Use It or Lose It? – The Drill Press I Didn’t Know I Owned

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In February, my world shifted. I lost my husband of 45 years to cancer. He was a master builder, an avid fisherman, and the kind of man who could fix anything—if it was broken, bent, or needed building, he had a tool for it. Or ten.

Now, months later, I’m a widow standing in his shop, surrounded by equipment I don’t recognize and never imagined using. I’m a bookkeeper by trade, and I help families through LegalShield—but walking into his shop feels like stepping into a different world.

Which brings me to this week’s mystery item:

🛠️ Tool of the Week: The Drill Press

What I think it is:
A drill press, based on the label. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine. It’s tall, metal, has levers and knobs… and apparently, it’s mine now.

What he used it for:
Truthfully? I have no idea. I’m not even sure I ever saw him use it. I didn’t know we had it until recently, when I started trying to figure out what all these tools are.

What I’d use it for:
A conversation piece. A shop sculpture. Maybe a really solid bird perch?

🤷‍♀️ Use It or Lose It?

Now I need your help:
Do I try to learn how to use this thing?
Or do I find someone who will appreciate it and give it a second life?

Drop a comment below and vote:
✅ Use It – If you’ve got ideas or experience with drill presses, share your wisdom.
❌ Lose It – If this is something better sold or passed along, help me let it go.

💬 Share Your Story:

Have you ever inherited a tool—or something else—and thought, “Now what?”
Let’s talk about it. This isn’t just a blog about tools. It’s about memory, meaning, and moving forward.

Thanks for being here with me.
—Hollis 💙

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Comments

2 responses to “Use It or Lose It? – The Drill Press I Didn’t Know I Owned”

June 11, 2025

Susan (Jessy) Rummelsburg-Williams

Hi Hollis,

If it doesn’t have any memories for you, lose it!

My parents passed away two (Dad) and three years ago (Mom). While they were still alive, they (or I on their behalf), had a total of 3 estate sales in an effort to downsize. Their first sale was in San Francisco, prior to moving to Washington. The second sale was in Des Moines, WA, when they moved from their retirement community home to assisted living. And the third was when they further downsized when they went into long term care.

Since I was the only child nearby, “memory” items were all stored in my house in Kent. I had lots of memories! When my brothers came up for the funerals, they were offered whatever they wanted and took so little.

I am the keeper of the family tree, antique silver, postcard collection from the early 1900’s, stamp collection, photos, antique chairs, etc. It is becoming more evident everyday that I don’t need so many memories. Time permitting, I hope to greatly reduce the amount I’m keeping. Saying goodbye to my grandfather’s silver baby cup from the 1800’s will be difficult, but maybe a photo of it will be enough. My children don’t have the same attachment to “things” as I do. They may be the smart ones.

Good luck in selecting which of Marcus’ things to part with. Keep in mind that once they’re gone, there’s no getting them back and there’s no hurry to part with anything. You can always hang on to his things for months or years, and say good-bye when the time seems right.

P.S. Every time I play “Boggle”, I think of you and Marcus. Happy memories!

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1. June 11, 2025
  
  lopezcottageindustries
  
  Hi Jessy, Marcus loved to tell “buster” stories to friends when we were sitting around telling dog stories. I will never forget him jumping out of the kitchen window in the group home you both worked in. I saw the aftermath when I came in to visit. My mom passed away in 2014 and it took months of probate and effort to get through it all! She had dementia and had not updated her Will like she wanted and we all thought she had. My poor sister is like you, the keeper of the family tree and her house is full of things we have yet to go through. It always seems to be a task for another day. I am more of the mind of clearing out the unnecessary and I have no emotional attachments to his tools. It was a big part of what he did but not something we did together per se. I need very few tools and he has an absolute collection and I keep making discoveries of mystery items that I had no clue were in the shop. I decided to make a fun blog about it to entertain my friends and family. When my dad died, nothing was done to all his tools until after my mom passed away and we had to go through everything. Marcus’s job was to go through his shop, clean it up and put things out for sale. There were so many intricate and mysterious items in there and Marcus knew what everything was. My sisters and I kept asking him questions and he had a story for each thing. I am sure some of the better specimens ended up in our shop! Now it is time to keep or sell. Use it or lose it!
  
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