RE missing wrenches

[Ralph wd45]

I didn't want to hijack Bill Porters post,but the subject matter brought to mind, my own pet peeve, about tools. I currently have 5 rollaway tool boxes, with 2 chests on each. Two are older Craftsman rollaways,with chests on them that I have had for many years, while raising my 3 boys.One set was dedicated to metric, and one dedicated to SAE, These boys started out with bicycles, and progressed to motorcycles(japanese), and then to jap cars, and later to american pickups. Even tho I spent a lot of time griping about missing tools, and even threatened to break their arms if I caught them with my tools, and bought countless cheap tool sets for birthdays, and christmas's, I was constantly having to replace 10mm----1/2" and 9/16"wrenches, that evaporated.I went through a period of locking the chests, and had to keep 6 keys on me at all times, to access a tool when I needed it. (Don't you know that all craftsman keys look exactly alike if you dont read the number on them.) Talk about agrivation, when you just wanted a wrench!Finally I gave up and unlocked the boxes in the shop, and gave up.About 2 yr's ago I ordered 2new rollaways, and 4 chests from Northern Tools, and filled both with Northern tools, one Metric, and one with SAE. Two of my boys were grown, and moved out on their own, so I felt that I had a fighting chance this time, just one young adult left to contend with.I had built a new storage building, and provided it with locked doors, and no windows, and put the 2 new tool sets in there along with my Goldwing. When I retired last march, I brought my rollaway and chests home from Boeing, filled with 30 yr's collection of tools, and put them in the storage shed also. To make a long story short, the wife needed a key to the storage shed, to access the chest freezer, which she shared with the youngest boy, when he couldn't find the tool he wanted in the shop.Of course she didn't feel she had to share that with me, so when I found that some of my new tools were absent, and had to suplement them with tools from my Boeing box, she finally let me in on it. I now have a new lockset on the storage bld'g, and I access the freezer when needed. I can't imagine why tools don't show up around the place, or in the boy's vehicles!

 

[Anonymous-0]

lol You sound exactly like my dad! Im 28 years old now and he still jumps me once in a while about losing his tools over the years. I got a good laugh out of this post!

 

[huntingreen2day]

I accused my son of that a lot. Usually turned out they were where I left them last. But he gets tools every Christmas. has a lot better tools than I do now. he keeps up with his. I still look for mine a lot.

 

[GeneMO]

What did you do at Boeing?

Gene

 

[Ralph wd45]

Gene! I was a Millwright for boeing, for 10 yrs, and then the last 20yr's I was on overhead crane mechanic, at their Frederickson plant.

 

[MF24-4]

Son would always leave tools laying wherever he got done with them. Now he has most of his own and a lot of Snap-on. He takes a lot better care of them. He hollers at me when I head for his box. Reminds me of whose tools they are. Loosing tools drives me nuts. He just turned 21 and works a full time job,doesn't run around, just works on pulling tractor and his truck.He wants to farm. A few lost or scattered tools is a small price to pay for the way he has turned out. Everyone should be so lucky.

 

[PJH]

Ralph, I had a story similar to yours, only I'm sure you have a lot nicer tools than I've ever had.

My two sons were constantly into my shop tools, and although they didn't lose very many, they sure made them hard to find. I was griping to a friend one evening about them durn kids and my tools. He paused and solemnly said, "I can't think of anything I'd rather have my boys doing than misplacing my tools out in my shop."

Made me re-think my priorities.

One day I looked all over for an old axe that I was real fond of. I was getting aggravated, and I jumped my youngest son about it. He ducked his head, got on his old trail bike and roared off. About thirty minutes later, he showed up with my fine old axe strapped on the back of that motorcycle. Turns out he'd built a deer stand and had left the axe in the woods.

It's a doomed feeling to see an old trail bike leaving the shop with my good hand saw, hammer, nail apron, and several board feet of treated timbers strapped on the back. I always imagined those tools dribbling off all through the woods.

My sons are grown now, the oldest has a successful auto repair shop, and the youngest is a phone tech. Both of them know how to use tools.

Paul

 

[IHC Red]

When I was in high-school, I did machinery setup for a dealer. I was starting to get a nice chest full of stuff that I needed. The dealership's owner had high turn-over and he would hire just about any bum that walked through the door.

I came to work after school one day and found my toolbox pried open and my tools being used as if it were no big deal. This same guy lost a new 15" Diamond crescent wrench. I replaced it and he lost the replacement too. He offered a transistor radio (he probably stole) as repayment. What a jerk. I had a tough time keeping 1/2x9/16 around too, even though I usually checked all my tools at the end of the day.

I should have raised holy hell and had the boss take it out of his pay ! I don't think I would be so Christian if it happened again.

 

[S.Crum]

Never had that problem (though Dad did). My son wouldn't know a 9/16 wrench if I threw it at him!

 

[ihredo4]

I have that problem but in a different way.My brother is the main reason I have to put ALL my tools away when I am away from them. If they are not locked up he thinks they are his. Sad when he is 7 years older than myself. The other one I have problems with is my dad. I used his enough that I don't care if he uses mine. It just stinks to have to follow him around to pick up all of the tools he leaves laying around. Then I have to sort them to get mine and his separate. I spend more time chasing those two around than I get to work on something. My girls on the other hand know if they use something they put it back in as good if not better condition than they got it.

 

[Fawteen]

Sigh. I can relate to the locked toolboxes. Not that much of a problem at home (after a few brief but animated discussions on the subject with my Grandson) but it was pure hell at work.

Guys in the shop were okay, but if you left your box open, any schmuck in the plant saw that as an invitation to use, lose or steal your tools.

I had Craftsman boxes at the time, and I used colored electrical tape. Patch over the lock on the box, and a matching one wrapped around the head of the appropriate key. Still a PITA, but at least I didn't spend 5 minutes standing in front of the box sorting through keys.

 

[Anonymous-0]

You are lucky if you have sons that want to use your tools. Don"t let things get between you and your sons.

 

[willie in mn]

Was the other way around when I was growing up. My Dad was frugal in some ways. If something needed repairs he would park at end of field & walk to shed for tools. Gas to drive tractor to yard cost cash money, walking didn't. When finished he would place tools next to fence & get back to plowing etc. Next time he couldn't find the tool he wanted, he would offer a dollar if i could find it. Jump on bike & run fenceline, come back in 10 minutes with what he needed.
Willie

 

[Oldmax]

When I was working I had to lock my tools up from a co-worker. I had All Craftman tools in my box. started missing some, another co-worker told me that the first one had more of my tools in his gararge than his. Took my tools home and bought cheap China junk neaver had anymore go missing. When I left I gave the other co-worker all my tools that had at work. The thief got mad becouse I didn't give him. I told him that he had enough of my tools.

 

[bjb in TX from Ne]

I had a hard time putting dads tools away when in the middle of a project. Didn't ever see the need to put a wrench away if I was going to use it the next day. Even when I did put the tools away there was a problem. One time I left the grease gun on a nail that was 6" lower than where I got it from. I got drug out of the house so he could point that one out.

Now that I only return to Nebraska a few times a year, he is getting back. Every time he "cleans" or gets a new storage chest, tools get shuffled around so I can't find them. This includes some of MY tools that are still at home.

 

[Aleuicius]

Sweet memories - tho my Dad might argue the "sweet" part.
None of my girls really got into tools and mechanics, but there are occasions where tools STILL vanish.
I think there"s a worm-hole to another dimension in my shop

 

[Dave Sherburne NY]

More than once I heard my father say "you can't lay anything down around here, the kids walk off with it." All my wrenches and other tools hang on nails on the wall labeled where they go. My grandsons work on stuff in my garage, and if they take down one tool at a time, there's no telling what nail they wind up on.

 

[Butch(OH)]

X2 here.

 

[Anonymous-0]

That's one big paragraph

 

[randallnMo]

I"m pretty good about putting my tools back. Every tool I own has its "own place" where it lives. One time just before Christmas one of my 1/2" wrenches was not in the right place. I asked my wife about it..........no.....she didn't know anything. Bugged the heck out of me because I knew I hadn't used it recently. On Christmas day I got a new "installed" battery for my lawn mower from her. She then admitted using the 1/2' wrench to install the battery. 'Sure felt bad about bouncing her about a stupid wrench.

 

[fixerupper]

You should work with a harvesting crew of young men. The tool situation will drive you to drink! On the harvest I carry my own tool box and NOBODY gets in it. That way I have a 7/16-1/2-9/16-3/4 when I need it. I've been teased about that box being sacred but at least I have the tools when I need them.Jim

 

[Jerry/MT]

I worked as an engineer at Boeing, Propulsion Engineering and I had a small ranch near Graham. My wife worked for Mike Turek at Fredrickson for about three years before she retired in 2002.

Bet you"re glad you aren"t there now, huh? I know I am.

 

[Gun guru]

Your sons must be some forgetful clowns to loose many wrenches. I used to loose tools when I was a kid but I need all my stuff to do my job, machinist with 3 boxes of stuff.

 

[Brian Jasper co. Ia]

All it took for me when I was young was to have Dad hit a wrench with the lawn mower...

 

[Kyle Fenstermaker]

I have a real handy 2yr old lab that loves to help me with my tools. Lay anything down, she is sure to help relocate.Only if I could teach her how to twist them!

 

[Hobo,NC]

I worked hard for the best and expect the best, I made my son replace what he lost,,, . He lost a $40 snap-on needle nose pliers,,, I made him replace it. What made me feel bad was he brought a chanal lock set and paid twice ($20) to dang much for a cheap tool... I was madder at the store that reamed him,,,Moral of the story is you can not replace what you worked hard for at any price... He would have learned more if I had made him watch while I paid out of my pocket to the snap-on guy for what he lost...

I guess they don't understand you get attached to tools that help you make a living...

 

[Ultradog MN]

First pup I ever had I caught him chewing on an extension cord. After that I made sure I unplugged everything while he was around.
He ate the cord on my skill saw, a couple of extension cords and one of the leads on my welder.
After that I always made sure I left everything plugged in and never lost another cord. He He.

 

[JDseller]

I have my good tools under lock and key. My youngest son and I have the only keys. Don"t loose many. When I was farming more farms and had hired hands. It was kind of funny how tools went. I always tried to have the basics on each tractor:hammer, adjustable wrench, common end wrenches, pliers and few screw drivers. You could go into the shop one day and maybe find one pair of pliers but five adjustable wrenches. Then go in several days later and find five pair of pliers and no adjustable wrenches. I did not have trouble with stealing just they never put anything away.

As far as laying tools around the worst offender on that was my Grand Father. He would just leave them where he used them last. He "knew" where they where but you where in trouble. I would love to have him losing tools again. Been gone twenty years this year.

Friend had trouble with his brothers taking tools to use and then not returning them in a timely manner. He painted all of his tools bright florescent PINK. His tools stopped leaving. LOL

 

[Mattlt]

My brother leaves tools lay where he last used them. All over the shop, outside, on the tractor fender, wherever.

One day I was over and he was giving his 7-year old son heck for leaving tools outside. I chuckled under me breath thinking "the apples don't fall far from the tree."

 

[DoubleR]

I guit lossing tools after my sons grew up and moved out. Although I found a missing 1 1/4 combination wrench the other day when my snowblower sheared a pin. The wrench is now in two pieces. I was glad it was a harbor freight cheapee. If it was one of my good wrenches I probably would have broke something on the blower.

 

[Heyseed]

I drov e my dad crazy losing tools as a kid. When my boys were in there teens I started locking my tool boxes. After a while they were too busy with other things and I started leaving the boxes unlocked. One day I could not find an adjustable wrench I needed. That night I was putting my five year old daughter to bed and on the floor in her room was that wrench, a couple screwdrivers and a pair of pliers. It was like Oh sugar here we go again, but now its my daughter! I had to laugh. Like others have said having kids that will lose your tools is actually a blessing. I"d love to have my dad yelling at me about tools now. He"s been in Arlington for seven years.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Seems to me the common theme here is education.or lack of it.

 

[Dick L]

I have lots tools in my shed, I have tools in my plastic factory molding room, I have tools in my mold building shop and I have tools in two pickups. Whats this about locks? How can anyone put tools back if things are locked up. Sounds like you loose more locked up tools than I have over close to sixty years of never locking up tools. Have you lost any wives over locked tool issues. I would expect to lose mine if I locked up a building that she needed to get food to cook. I would also expect to go a little hungry while she was packing my duds.
A guy needs to have his priority's straight I guess. Tools first and then wife some where down the line.

 

[PeteTheRookie]

When I was growing up I was pretty good about my Dad's tools as I used them a lot.
But I had a Uncle Hank who worked his way up thru the Long Island Lightning Co. from gas main welder to the head welder instructor for the whole company. A position he held for a couple decades until he retired.
He rarely would lend me any tools and all of his tools were engraved with his initials. He told me at the time he had to do that to keep them from disappearing at work.
Well, move ahead 25 years later. A gas line crew is working in front of my house. Like usual I go out and chat as I like to know what is going on and generally interested in what they are doing.
I mention to one of the older guys working my Uncle Hank worked for LILCO. He stops dead in his tracks, looks at me and says "You know Hank Walch?" I laughed, and said with a wry smile, "That SOB is my uncle and I know he is a total PITA." Guy pulls a tool out of his box with Old Hanks initials on it! So I ask him, "Why didn't you just give it back? You knew it was his?" He says, "What, he would of killed me!" We both got a good laugh out of it. We then called Old Hank up and they chatted for about 1/2 hr. Turned out Hank had taught him to weld when he first started at LILCO.
Pete