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  • From: "Don Bowen" <don.bowen AT earthlink.net>
  • To: <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Homestead] investment strategies
  • Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2009 08:15:01 -0800

I recently restored a 40 year old table saw. There is no room here for my
bug Unisaw and all the small saws are mostly plastic and are around $500. I
was given an old, rusty and plaint splattered Craftsman table saw. A little
sanding and coat of paint, nre bearings and decent quality thin kerf blade
and for around $100 I have a good table saw that is more accurate and sturdy
than anything else for that price.



Along the way I had to get some new bolts so rather than just buying the few
needed I bought the box. While there I bought a box of the next sizes up
and down. I have done the same for screws, ordering the assortments from
McFeely’s. With what I have here and what is in storage I have enough
bolts, screws, and nuts to last for a long time. I have another project
planned that will need some ½ bolts and will provide another excuse to
improve the investments. For the last couple of years whenever I see a box
of assorted roll pins, C clips, Cotter Pins, whatever, I pick it up and add
it to the store.



I rebuilt a planer that was to be thrown away. $44 worth of parts got me a
planer that is over $500 new. I now have two planers, one for good stuff
and another for rough or to sell.



Craig’s list is a good part of one’s investment strategy. I needed a bench
grinder but the little one is buried deep in storage so found a really nice
commercial grade Baldor with little use on Craig’s list for $50. With stand
this one new is around $400. For the last four years I have been keeping my
tools in a clamshell tool box. Every year it gets a little heavier and no
matter what I want, it is buried deep in the bottom. So everything comes
out and usually winds up on the floor. I have been looking for tool cart to
get it up to shorten that ever greater distance to the floor. Nothing I saw
in a price I could afford was very sturdy but this last week I found an
older S-K Wayne tool cart on Craig’s List for the price of a plastic cart at
Harbor Freight. I needed a drill press for a project I was working on but
again my floor standing press is deep in storage and there is no room for it
here. I found a 40s era Craftsman bench top drill press on Craig’s list for
$40. This must have had very limited use over its life. He told me that he
had tried to sell it at $200 but kept dropping the price because everyone
thought it was too old. It is very heavy but a good solid unit much better
than any benchtop press available nowdays. I am still looking for a 9 in
angle grinder but that is not needed until I get back to the beautiful
Ozarks.



Repaired planer

http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/images/together.jpg



Restored table saw

http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/images/tablesaw.jpg



Grinder on stand

http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/images/baldor%20front.jpg



Tool cart with clamshell box on top

http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/images/tool%20cart.jpg



Bench top drill press

http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/December%2008/images/drill%2
0press.jpg



Don Bowen KI6DIU

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







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