Found some old stakes

[CARS]

I was helping a plumber move from his shop in town out to his new shop in the country that I found some interesting tools under a table.

12 years ago, Comfrey's downtown was destroyed by a tornado. One of the businesses was Gene's Plumbing and Heating shop. He had acquired the 100+ year old building and business about 25 years before the tornado. When he was "picking up the pieces" of his first shop he noticed all these old stakes in a section of the building which had a dirt floor. He at least had the fore site to keep them. ALOT of stuff just got thrown or hauled away in the hast that was the re-building of Comfrey. Pretty sad...

Well yesterday I was helping Gene move into yet another building and we were tearing down his sheet metal table. I noticed the stakes, then saw the plate... hmmm.... "hey Gene! Whatcha going to do with these?" He replied, "these what?" He totally forgot they were there. The table was built right over the pile of stakes and forgotten. He had all the "modern" tools so in his 40 years of forming ducts, they were never needed.

So, our Greatest Regional Metal Meet host, Dan Pate calls me this morning. Anyone who knows Dan, knows he has at least 2 of everything (tool whore ) and wanted me to post some pics of my find. At this point, I don't think I want to sell anything. Gene hasn't really even told me what he wants for them. Hell, he didn't even know he had them twice!!!

So, I (and Gene) need your help putting a value to this pieces. I know some of you have found these in scrap yard, auctions, going out of business sales, craigslist, ebay, etc. What is a fair price?? I know they are worth more than their weight in scrap, but I also know they are pitted pretty bad from being in that dirt floor for decades. Going to take some time to clean up.

Enough rambling. Here are the pics!

[David Gardiner]

Nice find Chris. I am sure you will be able to clean them up OK. I could probably name some of them but can't help much on the value over there. Over here they don't fetch too much. I have some of those pieces.

David

[Kerry Pinkerton]

Given the condition, 2-300 seems fair to me. It's going to take a lot of work to clean them up

[Dyce]

Chris are you selling them for him or are you wondering what to offer him? I think Kerry's $300.00 would be a fair selling price, but given the situation, if I had to make an offer I'd say $100.00. You could mix up some molassis to get the rust off, but you still have a ton of work into girnding, sanding and polishing the pits out. Becky would get alot of use out of those making flowers!! When's her b-day?

[Onemorehammer]

A Pexto stake plate alone in reasonable condition and fairly clean will sell for 125 to 175 on Ebay. As mentioned, there is a lot of clean-up involved but there is no reason that they all have to be cleaned at once. Think about how useful they will be to you before making your offer. Remember how long they layed under anothers bench.
Good find, Dan

[mr.c]

Those will clean up if you give them a long soak in a plastic tub of white vinegar. Cheap and easy. Pull them out of the vinegar and hose off the rust. Then you can clean up the work surfaces to remove any pits with a sander.
The stake plate alone is an expensive piece.
You spent your time helping him move and he has these that he never used and never really bought and didn't know he had and he wants to charge you for them? WOW!

[ByronR]

...

My question is in reference to the stake bead or stake plate as shown. It's probably some kind of cosmic joke given my abilities that I am in possession of most of the stakes shown in Chris' post, as well as the stake bed or stake plate (my grandfather and father owned sheet metal shops). My question is this; Is the stake bed designed to be a storage station or are the stakes used when mounted in the bed? Can someone tell me at what height the bed is usually configured? Any help is this regard would be much appreciated (even sarcastic replies). Thanks.

[Richard K]

Pexto actually made a table with the stake plates mounted into the table top. My nephew has one with 4 plates. The bench is 36" high. It seems too high to work comfortably at.

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[Johnny C.]

That sounds better. thanks

[Michael]

Navel to privates is the best working position. I helped set up a lot of work stations. sometimes you have to have a booster step for the short people but it is fair niegh impossilbe to get it higher for the tall ones if not built in.