I wouldn't pay more than scrap weight for it, if that. Anything that sat under flood water for several days is going to need a complete tear down and replacement of all bearings and electrical components at a bare minimum.

The more I think about it the more I'm inclined to say that even free might be too expensive if your time has any value at all.

Sort-of leather. I fastened a piece of car-polish chamois from Canadian Tire to my vise with double-stick tape. Several years later, it's still there and working well.

In some ways hand tools are a safer opportunity than power tools. You should be able to see what you've got. Just clean 'em and oil 'em ASAP.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-x-80-B...nder/G1531
Forget the disc, you'll never miss it. Having the belt mounted vertical opens up more possibilities. This is what factories use. The idler drum and table keeps every square for inside curves. The table on the long platen keeps every thing square and sands linear. You can sand 6' pieces to remove jointer marks in seconds without changing dimension. Not having to buy disks and belts is a plus. Belt changes are snap, just pull back that lever on top is all there is. Rarely do have to retrack the belt. Imagine doing 20 two foot dia hardwood lazy susans on the disc. You then have to resand to get cross grain scratches out. With the belt you sand it once. The longer belt runs cooler and lasts longer. Check belt prices for the Grizzly sander at www.industrialabrasives.com

Been using edge sanders 50 years. 12" disc is useless to me.

I've done lots of drywall and used paper tape, mesh tape, the setting type compound and the pre-mix. I've heard of mud cracking with the mesh tape though I've never seen it. In an unheated garage and since you are in Maryland and I assume are doing this now, I'd go with paper tape and the setting type 'hot mud'. Comes in a bag, you mix it. The premix will never dry in that garage in winter. The setting type will cure for you just fine, but it is a chemical reaction so, don't mix more in the bucket than you can get on the walls, and get your tools as clean as you can before it sets up on them. I'd get the 90 minute stuff and mix it in small batches.

If your competent with a good hand plane, you can reduce sanding time considerably. My go to plane is a vintage #5 that I picked up for $5 and added Hock blade and chip breaker @ $80. I also have several LN planes and this number 5 works just as well, abite a bit more slop in the adjustments. Easiest, fastest way for me to remove mill marks from the tailed planer or jointer.

After planing, I go straight to 220 grit and only need to sand lightly.

Lots less sanding dust to deal with, and I can listen to the radio.

As for a bench, I have used a Black and Decker workmate set up against a wall to hand plane smaller items. Lots of solutions to holding work pieces. Heck, a couple of boards clamped to saw horses can work in a pinch.

BTW, I got that 4 1/5 that you ground, put back together and it works great.

Len, not sure what your current set up is, but yes, you generally would want plastic on the bottom, that on the top, and ideally either a Thein Separator, or some other system to limit the amount of solids that go to the bags.

Can you check to see if you have power at the outlet?

It would be cool to find a source for those. I could see using them on a project or two. I guess they wouldn't be that difficult to make from scratch, though.

I used an LED rope light in the storage area under our stairs. Never break a bulb, heck you never get near the thing. Lights up the whole area and was very easy to simply clip up along the "ceiling." Cheap too.

Just a thought.