Homestead mailing list

["Don Bowen" <don.bowen AT earthlink.net>]

I have become a great fan of Craig’s list.  There are several in this area
and there is now a great search tool for Craig’s list.  Craig’s helper at
http://www.craigshelper.com/

 

While in Missouri last summer I routinely searched the Springfield Craigs
list for several things but with Craig’s helper I found there were about
seven more than I had not searched.

 

I am trying to put together a simple shop here while waiting for the chance
to build a decent shop in Missouri.  With financial restraints Craig’s list
has been a real boon.  I bought a 60s era DeWalt radial arm saw a year ago.
It was missing some parts so offered quite a bit less and he accepted it.
Then butter fingers me broke the fan and fan housing on the motor while
cleaning it.  So I searched Craig’s list and found another one that because
of the price assumed it was for parts.  It turned out to be almost never
used but stored outside.  A little cleanup and some parts swapping I now
have a really good Radial Arm saw and spare parts in case I run into another
one.

 

I need a ladder to get on the roof to clean out a valley causing a leak.  My
16 foot extension ladder is in storage and I need a longer ladder for an
antenna project I am contemplating.  A quick search on Craig’s list turned
up a 24’ ladder for about what it would cost me in gasoline to drive down to
storage.  The 24’ ladder solves the antenna problem quite nicely and it long
enough for me to paint the trim at the peak.

 

I have an old Craftsman benchtop drill press.  It is a decent unit but the
drive pulley is shot so the drill press sits in the corner gathering dust.
I have looked for a drive pulley and have bid on a couple of drill presses
with that drive pulley at auctions but with no success.  Looking though
Craig’s list I saw one just like the unit I have and again a cheap price.
So I picked it up and found it is in much better chape than the one I had.
It is a solid drill press that is very heave and no vibration.  I will take
a couple of parts off the other for this one and for a friend.

 

I was given a Delta 13 ½ portable planer.  The infeed roller is coming apart
and it does not feed most of the time.  The owner was told that replacing
the part would cost almost as much as a new one so he bought a new one and
gave me the old one.  I found the roller online for $35 and looks to be a
simple job to replace.  

 

Another cheep item I picked was an older Craftsman table saw.  This is the
type that Sears sold maybe millions of.  Almost every home shop from the
late 50s to the early 90s had one,  This one had been stored outside and
looked rough so it went for really cheap.  I did a cleanup of the table and
it was in good shape with no rust pits.  The bearings are solid with very
little runout.  Pulleys are shot as is the belt.  I have it apart now and am
cleaning and painting everything.  My favorite hardware store has the
necessary pulleys and a vibration free link belt,  

 

I am currently looking for a bench grinder and an angle grinder.  I have
missed a couple of deals on the angle grinder and the right bench grinder
has not come along but it will soon.  I try to buy only the best quality,
meaning 30-40 year old American manufacture on the bench grinder and as new
as I can find American manufacture on the angle grinder.  I avoid all
Chinese crap sold by Harbor freight and other discount houses.

 

So using Craig’s list and word of mouth I will have a small shop here with
decent quality tools for I figure not much more than $300.

 

Don Bowen  KI6DIU

http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html