Opinions on parting out good, complete machines

[kirtley2012]

i have only dismantled 2 machines, one a cabinet gramophone that was so full of woodworm i was surprised it was still standing! (i had to remove the parts from this and pull off the legs then burn the rest) the other was a late decca "trench type" (not the 1914 type, one from the 20s), that had wood worm and the spring was broken, i just figured it was not worth fixing so i dismantled it and used the parts for other purposes and to repair other motors/machines.

i hate to see a good machine destroyed!!, if it has the slighest possibility of being repaired i will try and do that then leave parting it out for the last resort!!

[FloridaClay]

I gather that wood worms are much more of a problem in Europe/UK Kirtley. Not sure why. I seldom see them here in the US.

Clay

[kirtley2012]

not in the uk as much, those are the only items ive had with woodworm, but it is apparently terrible in other parts of europe like france!

[debndunk]

Hi Guys, I too have seen this seller on Ebay and think it's a crime to split up a perfectly good machine just for profit. I recently put some Fireside bits on Ebay to sell and only sold a couple of bits, but the motor frame was in pieces and so was the bed plate. As regards to woodworm I have successfully treated clock cases with it and had no other problems, but I won't bring them in the house until I am sure it's gone. Gordon

[Chuck]

I see the same thing being done with other
old items such as telephones and telephone
switching equipment.

This is what separates the greedy people who
are just in it to make absolutely as much money
as they can, no matter what...from the people
who preserve and appreciate these old things.

It boils down to greed. Plain and simple.

Chuck

[JerryVan]

Fmblizz,

I hate the practice of parting out perfectly nice or very restorable machines. It's a practice usually done by a hack or by a profiteer, and not a hobbyist. Recently, scrap metal prices have gone so high that those in the antique car hobby must outbid scrappers in order to save some cars and parts. Quite often, the scrappers win.

(By the way, I think you mean that it sticks in your craw, not crawl.)

[fmblizz]

Yea Jerry sticks in my craw (lucky to get past the 1st grade). Actually I should have said it BUGS THE LIVING [crap] OUT OF ME.....

Hope I opened up a can of worms but I would rather wait 10 year for a part then to buy something from someone like NeeLam.

I'm sure there are more people out there that feel the same way but are reluctant to post because of their association with people like Neelam..


Blizz

[scullylathe]

They should be drawn and quartered...

[downsouth]

Several years ago I could have bought an early Victor I locally. It came on eBay with that by now of $600, but I wasn't fast enough. Within 30 seconds another person had bought it. A known dealer for doing such things as chopping phonographs to pieces and selling every last part for profit. It was a complete and functioning local machine that had history from here in my home town. He later sold it piece by piece doubling his investment. I think this is sacrilegious when it comes to phonograph collecting. The history is gone once it is parted out. Now parting out a machine that has no potential in becoming whole again or that is damaged beyond repair is totally understandable and that it may help another machine to live again or to play again is OK in my book. Just my thoughts.

Wes

[Phono-Phan]

I cringe every time I see perfectly good, complete machines get dissected for their parts. It is a different story if the phonograph is incomplete or in rough shape. Then using it for a donor machine makes more sense.