Breaking Up Shop

[dkaustin]

I find myself facing a situation that some of you may also be facing or may have dealt with in the past: breaking up my basement metalworking shop. I haven't been using the shop much the last couple of years, and, if I'm honest, I'm starting to feel my age. So maybe it's time to start thinking about breaking up the shop. I have a Bridgeport mill, a Tormach 1100 CNC, and a 9-inch SB lathe. I got the machines into the basement the same way the Egyptians built the pyramids-- one manageable piece at a time-- and they have to come out the same way. That's going to be a physically demanding job, and the wife tells me I'm not allowed to die until the machines are out :-)

Once the machines are out of the basement, they have to be reassembled in the garage, where they will take up space until they are sold. I've generally found Craigslist to be a complete waste of time, so have little confidence that I could sell the machines quickly going that route.

Have any of you sold machinery to a commercial used equipment buyer? Most of them advertise that they take small jobs. I wouldn't expect them to pay as much as a private buyer, but the convenience of wrapping up the transaction quickly also has value.

Have any of you used commercial machinery movers to clear out a shop? They have experience moving heavy weights out of restricted spaces, and it might be worth paying them to take the headache.

I'd very much appreciate hearing what you think. Are there other options I'm missing?

Thanks in advance.

[754]

Chicago area ?

[Ed ke6bnl]

Sell them and have them move them out. Machinery movers I have dealt with are amazing and worth their price.

[sarge41]

You probably have auction houses that take machines on consignment for sale. A couple of them in my area have a couple of such sales a year. They will gather such stuff from different sources (such as you) and sell on percentage. They advertise well and are usually well attended. Hope this helps.
Sarge41

[portlandRon]

Most profit would be selling them yourself. Leave them together and running and let the buyer remove them.
Selling to a dealer you will get about 1/4 of the value. Might get more at auction but still a lot of work moving them.

I have sold a lot of machines and tooling on Craigslist. Sure a few people don't show up and some scam emails but for the most part no problem.
Be realistic in your pricing if items are priced right they sell. Most buyers want to bargain so in pricing leave yourself some room for that.

[metalmagpie]

multiple post - ignore

[WGonzalez2]

I find myself facing a situation that some of you may also be facing or may have dealt with in the past: breaking up my basement metalworking shop. I haven't been using the shop much the last couple of years, and, if I'm honest, I'm starting to feel my age. So maybe it's time to start thinking about breaking up the shop. I have a Bridgeport mill, a Tormach 1100 CNC, and a 9-inch SB lathe. I got the machines into the basement the same way the Egyptians built the pyramids-- one manageable piece at a time-- and they have to come out the same way. That's going to be a physically demanding job, and the wife tells me I'm not allowed to die until the machines are out :-)

Once the machines are out of the basement, they have to be reassembled in the garage, where they will take up space until they are sold. I've generally found Craigslist to be a complete waste of time, so have little confidence that I could sell the machines quickly going that route.

Have any of you sold machinery to a commercial used equipment buyer? Most of them advertise that they take small jobs. I wouldn't expect them to pay as much as a private buyer, but the convenience of wrapping up the transaction quickly also has value.

Have any of you used commercial machinery movers to clear out a shop? They have experience moving heavy weights out of restricted spaces, and it might be worth paying them to take the headache.

I'd very much appreciate hearing what you think. Are there other options I'm missing?

Thanks in advance.

I think that I understand your feeling because y have thought of that sometimes.
I do not have the same exact problem but I bought a Pederson Milling machine in Ontario Canada and has been sitting in pieces for the last 10years in a shed. In my case would be easy to get them out of the shed and load with the backhoe, but I am not sure how to get someone that lives in Ontario Canada to get their interest. Money is no the object because I paid very little for it, and I get anything fine, but not that important. I would like it to go a someone in forum like this one. Someone that would enhance his capability with almost no money and have a ball with it as I do with my stuff.

Now the good part; Since your Logon ID includes Austin, I thought you may be in the area of Austin-Texas. If that is the case I offer my help (no retribution needed or accepted). I have moved and still do very heavy stuff and offer to help if we get an assistant. I have lifting gantry and other equipment. I probably have some old Greek blood in my system.

I spend summers in Ontario but live in Round Rock Texas. With the virus situation I cannot enter Canada to be my playground. I am now 81 but in very good help and there is nothing I know that I cannot do.
If you do live nearby me you will be always welcome to play with my equipment. No that I have a lot, but i am only missing a milling machine because I do not have the space or the need for it.

Hope everything goes well for you and the wife comes to the understanding that even if you do not must have or you will not use it often, it still brings you pleasure to have walk by and touch the stuff.
They can give it away when we go (no plans that we should be making anytime soon). Maybe i can say that because I do not have a wife,but I far as I am concerned my children can give it away after I pass.
One more thought, Craigslist have worked for me always and also there is a Austin Metals CLub that you can tap into. I see often their offers. They meet once a month in Rudy's BBQ on Wednesday (maybe today?). Also there is a machinist or metal Club in Houston that will have many members interested. Search the web or send me a PM if you like me to do it.
Let me know if I can help.

[dkaustin]

Some good suggestions here . . .

754-- Yes, I am in the Chicago area. Apologies for not making that clear in my initial post.

I like the idea of selling the equipment in situ and under power, and letting the buyer arrange for removal. I would insist, though, that the buyer use a commercial outfit. The liability exposure of having some inexperienced bozo on my property trying to move multi-hundred pound machinery makes me break out in a cold sweat.

I think my next step is to call around to some local machinery movers and find out how they like to work. Maybe my expectations are unrealistic, but the ideal situation would be if they would disassemble the machinery, move it out of the basement, reassemble and palletize it, and deliver it the buyer. I would pay handsomely for service like that.

Thanks to all who replied.

[JohnMartin]

PortlandRon has the right idea - sell them to individuals willing to move them themselves.

Every one of my larger machines was moved by me. I disassembled them at the sellers’ locations, transported them in pieces, moved them into my own basement and re-assembled them there. Some got a trip to the car wash on the way, some had their larger pieces painted before the trip into my basement.

Disassembly on your premises will take longer than just moving them out intact, and may therefore require a bit more trust of your buyers. You’ll have to be the judge of their trustworthiness. On the other hand, your willingness to oversee and instruct a buyer in the disassembly will increase the buyer’s comfort level, and may very well make a higher price seem more reasonable.

Yes, disassembling them yourself and re-assembling them in your garage will undoubtedly get you the best prices - assuming that the buyers can see the machines under power in your garage. But you may not wish to do that much work. And if the buyer then opts to disassemble a machine so that he can transport it into his own shop, your effort will have been for naught.

[dixdance]

What is the actual access to your basement? If we're talking up the narrow stairs and thru the kitchen, hard to imagine a Bridgeport column making that trip. Outside Bilco doors, another situation entirely. Defining "manageable piece" depends so much on the situation and who's doing the managing.

[Rich Carlstedt]

There are three clubs in the Chicago area that have many home Shop Machinists
Send me a private note and I will give you their phone numbers
One is North Side and the other two are Southside , but they have members all over
Even with Covid, they have newsletters to get the word out
Some are very experienced in moving such equipment
Rich

[garyhlucas]

We had a sign crane when I was an electrician. I moved a fair number of machine tools in and out of basements for people. They ussually removed the stairs and just rolled the machines into the stairwell where I could get a hold of it. Light duty cranes, only handle about 4000 lbs.

[mattthemuppet]

to be honest, if you require professional movers you'll get next to no interest from private buyers. It's an unknown hassle and expense. It's hard to see anyone having grounds to sue if they injure themselves removing something they've paid for from your property. Likewise, if you wish to pay for someone to dismantle, extract from basement, reassemble (no trivial feat with a BP) and then remove or palletise, then you might as well give them away as there'll be no money left for you afterwards.

I'm sorry to hear that you're no longer going to be using your shop, but if you really want to make a difference (and some money), find a young buck (ha! makes me feel old saying that) who's starting out, make them a deal they can't refuse on the proviso that they get a bunch of people to help with the extraction.

[polaraligned]

I would put them on Ebay, FB Marketplace and Craigslist. I have had results from all 3. As for moving them, take some movies of them in action first, then get some help moving them to the garage where you can store them for purchaser. I think the Tormach is the most important piece to show under power. A dealer will give you next to nothing, and a rigger will be expensive. It just comes down to how much of a "hit" you want to take on the machines.

[john hobdeclipe]

"and the wife tells me I'm not allowed to die until the machines are out :-)"

Leave them where they are, live forever!