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Folks Of Interest Are you missing any tools?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by HOTRODPRIMER, Sep 25, 2019.

  1. When he was 14, my son lost a couple of my expensive ratchet wrenches when he was removing a transmission for me. I don't say anything about it, and he is 36 now, so I guess I had better let it go. :)
    Even though I was upset at the time, I didn't make a big deal of it because he was helping me after all.
    In actual fact, when he is using my tools now, he will still occasionally apologize to me for the transgression. I pretend I have forgotten about it, but one thing for certain, is that it was a lesson well learned. He is the one person I can count on to take excellent care of my tools.
    Bob
     
    HOTRODPRIMER and low budget like this.
  2. Sounds like she needs a compressor!



    Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
     
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  3. gene-koning
    Joined: Oct 28, 2016
    Posts: 4,041

    gene-koning
    Member

    I guess I never developed a tool fetish, the tool box that has served me well for over the years is a 10 drawer Craftsman chest on a Mac (I think) 6 drawer bottom box. The Mac is a replacement someone gave me to replace whatever the lower box was before the drawers didn't open well anymore, and it was nearly as old as the Craftsman 10 drawer I got just out of high school. The metal working tools do not go into the tool box, they each have a specific location they stay in when not in use.

    There has been a constant revolving door of replacement tools in those small boxes over the years, there have been lots of people that have used my tools. Some are real good at putting them back, some have not been so good at putting them back. I must say, seldom do I have to replace missing tools, most people will bring back tools they found in or on their car. Lately I have had to replace a few broken or wore out tools, cheap tools don't last as long, but these days, even the "good" tools are pretty questionable. Even to old, good, tools wear out.

    Its kind of like my shop, there have been times when there were 4 or 5 guys working on one project at the same time, or 4 or 5 guys working on 4 or 5 projects at the same time. Some days, there is a whole lot of activity going on here. It seems often some "missing" tools have been found in the wrong drawer or storage location. To resolve that issue, we have gotten to the point where all the tools get put on the same corner of the workbench when we are done using them. If a bunch of guys have been working for a couple hours, you go to the corner of the workbench to find the tool you need, or you ask if anyone is using it, before you look in the box. I put them away after everyone leaves. Gene
     
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  4. I don’t have any missing tools but I have been accused of having a screw loose


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  5. Anybody missing a C-clamp?
    DSCN9312.JPG
     
  6. David Chandler
    Joined: Jan 27, 2007
    Posts: 1,101

    David Chandler
    Member

    Missing in action, and in action too. Several things are MIA. The fastest way to find them, is to buy a replacement. It works like a charm. But one on particular stumps me. No one would borrow it, as they wouldn't know what it was, in most cases. That is my homebuilt crankshaft turning tool It's nothing fancy, just a crank gear with a rod welded onto it. And I always hang it up in the same place. But it's gone, and I have no idea what happened to it. I'll make another one, and it will turn up again, that I am sure of. I found my old 1/2 inch drive ratchet. I got it when I got my first car. Then a couple of years ago, it slipped under load. I put it aside and lamented it, but I had another one, so I didn't dwell on it. I stumbled onto it the other day. I finally threw it out. Sad to see it go. Lots of memories there.
     
  7. Boneyard51
    Joined: Dec 10, 2017
    Posts: 6,442

    Boneyard51
    Member

    On the ranch we had an OT 3/4 ton truck that was our main truck. Had to overhaul it due to dusty conditions, did the job, no problem about two years later it got a too short air cleaner element and dusted the engine. I back into that 351, pull the intake off...... there set a pair of Craftsman pliers with mortified hand grips! I was the only guy in that engine..... had to be me that left my Dads pliers in there for two years!






    Bones
     
  8. fourspd2quad
    Joined: Jul 6, 2006
    Posts: 908

    fourspd2quad
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I have no clue where they go but for some reason my 9/16" sockets keep bailing on me.
     
  9. trollst
    Joined: Jan 27, 2012
    Posts: 2,108

    trollst
    Member

    When I can't find a tool, the whole world comes to a screeching halt, I gotta find it. What ever I'm working on, goes to hell till I find the lost tool, I'll rip my garage apart, retrace my steps, wrack my brain, whatever it takes. What I hate....picking up a cordless drill, dies in minutes, drives me crazy.
     
  10. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I used be real anal about keeping everything organized in my tool box when I was working in shops and always cleaned and put way all the tools I was using before I backed the car out of the stall. I had a yard sale tv tray that I would set the tools on rather than set the on the car while I was working on and that was one of the best things to keep from losing tools. One of the guys broke it when he decided to set a cylinder head on it though.
    Now I have to hunt for the tools as I work on something and have had to drive to town to buy a wrench because I couldn't find the one I needed. The little second hand store on the other side of town has been pretty good hunting for odds and ends tool wise. I found the miscellaneous bucket of cheap wrenches at the pawn shop the other day on a quest.
    In the years I was teaching my wife figured out that I had my Snap-On box out in the garage and she quickly figured out that the Snap-n screw drivers worked a lot better than the others in the box. I'd have to backhaul them from the house every so often.
    I am guilty of misplacing tools while I am working on something though. Part of that is projects seem to take a lot longer than they did years ago.
     
  11. Stogy
    Joined: Feb 10, 2007
    Posts: 26,345

    Stogy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER


    Gremmy2.jpg

    How Ya'll Doin'

    Sometimes...Just Sometimes it's Somebody Else...

    But most of the time it's YOU...:D

    Stogy's Losing a Tool Story...and it wasn't at home...About 3/4's of the way to a Cruise which is about 1hr in total, I was cruising along at 35mph and hear a ring and clanging noise under the Hotrod and my first thought is, was that something important in the drivetrain or linkage...shit...so I head a little further and turn off check things out all seems good and BECAUSE I'm frikken curious I go backtrack and wasn't it one of my smaller combination wrenches...it was to dangerous to go back and get it...I just wrote it off and yeah Found it...

    So No it wasn't the Missus, Or the Gremmy...IT WAS ME...:D
    wonder where it fell from...:confused:

    I'm still looking for the other stuff...:eek:

     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2019
    chryslerfan55 and HOTRODPRIMER like this.
  12. Baumi
    Joined: Jan 28, 2003
    Posts: 3,043

    Baumi
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I found my 1/2" wrench under the Battery in my Riviera. Sometimes tools come back home, hahaha
     
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  13. 1ton
    Joined: Dec 3, 2010
    Posts: 688

    1ton
    Member

    Best way to lose something is to let someone "borrow" it.
     
  14. Country Joe
    Joined: Jan 16, 2018
    Posts: 517

    Country Joe
    Member

    I see a lot of mechanics complain and joke about losing their 10mm sockets. I've never had that problem. In fact, all my metric tools go untouched until I do an oil change on my Silverado.
     
  15. Mark, I bought here one several years ago for her flower shop, it seem I'm the only one that ever uses it, and that's usually pumping up customers flat/slack tires. HRP
     
  16. woodbutcher
    Joined: Apr 25, 2012
    Posts: 3,310

    woodbutcher
    Member

    :D Hi 1ton.I had a little girl kitty that would do the same thing when she did`nt get some attention.But she would only go off about 10 feet.
    Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
    Leo
     
  17. I am 100% sure that every tool I've ever owned is in my shop exactly where I left it......................Clearly the problem is that when my back is turned some one or something is sneaking in and fooling with my stuff. ......there can be no other explanation as to why I can't find a damn thing
     
  18. Dangerous Dan
    Joined: Jul 10, 2011
    Posts: 479

    Dangerous Dan
    Member

    Missing about a kazillion 10mm sockets.
     
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  19. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,594

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    Yes I did, did you find them? :D
     
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  20. Funny, maybe not so funny, but I remember back in the 70s the boss's son used his 1 inch micrometer for a c clamp. Boss wasn't too happy !! :mad:
     
  21. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,625

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    Porsche shop I worked in the '60s: Boss's son, Richard, complained about losing screwdrivers. Brand new Macs.
    "I can't believe it...I lost another 3 screwdrivers!"
    He bought a whole set to replace what was missing, a week later he was almost 'out of screwdrivers'.
    The Service Mgr. was a practical joker...he had a 'stall' next to his service desk, and a West Coast hoist.
    The ceiling above his hoist was 2" X 8" tongue-in-groove, with shingles above...
    I looked up one day, and asked "WTF? There's 20+ screwdrivers sticking in the ceiling!"
    Dave (Serv. Mgr.) laughed, said "Watch this..." and walked over to Richard's box, drew a new Mac screwdriver (#2 'blade', 10" long) and under-hand thrust it into the ceiling, 18 feet up. Another one...They resembled arrows shot by Native tribesmen into the lower wings of low flying aircraft.
    Richard was in the shop early (so was I) He said, "This is crazy, another screwdriver gone, I haven't even used it yet. Where are they going?"
    I said, "We used to throw apples at police cars when we were 13, then climb a tree. Cops ran in the orchard and couldn't find us. They never looked UP."
    I looked at Richard, raised my eyebrows a coupla times...Richard looked up, and was surprised..."MY SCREWDRIVERS!" I said, "Wow, how'd they get up there?"
    Richard: "DAVE!"
    I told him the best thing to do was teach Dave a lesson...
    There was a NEW Porsche 911 Targa on Dave's hoist, 2 feet up. (below the 'arrowlike' screwdrivers)
    I took a LARGE #3 blade X 18" Mac screwdriver out of my box, and we inserted a shop towel under the trunk lid (front 'hood') of the Targa. The Mac screwdriver blade was carefully placed in the hood crack, standing up. (looked for all purposes to have fallen out, piercing the hood!)
    Dave came in, whistling, looked through the windows of the Targa and saw the 'damage'. He walked up to it, and turned to ME, and snarled a grin: "Ohhhh,"
    How he knew it was me.....well, how NOT? I knew I was in for it.
    Bastard put a snake in my deep drawer a couple of days later. (just a 'Gopher snake', but at a glance? "Rattler!"
    Richard 'found' all his screwdrivers. He had Ernie (young guy) climb the tall ladder and retrieve 'em.
     
  22. goldmountain
    Joined: Jun 12, 2016
    Posts: 4,442

    goldmountain

    I used to work with this older guy who had a homemade wooden toolbox. Everything was always in order and he had plywood inserts that would keep it all neat. Don't think he ever lost a tool.

    Sent from my SM-T350 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  23. every time I start a project the shop is clean and everything in its place. So its easy to find anything.........2 hrs later I can't find a fuckin thing I just had in my hot little fingers,........ and the shop floor is now in two feet of stuff never to bee seen again until the next project...............
     
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  24. dan c
    Joined: Jan 30, 2012
    Posts: 2,520

    dan c
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    one brother-in-law had a bad habit of using his dad's tools outside; if they fell on the ground, he'd leave 'em. dad always found his tools, all rusty, when the snow melted. another b-i-l was doing some yard work for me and told me how helpful that "funny-looking crowbar" had been. it was the valve remover for my flatheads!
     
  25. luckythirteenagogo
    Joined: Dec 28, 2012
    Posts: 1,269

    luckythirteenagogo
    Member
    from Selma, NC

    As they say, the easiest way to find your old one is to take the new one out of the package. Works for me every time.

    Sent from my SM-G960U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  26. 26Troadster
    Joined: Nov 20, 2010
    Posts: 787

    26Troadster
    Member

    i find where i or my grandson, mostly him have left tools. i know someone was pissed yesterday, one of my friends ol lady hit a tool box in the middle of the road yesterday morning. tore the crap out of her plastic car and the bad part is she didn't get the tools.
     
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  27. This thread reminded me to get on Epay and buy a missing socket for my Mac 3/8” set.
     
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  28. blackanblue
    Joined: Feb 20, 2009
    Posts: 417

    blackanblue
    Member

    I'm pretty good at not losing tools, but labour day weekend I sold my coupe (sad day). Younger guy came three days in a row, first with his dad then an older race Guy, and again with his dad. So he is crawling underneath laughing and asked if I lost a Phillips screwdriver. It was stuck up on top of the trans probably when I was hooking up the neutral safety switch 6 or 8 years ago.
     
  29. Rickybop
    Joined: May 23, 2008
    Posts: 9,606

    Rickybop
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Here we go again with losing stuff LOL.

    Just so happened...
    Yesterday, I was taking a look underneath the Chrysler and saw one of my combination wrenches hiding... still hanging on a nut for the steering.

    Sent from my VS835 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  30. Smokeybear
    Joined: Apr 20, 2011
    Posts: 325

    Smokeybear
    Member

    I lost a flux core welder once. I lent it to one of my friends after consuming a frost beverage or 12, forgot who I loaned it to and haven't seen it since. Don't drink and lend folks.
     
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