/ads/100210kues03.jpg

http://www.biddersandbuyers.com/ads/100210kues01.jpg

OK, back to the RAS. This was a long arm Delta 40-C-L, 3 hp 1ph motor, with tight ways, a good original table, and almost no rust. Opening bid was for a hundred. The auctioneer called for $150 at least a dozen times, but no bidders. Finally, I stuck up my hand--somebody had to respect this tool. $150 to me. I figured somebody would bid $200 and at least they'd pay more than a junky Craftsman off of CL. But no--40 guys standing around and not one had the gumption to go--so it was mine.

Fortunately it was only about 2 miles from my house, so I could run home and get my trailer. The guy who bought the wedgebed called in a friend with a tractor, and he loaded the RAS for me. Lots of folks helping each other. I wasn't the only guy who bought something just to save it from humiliation--the guy who got the shaper told me he didn't need it either, but couldn't pass on that price.
Anyway, here are some RAS pics:
http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/5357/trailer1.jpg

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/7015/trailer2.jpg
As you can see, I got my cart too--$17.50 for an old style cast iron & wood Hamilton 30x60 cart in great condition.

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/1372/rasinside.jpg
The saw had all it's manuals, two extra blades (non-carbide, but sharp), and a 1959-ish Dewalt catalog.

Here's the same saw, as built today, on Amazon:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/416l7eGRO%2BL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Price: Well it lists for $10,353, but you can have it now for a low, low $6,599!

Kirk

Stephen Cherry
10-04-2010, 4:28 PM
nice, and thanks for the pictures!

Chris Padilla
10-04-2010, 4:32 PM
Nice haul, oh, and:

YOU SUCK!!! :)

Neil Brooks
10-04-2010, 4:55 PM
I'm so terribly sorry ... that you got saddled with one of the true pieces of woodworking lore, and ... at such an awful price.

Best of luck coping with this, although ... coping is probably NOT one of its strengths ;)

Jeff Monson
10-04-2010, 5:07 PM
Wow, heck of a score, hard to find old metal that nice for 175$ you do suck for that one.

Will Overton
10-04-2010, 5:11 PM
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd75/Bill_de/051.gif

Dave Lehnert
10-04-2010, 5:19 PM
http://www.threadbombing.com/data/media/15/bill%20murray%20you%20suck.jpg
(http://www.threadbombing.com/data/media/15/bill%20murray%20you%20suck.jpg)

Dave Lehnert
10-04-2010, 5:25 PM
Many years ago I was at an auction when Shopsmith closed the retail stores. It was at the factory. I did not have much money with me. I thought they would be selling off all the little stuff left from the stores. Turns out the auction was all the office furniture and overstock and out of box equipment.
The huge crowd jumped on that furniture like you would not believe. They got to the tools and some just sat with no one bidding. :eek: They had brand new cabinet type saws that sat when no one bid the opening $200.

Gary Herrmann
10-04-2010, 5:46 PM
Oh man. Good score, Kirk.

That definitely would have been worth the drive. Wish I would have known.

Van Huskey
10-04-2010, 8:26 PM
Great score!!

Brian White
10-04-2010, 8:58 PM
I wanted to go just for the radial arm saw but couldnt make it looks like I cost you $150 by not going. Way to go!!!

Mike Cruz
10-04-2010, 9:38 PM
Wow, I'm glad I wasn't there...I would have wanted to buy it all!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the story, rundown of what the pieces went for and pics. So much for there not being deals out there, huh?

Great nab. Enjoy!

Kirk Poore
10-05-2010, 10:24 AM
Thanks, guys. Yes, a determined bidder could have intimidated the guys who bought the band saw and planer and then bought the whole set of Delta tools for under $2k for machinery that would fetch $30K if bought new.

I still need to get a RAS crosscut blade and put a new plug on it. I'm pretty sure it's wired for 230V, but due diligence says to verify that. Then I need to find a spot in the shop. It's replacing or supplementing a 1963 Dewalt 1200 (which won't be sold, because it used to be my father-in-law's). I suppose I need to change the bearings too, though there is no evidence of a problem other than they are about 50 years old. It sticks out a full foot further from the wall than the 1200, and is about a foot wider too. This is not a small tool by any stretch of the imagination.

Kirk

Tom Cullom JR.
10-05-2010, 1:22 PM
what a steal I have been looking for a jointer and shaper like that for over a year ond no luck,,,,:( I havent even seen a good ww auction in over a year.....

Kirk Poore
10-05-2010, 2:41 PM
what a steal I have been looking for a jointer and shaper like that for over a year ond no luck,,,,:( I havent even seen a good ww auction in over a year.....

This auction popped up on the St Louis CL on Thursday, two days before the auction, though I don't know how long it had been on the auction house's web page. I think if you're looking for something specific via auctions, you have to be really diligent or really lucky (and I was the latter). Many auctions don't have great descriptions. And auctions where the WW equipment is auxiliary stuff, like on farms, you're fortunate to get a description better than "old planer" or "router table" for jointers and shapers, let alone pictures. This is only the second old tool I've scored from a live auction, though I've been to half a dozen.

That being said, I got my shaper off of CL in Bethalto, IL, where it had been listed for a week. Maybe it was too far for you, but I know you could have beat me to it.:)

Kirk

Jim Becker
10-05-2010, 8:55 PM
Nice buy...if you're going to have a RAS in your shop, something of that larger caliber is the way to go!

Steve LaFara
10-06-2010, 7:04 PM
Dam, I wish I would have known about that auction. I could have used a few things and it sounds like the prices were pretty reasonable. Nice catch on the RAS!