Malc2098
Sequoia
Have you heard of this organisation? I have done for some while and was hoping there would be a group in my town, so that I might be able to give some time to help other blokes less fortunate than me.
There wasn't one locally and my nearest is 20 miles way.
Nonetheless, I found a way to help out a bit. I've been fortunate to be able to do a couple of days' consultations work a month since retiring and on top of giving smoking just over a year now, I've put away enough to buy a new table saw and dust extraction for by new workshop. So, I have my old Record RSTS12 to dispose of somehow.
That particular saw is not well thought of on the net, so I decided I didn't want the hassle of selling it. So a couple of weeks ago, I rang the group in the next town and the chap was well pleased with the offer of a donation of the saw. This morning I took it there. I also took my dad's old tool box, nothing special, I think the newest spanner was a whitworth, from when he was an assistant school caretaker. I also had a few tools that I had bought and didn't need and took all of them today.
When I got there, they were over the moon. They restore these tools. If they're electric and work they get them PAT tested. If they don't they strip them of any non-ferrous metals. They restore garden tools, woodworking tools, garage tools. Their workshop is every bit as good as the best of anyone's on this forum. This provides a focus for older chaps who may not be as fortunate as us, who may well be widowed, and who hitherto may not have found a way to socialise, which can be a contribution to depression in older age. This place was full of guys doing stuff.
They sell these tools in a shop in the town and last year they told me that shop cleared £45k. All this money goes back to Age UK working to support people in later life.
I picked up a few tips there; a contact for locally grown and seasoned ash, and who's heard of de-rusting using molasses? Wallace, have you? I'm going to look that one up!
I felt good when I got back. I've got a rusting Ransomes Marquis that my father bought for me decades ago. I shall be taking that there next week.
There wasn't one locally and my nearest is 20 miles way.
Nonetheless, I found a way to help out a bit. I've been fortunate to be able to do a couple of days' consultations work a month since retiring and on top of giving smoking just over a year now, I've put away enough to buy a new table saw and dust extraction for by new workshop. So, I have my old Record RSTS12 to dispose of somehow.
That particular saw is not well thought of on the net, so I decided I didn't want the hassle of selling it. So a couple of weeks ago, I rang the group in the next town and the chap was well pleased with the offer of a donation of the saw. This morning I took it there. I also took my dad's old tool box, nothing special, I think the newest spanner was a whitworth, from when he was an assistant school caretaker. I also had a few tools that I had bought and didn't need and took all of them today.
When I got there, they were over the moon. They restore these tools. If they're electric and work they get them PAT tested. If they don't they strip them of any non-ferrous metals. They restore garden tools, woodworking tools, garage tools. Their workshop is every bit as good as the best of anyone's on this forum. This provides a focus for older chaps who may not be as fortunate as us, who may well be widowed, and who hitherto may not have found a way to socialise, which can be a contribution to depression in older age. This place was full of guys doing stuff.
They sell these tools in a shop in the town and last year they told me that shop cleared £45k. All this money goes back to Age UK working to support people in later life.
I picked up a few tips there; a contact for locally grown and seasoned ash, and who's heard of de-rusting using molasses? Wallace, have you? I'm going to look that one up!
I felt good when I got back. I've got a rusting Ransomes Marquis that my father bought for me decades ago. I shall be taking that there next week.
