Win an Aero

[coppinpr]

I was interested in this machine but it sold for £420!! Seemed a bit too high to me with all that work needed

[highfield]

I agree, was going to bid as it looked a decent project with a decent amount of work. But at that price, too high.

[widget2k4]

I don't think it was that badly priced, all it wants is a new cabinet and some metal polished up, couple of days work ?

[badpenny]

Unless your name is "Me" in which case you do the interesting bits and then lose interest and stack it with all the other partially completed projects behind the clock on the mantle piece.

[pennymachines]

I suppose it depends how you cost 'a couple of days work', plus sourcing and purchasing suitably aged and seasoned oak to make the substantial R&W style cabinet complete with fluting and moulded top and base... and, assuming the mech's complete, you still need to find and purchase two pairs of R&W style hinges to hang it. And of course, the time and cost of collecting the item should be part of the calculation. A labour of love I'd say - worth doing if you have your heart set on it, but not if you aim to make a profit in the next auction.

[coppinpr]

It did have a case, allbeit a poor one with the back missing. It was the working parts that put me off in the end, all were corroded or rusty. Definitely more than a couple of days work. The playfield did look good considering the basic condition.

[pennymachines]

You're not calling those four pieces of low-grade ply a cabinet. Was the original case included?
A rusty mechanism is often the consequence of being without a cabinet for years. Forgot to add - the buyer will also have to source and purchase a Yale lock for the cash door (not cheap these days). This is the trouble with these projects, there's usually unanticipated work and expense.

[widget2k4]

I suppose it depends how you cost 'a couple of days work', plus sourcing and purchasing suitably aged and seasoned oak to make the substantial R&W style cabinet complete with fluting and moulded top and base... and, assuming the mech's complete, you still need to find and purchase two pairs of R&W style hinges to hang it. And of course, the time and cost of collecting the item should be part of the calculation. A labour of love I'd say - worth doing if you have your heart set on it, but not if you aim to make a profit in the next auction.

Couple of days work is having a few hours at night, I may have exaggerated slightly on the couple of days, maybe 3 tops 4 at 4 to 5 hours a day.
Oak is easy to come by even if it's new and made to look old it's still going to be better than that plywood.
Hinges are easily made if you got a lathe
Rusty mech as coppin said, couple of hours in sandblaster and sorted.
Alloy parts polished.
Only thing that would make it more than the time I stated would be waiting on the hammer cover coming back from the chromer.
I don't count my time as money as I love doing it so even selling at 500 to me would be a profit

[pennymachines]

I don't count my time as money as I love doing it...

Aha - well that's what I mean by 'labour of love'. So, did you purchase it? Don't feel obliged to answer that.

[widget2k4]

No not me mate, I never even seen it

[coppinpr]

I don't count my time as money as I love doing it so even selling at 500 to me would be a profit

I agree with Widget, I'd have bid more if I had his sandblaster. I'm trying to set up a baking soda blaster but I don't have anywhere that can handle the mess.

No I wasn't calling the "frame" a case but was hoping it would have protected the "innards" a bit.

Although I live in the middle of what was the biggest oak forest in the UK in medieval times good oak (old or new) is hard to find down here.

Interestingly, this machine was sold by a charity shop!! and included UK postage at just £12.50! I wonder if they were surprised at the money it reached, then shocked at the real cost of posting it.

[pennymachines]

I was interested in this machine but it sold for £420!! Seemed a bit too high to me with all that work needed

I agree with Widget, I'd have bid more if I had his sandblaster.

A sandblaster can save you time and money, but not if it tempts you to bid over £420 for a rusty allwin front.

[larry_d]

I did bid on this charity entered machine but chickened out at £375. Just too much to do, but a memory jerker from my youth. P.S. I once bought a "CLOCK" with a cracked case from a charity shop in York, so they do come up at these shops now and again.

[youngerap]

I agree with Widget, I'd have bid more if I had his sandblaster. I'm trying to set up a baking soda blaster but I don't have anywhere that can handle the mess.

Good call, Paul.

The one and only time I used my soda blaster was when sprucing up my Novomat (I started on this with a view to learning on a cheaper machine before moving up to the 'project' hi-top). I used it in the garden on a lovely sunny day. The results were fantastic and it was good fun too. Until the grass started to die. Lost about a third of the lawn and SWMBO was not happy .

It has not seen the light of day since

I did look for a suitable blasting cabinet, but lost interest in the hi-top before sourcing one.

Sorry, went a bit off topic.