Hoarding of Vincent Parts? Come On - Own Up!

[Speedtwin]

I recently have had to carry out a clear out of my workshop and garage space to prepare for a upcoming house move later this year.
I was shocked at the amount of parts and bits and pieces I have accumulated only over just the last seven years at this place.
Having had a clear out of my old workshop back in around 2014 I thought it would not be to bad.
I mean how much could a fella gather in seven years.
Wrong.

Recently my friends father who passed away just last week gave me a collection of Vincent parts he admitted to hoarding the parts for fifty years.
Told me he never told anyone he had the stuff,"to much hassle" he said.
This had made me realise I am heading in the same direction.
Yes towards death,but more importantly I am a parts hoarder and getting quite secretive about it.

Leads me to thinking, I bet that some of the people on the site have huge hoards of parts, anyone going to own up?
Maybe a support group is needed?

Al

 

[Cyborg]

Shock therapy might help.
Hoarding Vincent parts is one thing, but hoarding completely knackered Vincent parts is another. Every large idler ever produced it probably still out there under a bench or hanging on a wall. At least I can lay claim to using one to replace a broken hand wheel on the milling machine….. but I still have at least 3 others.
Anyway.. sign me up.

 

[Speedtwin]

Welcome to the group Cyborg.
Yes I have at least three seats might make a sofa from them.

 

[Bill Thomas]

I recently have had to carry out a clear out of my workshop and garage space to prepare for a upcoming house move later this year.
I was shocked at the amount of parts and bits and pieces I have accumulated only over just the last seven years at this place.
Having had a clear out of my old workshop back in around 2014 I thought it would not be to bad.
I mean how much could a fella gather in seven years.
Wrong.

Recently my friends father who passed away just last week gave me a collection of Vincent parts he admitted to hoarding the parts for fifty years.
Told me he never told anyone he had the stuff,"to much hassle" he said.
This had made me realise I am heading in the same direction.
Yes towards death,but more importantly I am a parts hoarder and getting quite secretive about it.

Leads me to thinking, I bet that some of the people on the site have huge hoards of parts, anyone going to own up?
Maybe a support group is needed?

Al

Yes a bit , I have just thrown together a bike, Without anything in the engine,
The wife was talking Divorce and I thought it would be more easy to move a Lump ,
Rather than lots of stuff,
I thought it was the last of my bits,
BUT I still have lots left, Carb's old dynamo electric bits , Pistons / brake stuff,
Mag' stuff I know I will never use, Because I much prefer "D" Distributors,
And so on, But you never know if you might need stuff,
In fact I have just started buying More Comet engine parts !,
Just when I thought I was winding down.
But I find it keeps my mind going, Still very interested , But Find it hard to do much.

 

[Robert Watson]

I have just retrieved a 65 year 550 lbs. collection of Vincent parts from an very long term owner, plus in the past have done so a couple of other times. At the moment I am cataloging and update the parts list and in a short time the full list will be available. The latest was sprung loose as the owner did not want to leave the burden on his family. I have learned (am continuing to learn) to dispose of that which is irreparable, well Cyborg, all but the large idlers! I don't think I would be welcome in your support group, but maybe could sign up as a counselor??

 

[Cyborg]

You’re one of the enablers…..taking advantage of the weak willed.….. make sure I’m on the mailing list!

 

[CarlHungness]

Along the same thread I am moving from my 12' x 28' shop to new digs that are 40' x 30' and have discovered my own hoard of various and sundry part from the several disciplines I have studied. I think the collecting and saving of parts is just fine so long as your heirs know what to do with them, but that's usually not the case. I just relieved myself of all my violin-making tools, templates, etc. as I have built two violins and shall do no more. Now I'm collecting all the gubbins necessary to become a master panel-beater with hopes I'll be able to re-create a Ferrari-Maserati-Porsche, etc. complete body within 8-10 years, if I live that long. It is just marvelous to have interests that keep the old man at bay and have something to look forward to each day. I just took my first oxy (hydrogen-not acetylene)) welding lesson and can't wait to get my own bottle of hydrogen so I can become proficient.

 

[Magnetoman]

This behavior is not limited to Vincent owners, or even to motorcycle owners in general. Several large pieces of high vacuum equipment in my lab at the university used a type of gauge that had filaments that occasionally would burn out. The tubes cost ~$300 and were not rebuild-able, so when a filament burned out the tube was junk. Despite that, I once found the cabinet with spare tubes also held at least a half-dozen burned out ones. It was no different than saving burned-out 60 W light bulbs, but the students and postdocs who had done each of the repairs obviously couldn't bring themselves to throw away something that expensive, but worthless.

 

[Robert Watson]

Indeed when Tony and I sorted John McDougall's shop a few years ago we pretty much filled a 45 gal barrel with worn out big ends and main bearings from his several years (Decades?) of rebuilding engines.
I am off to get a 1950's high end electrical test meter which is in virtually new condition, one of several that my friend has, and realizes one and a spare is enough, so the others are moving along!

 

[bmetcalf]

When we moved 9 years ago, it was tough for me to throw away the hardwood scraps that had accumulated. I also catch myself hesitating to use a scrap for a project because it is so nice, then remind myself that using it was why I saved it in the first place!

I also have a few broken quills and ammeters.