Lost tools..

[Jim Bremner]

Dad had a high $$$ Holley Carb screw driver. It was bent for a reach around and had a knob that you turned to turn the blade.

It got lost when I still lived at home. I got the blame for it. ( My car at the time had an Edelbrock Carb.

2+ years later my kid brother broke the trans on our Dads 428 CJ powered '68 F-250 truck drag racing it down at the BrotherHOOD raceway in LB. Seems that 35kmiles and countless 11:50 runs in a pickup the Holley carb screwdriver shows up on top of the trans when the trans was removed.

1/2 & 13mm sockets & 10mm box combos. Yup

[VINMAN]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

My tape measure only reappears when I don't need it. It seems to know when to show up. I'd like to blame my missing tools on others, but I'm the only one who uses them. So I blame the tools.

For some reason I have tape measures up the wazoo. One thing i never have to look for. They are everywhere.
I also have a bad habit of wearng a tool belt when doing construction stuff, and never putting tools back in the belt when I use them . I'll just lay them down somewhere.

[fastfredracing]

I used to be anal , and neat, but I am always jumping from job to job, and never seem to have all my tools back in the box. I have doubles/triples of all the common stuff, but the one thing that I am always loosing, is cordless trouble lights. I always leave them hanging under cars, and then forget. I just got back a nice snap on one, that was hanging under a customers toyota truck for the last 3 months. Threw it back on the charger, and it lit right up.
Pocket screw drivers are another one. I probably have 10 of them, but I bet I could not find 2 if you asked me to .

[Evans, Marv]

13 mm & 17 mm wreches !!!

[oldE]

Originally Posted by VINMAN

I find myself going through 1/2" -3/8" adapters like crazy. Meanwhile I must have about thirty 9/16 sockets. Dont know where they all came from

I believe the process is called Transmogrification.

Ditto on 10mm sockets.

Sigh
Les

[MysticLlama]

On the 10mm socket thing, my rails for my Recaros are just narrow enough that they have to have a really thin wall 10mm to get it in there.

Everytime I lose one, I pretty much have to buy a complete $7 made in taiwan socket set to get the cheap thin one I need. I can't really justify paying for a high grade thin wall specific socket if I'm just gonna lose it again.

[pwd72s]

It's kind of like the missing sock when removing clothes from the dryer. I figure it's proof on an unseen dimension.

I seem to "lose" a lot less tools now that I have a good rollaway. But then, since the P-car left here, I don't use the tools much.

[Joe Bob]

Taking a break every 20 minutes to clean tools and put them in a central location tends to keep me from tossing them thru the drywall.

[VINMAN]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

It's kind of like the missing sock when removing clothes from the dryer. I figure it's proof on an unseen dimension.
.

Tool limbo?? Does that mean when I die, some spirit will hand me a box and say" hey you lose these". I'll look in the box , " holy crap, theres the snap ring pliers I was lookin for.."

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Joe Bob

Taking a break every 20 minutes to clean tools and put them in a central location tends to keep me from tossing them thru the drywall.

I totally agree. !

For years I did the "where is the heck is that tool I just used 5 minutes ago" and I wasted a ton of time looking for tools. Then I just forced myself to put the tool back in the proper spot in the tool chest. I organized my tool chest and now the tools have a spot that they go back to. I can put my hand on it in seconds and no more searching. The seconds it takes to put it away is much less time than wondering around looking for a dang tool.

I still find myself setting a tool down in the dumbest places. I carried my 3/8 socket drive into the bathroom with me and I was about convinced the aliens from outer space changed from abducting people to abducting my tools.

[vash]

pocketknives

just lost my Case. bummed about it.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by vash

pocketknives

just lost my Case. bummed about it.

Boy, I dig that! I'd feel naked without the 3 bladed Case in my pocket. It was a birthday gift from Cindy...

The tools can usually be replaced with a quick trip to Sears...but the Case Cindy gave me has stag scales...India no longer allows the export of Stag antlers. Kind of silly, since the antlers are shed...no animal killed for the material.

[vash]

really bummed. my stepdad gave me mine. i managed to keep it unlost for a year!! going to tear thru my house this weekend. MIA since last Sat..not looking very promising.

[Jim Bremner]

On another tool note, I own 5 or so 3/8" ratchets, 3, 1/2" ratchets and 2, 1/4" ratchets.

It saves a TON of time when you're under a car to just have several ratchets set up as you need them.

[ledhedsymbols]

At work I am constantly setting down 10 in 1 screwdrivers and lineman's pliers... at least every couple months I get a new screwdriver and a couple times a year I need to replace my Kleins... Around the house I'm not too bad. I only work in a couple areas so it isn't hard to find my tools unless my wife has been using them.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by vash

really bummed. my stepdad gave me mine. i managed to keep it unlost for a year!! going to tear thru my house this weekend. MIA since last Sat..not looking very promising.

Hope you find it. I went through the single blade lockback stage, but once I started carrying one of these? Well, they are just so damned handy...sometimes it takes a while to realize the old time designs last because they work well.

If you need a replacement:
Smoky Mountain Knife Works - home of the World's largest knife showplace

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Jim Bremner

On another tool note, I own 5 or so 3/8" ratchets, 3, 1/2" ratchets and 2, 1/4" ratchets.

It saves a TON of time when you're under a car to just have several ratchets set up as you need them.

Good tip! Also a good reason to buy MORE TOOLS!

[GH85Carrera]

The one place I have had a few tools vanish is when I am working in my attic. I kow that somewhere up there are several tools that are hiding underneath the insulation.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

The one place I have had a few tools vanish is when I am working in my attic. I kow that somewhere up there are several tools that are hiding underneath the insulation.

Do you know anybody with a metal detector?

[look 171]

Pencils and tape measures. I buy them in bulk before my job starts. when I show up, you can pretty much find pencils ON the countertops or the floor. Once I am done with what I am doing, I will put it down and off to answer another question. There it sits. Same with the tape measure. I do not put it on top of my ears.