It may be cold outside and there may still be snow on the ground, with the threat of more to follow later in the week but, I still made it out to the workshop today! Only to arrange some hand and portable power tools that I no longer ‘need’ and can sell… Still, it was nice to get out there briefly. Even though my work gloves felt like sheets of ice, as I picked them up from my workbench.
ALL FOR SALE!
This is my first ‘wave’ in the process of decluttering my workshop, freeing up some space and, of course, preparing for the inevitable. Read on below, and you’ll see what I’m selling and why I no longer need it.
Some might look at the above image and think ‘hang on; if he’s selling all of that, it makes me wonder how many other power tools he must have hidden away!‘. Perhaps that’s another photo I’ll take once I’ve cleared the workshop of the following.
Hitachi C9U2 Circular Saw (un-braked) – I bought this in 2009 on a bit of a whim as I needed something that would safely rip through 80mm thick beech for my workbench. I didn’t fancy trying to man-handle them all through my bandsaw, even with a second pair of hands. I tried to hang on to this saw and to use it for general sheet cutting but, it’s a bit too large for that, for my liking and I’ve since bought myself a smaller skil saw.
Metabo HO882C Power Planer (110v) – this was bought on impulse through eBay in 2006, when I was in the mind-frame of buying 110v tools for use on site. That never really happened and I’ve found it’s less convenient to own a 110v planer for domestic use, as I like to be able to plug it straight in to a vacuum for automatic power take-off.
Metabo SXE450 Random Orbit Sander (110v) – one of my first power tool purchases, at this time in 2004. I was so excited by the prospect of owning a duo-orbit sander. In 2oo9, I bought a 5in random orbit sander and found this suited me better for general furniture making. If I do require any heavy-duty sanding work then, I’ll still have my 4in belt sander.
Metabo 3.6v Drill/Driver – this was a Christmas gift to myself in 2007. It has a superb right-angle drill attachment that allows it to squeeze in to the tiniest of nooks. This has since been replaced by two other Metabo drills in my arsenal, both using 10.8v lithium-ion batteries.
Rapesco 140EL Electric Stapling Tacker/Nailer – this has never been used. It’s spent the past eight-years sat deep inside one of my drawers. Do I need to say any more?
(That does remind me that I probably have a shed-load of nails and staples to fit in this thing, though…).
Two 9.6v Combi Drills (Elu and DeWalt) – both were given to me by my dad at different points during my early years in woodworking (he’d long since upgraded his own kit). A
gain, I’ve replaced these with tools using lithium-ion technology. I may omit this from the main sale initially, as I’d still like to use one of them to demonstrate the action of replacing worn brushes in an old cordless drill, through the power of video.
(Have you seen my YoutTube channel lately? I’m adding videos when and as I can! 
Milescraft Oribter (angle drill attachment) – not so much a power tool itself as it is an accessory for drilling at various angles other than 0°. I’ve only used this one one or two occasions and now, I’ve replaced its need with my 10.8v Metabo drill and its awesome chuck attachment.
I’ve also found the strength to sacrifice two rather expensive hand planes from my collection…
Veritas (Lee Valley) Scraping Plane – this was a late-summer purchase in 2008. I was curious and struggling to work with some English cherry. It does its job superbly but, I’ve since bought myself a belt sander(!) and, to be fair, this lovely plane has spent too much of its life inside that cardboard box.
Veritas (Lee Valley) Bevel Up Smoother – it’s a similar story with this one; I’ve just owned it for longer.
It’s fair to say that the soles of both planes could be in slightly better condition. This has happened before; where I rather carelessly lay each plane to rest on the instruction manuals and not the brown paper supplied in packaging. It’ll clean off, as it has done before, even though it will leave some stains on the soles.
Drill bits or broken bits?
When I took the group-shot, I forgot to include the blue case above; filled with (less than) £30-worth of drill bits that I’ve had, broken and mis-placed for several years. This’ll probably end up on Freecycle, unless a passing buyer happens to show an interest.
Ryobi 18v Kit
Because of its size, I’ve also neglected to include the Ryobi 5-piece 18v kit (I must find the name for this…). But, that’s definitely going out the door this year. I’ve tested it and all the power tools work, along with the three batteries and charger. As you might be able to tell, I’ve even used the chop saw a couple of times when I couldn’t be bothered to reach climb over and switch the mains socket on.
Tacwise Coil Nailer
Galvanised ring-nails for the gun above.
There’s also another unused item that I’ve been wanting to get rid of for a long time – this Tacwise air nail gun, which arrived on my door step with several boxes and many thousands of coil nails, back in 2005. Even when I’ve listed it on eBay in the past and have received interest, I’ve allowed myself to become hung up on the issue of price. Now though, I’m willing to let it go for less than before. I’ve added old photos here because, quite simply; it’s all buried deep within my loft space
(Which also reminds me – I have an Earlex HV5000 Spray Station up there somewhere that will need to go!)
Bye-bye bike!
Another non-tool-related item that will also be leaving the ‘shop soon is my long redundant mountain bike; last seen skidding down the local slopes sometime in June 2004! It’s covered in dust, the brakes need attention, the seat’s damaged and it only has six gears… I’m happy to give this away on Freecycle. I don’t really know why I’ve kept it for so long, in spite of my failed attempt to ‘resurrect’ it in 2008 (one day, I’ll buy another, with twice as many gears).
I need to consider my prices but I’m going to advertise these tools on the UKworkshop forum – I’ll update this post once I’ve done that (probably tomorrow evening now).
There’s my 110v router but can you spot the transformer?
At a later date, I may also decide to part with my ½in Makita 3612CX router, simply because it’s another 110v tool. That would then allow me to release the 110v transformer (which weighs more than any power tool I own). For now, I’d like to hang on to it, just in case I need it. A second-hand 230v model of the same shouldn’t cost the Earth. Wherever I go, my WorkSharp 3000 will come with me. The best tool-sharpener I’ve ever owned may well find a place in my next kitchen!!
This is Step No.1 in the process of decluttering my workshop and also, a part of my life. I’m reluctant to begin parting with machinery until I have a more-definitive date on when I need to move out by. I dread the thought of sorting through all my wood and timber; most of the smaller offcuts may end being given away. There are some nice lumps and lengths that I may never use though, which could bring in some cash.
Thanks for reading.
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