What happens to your equipment when you die?

NickWheeler

NickWheeler

Joined
Dec 3, 1999
Messages
9,437
So the topic seems a bit morbid, but seriously.... Do you have plans for what your significant others should do with your stuff when you bite the big one???

I recently bought a milling machine and a lathe from a fellow that was selling things he and his wife aquired when HER GRANDFATHER passed away about 5 years ago. The husband and wife I was dealing with knew nothing about what they were selling beyond some google searches on the big items.

Her Grandfather, the man who owned and operated the shop, was a brilliant fabricator. Just wandering through the shop and looking at things he built from the ground up... I honestly think he could have built damn near anything.

But he quit working in his shop in HIS early 80's.... which was back in the early 1990's. His equipment sat out there just as he left it on his last day of work. Things here, and there, and everywhere.

Fortunately, he was pretty organized and had most of the tooling and such that went with a particular machine, set up close to that machine.

Still... it was a struggle to figure out just exactly what I was supposed to get in the deal. It was compounded by the fact that he built a tremendous amount of tooling from scratch for specific jobs, and much of it was stuff that I'd never before seen anything like.

It really got me thinking... who the heck would know what to do with all of my stuff when I kick the bucket? Hopefully, that will be a good long while before that happens... but it WILL happen... and then what? I've got an accumulation of -coming close to 20 years worth- of buying tools and stuff already at 32. I can only imagine what it will be like in another 30 or 40 years. I probably won't even know what the hell I have at that point.

Thoughts??? :)
 
Interesting you should bring this up, as just this weekend I talked about the same subject with one of my good bladesmithing friends.

I (jokingly ? :confused: ? ;) ) said that "when I die I think I'll just be placed in the shop and make the entire place a funeral pyre and burn my body and all my tools with it!"

This was pretty much said in pure jest, since I don't think I could bear to have tools and equipment senselessly destroyed when they could continue to provide use and happiness to others.

I think the best thing to do would be to document (pictures maybe?) what exactly you have in your shop, what you paid for it, and what its probably worth, that way when it comes time for your family to liquidate those assets they don't have to guess. Start now and add to the list when you get something new, that way you won't forget everything in your senile old age ;) . That, or if you have good friends or family who have an interest in what you do (good bladesmithing friends, younger family members who have taken a strong interest, etc.) leave it to them, or even donate it all to an educational shop or something. I'd just want the tools to either (financially) benefit my family or benefit someone who would seriously appreciate them, know how to use them (or would have the drive to learn) and would continue to make good use of them. Guess if you stopped working before you died, you could liquidate your own shop as you saw fit and not have to worry about it when you died. I don't think I could do this though, since I'll probably work in the shop up until I die, clutching onto some various piece of shop equipment :rolleyes: .

Its a tough thing, and there's not clear cut answer. A lot of it I think will depend on where things stand when that time comes close. You'll have a better idea of who you are going to leave things to etc. I still think documenting the shop equipment in the mean time is a good idea, that way if something happened unexpedely you'd be covered, and its good for insurance purposes etc. even if you don't die (shop gets killed in a natural disaster or something).
 
That's pretty deep soul searching Nick.
Owners would probably like to think that their collection of machines/tools will continue to be used by someone and preferably by someone who will appreciate the effort that it took to get the collection and keep the pieces as a group as well.

This is easy with certain tools. I have done this with watchmaker tool collections and woodworking tool collections. I use the tools and I see the previous owners names everyday since these are stored separately as a collection "unit".

I think this would be harder with the larger machiinst equipment but it is a nice goal.

If I reach that time when I can no longer work I would sell at a discount to someone that would respect the collection and use all the tools or I would find an ambitious young and talented person with a kind heart and donate the equipment to them.
 
Before I went in for the open heart surgery, I had some of my friends over and they started dividing up my tools and supplies.:eek: I did make up a will and I put them in it with the items they wanted.:D
 
Last edited:
Hey IG, glad to hear your OK!

Just last week I had knee surgery and was thinking about this very thing the night before. I actually took my wife out and pointed out what to give away and to whom. I won't say who it was to go to....but I will say there was a price! He would have been asked to finish the knives I have started for my kids.

Made me think about things I should be working on.....and not just knives.

Brad
 
It seems that around here hardly anyone has a will, or at least one that includes tools, farm equipment, etc. It all goes to the highest bidder in well advertised auctions. But Nick, it's not just your equipment, what about all the unsold knives, & knives in your personal collection, etc?

Dave
 
For the past few months, my father has really enjoyed helping me put together a good shop. We have become a lot closer because of it. Two weeks ago, he was diagnosed with stage three cancer. It got me thinking about how mortal we all are.

I gave my wife instructions that if anything happens to me, she should contact my two knifemaker friends in Louisiana, one being a master bladesmith. They will know the worth of the items in my shop and how to sell them. Her other option is to donate my entire shop to the American Bladesmith Society in Old Washington, Arkansas. That way, I know my equipment will continue making good knives forever.
 
I had some good friends who tragically lost her mother, father, and grandmother all at the same time. The nature of the loss was such that it would have been emotionally impossible to go through their possessions. They hired a company out who cataloged all the belongings and then had a sale/auction.

Having been to my mother-in-law's house, I am acutely aware of the amount of "stuff" people can aquire over a lifetime. In fact, she has three completely full storage sheds with her things, her brother's things, and her mother's things. If something ever happened to her, I strongly feel we will follow suit and hire someone to liquidate the estate after going through and keeping sentimental items.

I've jokingly told my wife to give my tools away on bladeforums if anything ever happened to me, but I don't know what would really happen. I don't have anyone to leave it all to....yet. Although....in February my wife and I will be having a son. So for now, my entire tool collection goes to him. It may have to sit until he's old enough to figure it out, but I leave all my tools, all my knives, all my guns to my son.

That feels nice being able to say that. :)

--nathan
 
Easy, they will open a Nick Wheeler Museum where people can see how you worked. ;)

Putting things in your will is a good idea.
 
I collected of old computer gear for a while and belong to a mailing list of collectors. A few years ago a guy named Don Maslin passed away. He had one of the largest archives of software on floppy disk in existence, along with the hardware for duplication and archival. He was a major resource of operating systems and software for '80s-era machines.

When he died, he had no provision for management of any of that, much less any coherent inventory of what was there. A few vultures descended on his wife trying to cherry-pick the collection, scaring her into inaction, some relatives got into the deal, and hilarity did NOT ensue. 4 or 5 years later, nobody yet knows even what Don had, much less what's going to happen to it.

Keeping an inventory with photos and estimated value is a very good idea. If your property is insured, you need that anyway.

Instructions as to disposal is a better idea. Who to contact, where to sell it if it's going to be liquidated - all the information I can give my executors will ease their way through a process that will be painful and confusing at best.

Edit:

And yeah, I'm going to add this too - my grandmother died a couple of years ago. Her will covered all her financial and real property, but not her personal possessions nor my long-deceased grandfather's. My mother and her 2 sisters were left to divide up their parents' toys. As far as I can remember they've never had a major disagreement, but 2 years later they are still barely talking to each other.

In my experience and observation, most heirs don't fight over the money and real estate. It's the toys, tools, and trivia that leaves marks on the survivors.

I've told my kids that when I go, anything that's not in the will, they get to divide up as they wish. But anything with more than one claimant, they have to choose - either throw it in the goodwill box, or cut cards for it. One cut, high card wins, no appeals. I can't make them follow that, but I've made it clear that NOTHING I own is worth fighting over.
 
Last edited:
I have three close friends that I have talked this over with and they have given their word that they will be there to help my wife when she needs their help.
I have stored information on cds that has pics of my shop and the equipment in it along with current values.
If my son decides to take up he business it will go to him; other wise sell it all and have a big party.

I live on the highest point in this county and want my ashes spread where the sun shines and the critters frolic.

I'm a die hard romantic, can't you tell, Fred:)
 
Nick, this is something I have thought about a lot. When you become ill your perspective changes. I joke with each purchase that it is something else the widow will have to deal with. The widow to be is not entirely amused. I have told her to be sure to have a good friend help with values if he survives me. But, a book with photos and current values would be good idea and then going over it once in a while to update.
My Father died two years ago, five days after being diagnosed with cancer. There was so much that wasn't talked about because he seemed healthy until that week. There is much my Mom is still learning how to deal with. Because of that I have been showing my wife more things about the workings of the house, etc. We really do not prepare for death.
Hell Nick, my Great Grandmother that lived in Winlock lived to be almost 102, you still have 70 years left!

~Alden
 
I hope that before I get to old and beat up I find some young guy who is really interested and gets into it, then he could haul it off when I bite the bullet. If it happens before then the brother that got me interested in knife making gets it. He likes to make stuff too. It would be fun to look down (or up in my case) and see all the vultures if it went in a yard sale.
 
Thats why I keep checking the tools section of this forum. Just hoping to get a good deal on some tools!! I'm starting to think somebody has to actually die before they will part with any good stuff.;)
 
Had to sell off all my fathers stuff/junk last year. We had an estate sale and the vultures descended. My brother and I were lucky enough to get there the day he passed and got much of the stuff we wanted. I hope like IB2V4U to find a good apprentice tat can take it off my wife's hands. She will not care and does not want anything to do with it.
 
X amount of dollars buys the WHOLE SHOP.

You must take everything.

EVERYTHING !

Sweep up and turn off the lights on your way out please.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top