New Tool For The Shop.

[bhjones]

I spent this weekend in the NY/NJ area. It all worked out pretty well. I stayed with a childhood friend I haven't seen for a few years and then I stopped by the Sobel shop and pickup lightly used surface grinder and a few other items.

The grinder is 6x12 (I think. It has a 5x10 chuck on it, but the x/z seems to allow 6x12.) by TML, New Britain CT. It has a little flash rust to deal with and it needs a basic cleaning, but this is the first tool I've brought home that didn't need to be completely dismantled and stripped of paint, so I'm really happy about that. I ran it at the Sobel shop and everything sounded smooth. I was told it was Dave's personal machine and was only used a handful of times a year for the last 20 years he's had it.

Here's a very large photo of the grinder:

http://www.5foot2.com/forum_pics/IMG_0170.jpg

I'd also been searching for a motor to countershaft belt cover for my 10-F Atlas for a long time. I found the cover and the backing plate/locking tab in 5 minutes at Sobel's. I have the full countershaft to headstock cover and now this side cover completes the set.

Here is what it looks like installed:

http://www.lathes.co.uk/atlas/img28.gif

As a side note. The Sobel shop is being cleaned out this summer with some of the parts and equipment being retained at the home of Peter, Dave Sobel's son. A large amount of the stuff is likely to head off to the scrap yard though.

I spent an hour of so just looking around and the place is still filled with stuff. Lots of Atlas, SB and Logan parts. At least 2 dozen small watchmaker lathes. There were 2 or 3 Atlas Millers, a bunch of collet closers and hand draw bars for 5C and smaller sizes, 2 dozen qcgb and screws for various machines. There was a rack of drawers filled with small Atlas parts (QCGB gears, small zamak parts, etc). I also saw a bunch of SouthBend taper attachments and taper attachment parts. Tons and tons of parts.

I guess I'm passing this info on to let people know that if you need something, call them while the getting's good. Peter is the guy spending the most time in the shop, Dave's heath keeps him away from the place.

[Scishopguy]

bhjones...nice score on the grinder. It will not take much to clean her up pretty as new. A little green scotchbrite and some kerosene will get the handwheels shiney as new.

It is too bad that someone (with money ) doesn't buy all of those parts and just sell them off to folks that need them. I bet some of the Ebay vendors would go nuts over that stuff. Anything but have them go for scrap would be far better.

[bhjones]

I was sort of thinking the same thing as I was driving home. They're going to still be in business, so maybe they don't want to help the competition, or maybe they haven't thought about contacting another machinery dealer.

While I was talking to Peter it was pretty evident that the task of cleaning it all out was weighing heavily on him. There really is a huge amount of parts and equipment. Doing a proper inventory of all the stuff would take a few months by itself. I got the impression that the place was setup like so many other long running businesses where the proprietor knows where everything is and can look at a gear or bracket and know what machine and vintage it fits.

So some things are going to be lost to the furnace simply because they can't be identified. Then there are all the small things that take forever to collect and assemble into lots that can be sold (collets, gear set, etc), by the time a person puts in the time to get them together he's backwards money wise when (or if) they sell. Not all of the parts are going to be worth saving, some of the parts are going to be worn out and just never made it to the dumpster.

Still, if I were a wealthy man I make an offer on the place.

[Timo]

I spent this weekend in the NY/NJ area.
As a side note. The Sobel shop is being cleaned out this summer with some of the parts and equipment being retained at the home of Peter, Dave Sobel's son. A large amount of the stuff is likely to head off to the scrap yard though.

I spent an hour of so just looking around and the place is still filled with stuff. Tons and tons of parts.

I guess I'm passing this info on to let people know that if you need something, call them while the getting's good. Peter is the guy spending the most time in the shop, Dave's heath keeps him away from the place.

Brett, I was wondering about Dave, haven’t seen his add in Live Steam lately. Before I retired and relocated I used to live about a mile from his warehouse. Your right, he had more stuff in there than you could shake a stick at. I’d been there several times but could never separate the ’wheat from the chaff’, but I’m sure there were more than a few gems there, if you knew what to look for. I don’t envy his son, he has a tough job ahead of him.
Tim

[RobbieKnobbie]

I'm in eastern PA but have never heard of this lovely lovely place. Do you have an address or a web site for them?

[Timo]

Dave Sobel's place is located in Closter, NJ., which is in the north eastern corner of NJ.
Sobel Machinery
82 Herbert Ave. (in rear)
Closter, NJ 07624
201-768-9645
I'd call first.

[bhjones]

You can also try contacting them through their E-Bay store.

http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/machin...Q_fromZQQ_mdoZ

[Pete H]

IIRC, Peter's a teacher, so during the school year, he's only there on weekends. Nice fellow, very helpful, but I can imagine he's seriously overworked with trying to inventory that place.