'lost' tool funny one.

SGBotsford · Feb 29, 2012

Opposite effect: Put a 25 foot lime green tape measure on the bumper of my ranger.

Forgot it.

Next day went to town, 70 km away.

Stopped for gas on the way back.

Tape measure was *still* on the bumper.

Lost tools.

I own 6 tape measures. That way I can (sometimes) find one when I need it.

I will no longer willingly buy a tool for outdoor use that is either black or green. Put them down in the weeds and they are unfindable.

Until you mow.

One time I found a 3 foot crow bar, just AFTER I had gone over the area with a bushhog. Good thing the blade didn't catch that. I have however wrapped up a 100 fet of black garden hose on the bushhog. I now buy pale green garden house that stands out.

Shovels by preference have orange or yellow handles. I keep a spraycan of international orange paint for wooden handled tools.

I also have a roll of wide yellow electrical tape. And I've used Tuck tape when I couldn't find the yellow stuff.

Someplace in the garage is a pair of Freude 7" demolition blades. Home Depot had them on sale. I think they ran home to Mom when my back was turned.

SGBotsford · Feb 29, 2012

Opposite effect: Put a 25 foot lime green tape measure on the bumper of my ranger.

Forgot it.

Next day went to town, 70 km away.

Stopped for gas on the way back.

Tape measure was *still* on the bumper.

Lost tools.

I own 6 tape measures. That way I can (sometimes) find one when I need it.

I will no longer willingly buy a tool for outdoor use that is either black or green. Put them down in the weeds and they are unfindable.

Until you mow.

One time I found a 3 foot crow bar, just AFTER I had gone over the area with a bushhog. Good thing the blade didn't catch that. I have however wrapped up a 100 fet of black garden hose on the bushhog. I now buy pale green garden house that stands out.

Shovels by preference have orange or yellow handles. I keep a spraycan of international orange paint for wooden handled tools.

I also have a roll of wide yellow electrical tape. And I've used Tuck tape when I couldn't find the yellow stuff.

Someplace in the garage is a pair of Freude 7" demolition blades. Home Depot had them on sale. I think they ran home to Mom when my back was turned.

chopped · Feb 29, 2012

Ok I did the pencil thingy...
Went to gaage and came back and looked around, couldnt find the pencil, I thought I must have left it in the garage. So found a pen and made my mark. Cut the wood. and then as I bent down I knocked the pencil from my mouth. It was in my mouth the whole time..lol

toy · Mar 1, 2012

Back in 1971 or 72 I had a 69 Pontiac and I was having trouble with the transmission, syncroniser needed replaced. I took my Pontiac to the Pontiac dealer to have the work done and when they finished with it I went to pick it up, it drove good and seemed right. I didn't know that the mechanic was missing a socket, but I found it for him. About a month later I was passing a car that was just poking around I mean he was just barely rolling so I, being immature decided to smoke the tires as I passed him. 1st gear just fine, shifted to second gear and it seemed fine but then all of a sudden everything locked up. I thought that it might have been the rear end that I had jerked out again, but I was able to get it back into 1st gear and was able to creep home with it. I knew then that it wasn't the rear end so my brother and I pulled the transmission opened it up and saw a lot of metal loose in the oil.After further inspection we found the chewed up socket, it was busted up but there was big enough pieces that we could make out the size of the socket the brand of socket and the initials of the mechanic on it. I went back to the shop where the work was done and told them what had happened and they tried to give me grief about making it good. I told them that I had the socket with the mechanics initials on it and the bill that he had signed and initialed and that I didn't believe that I would have a hard time proving it their fault. They went from paying 10% to replacing it with one out of an old clunker gto they had out back to replacing my transmission with a new one free of charge. This isn't about me loosing a tool, but it is about a lost tool that cost a lot in the end.

S. Shaner · Mar 1, 2012

Several years ago one muddy day in spring I was in the backyard in the morning, and again in the afternoon. Between those times a red object had appeared sticking out of the mud. Iinvestigation revealed a Sears 12V battery drill sticking half out of the ground. I can only thank one of the airlines that land nearby for dropping this manna on me when they opened their landing gear doors.

SPYDERLK · Mar 1, 2012

Just saw this thread in a TBN link re loosing your tools. I dont think that is what is being talked about here. A loosed tool can smack ya right in the head. Be careful out there.
larry

PILOON · Mar 1, 2012

Well not exactly a lost tool,
But I often place my trash on the roof rack to drop it into the roadside bin as I leave. (on rack in case it leaks)
More than once I have driven miles and some driver frantically points to my roof and it dawns on me that I neglected that essential end of driveway stop.
My excuse is that I have to very carefully look both ways on exiting the drive to avoid collisions and that momentary distraction makes me forget the overhead cargo. L.O.L.

sixdogs · Mar 1, 2012

You know, I've lost a few--not many-- tools over the years but I think I have found way more that lost. Forty years of scrounging the roads and I have multiple brand name Crescent wrenches, some Proto, Bonney, Craftsman, etc. Found some original branded Totota wrenches, a welding helmet, Craftsman torque wrench, shovels and sledge hammers, concrete tools and on and on. Looking back, I would say the list includes far more quality tools than India or HF tools. In fact, I don't believe I ever found a HF tool. Must be we lose the good stuff, learn the lesson and then hang on the whatever tool we may buy next, even if low-buck stuff.

koopster · Mar 1, 2012

moored4 said:
When I was in high school wood shop I made an inlaid wooden box, about the size of a good tool box, the shop teacher told me to assemble it all and then we would cut the lid off!

Do you know what a mess a table saw will make of a full glue bottle while your ripping the top from the bottom! I had to stay after school for 3 hrs cleaning glue from everything, inside the saw, walls, light fixtures, It went everywhere! Thing is I know I did not leave that bottle of glue inside of that box! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

:laughing::laughing::laughing: This story was great! (of course, not for you at the time) My sides hurt from laughing.:confused2:

Ron JD670 · Mar 2, 2012

Lost and Found...
After my contractor was done with the remodeling construction and drywall I was doing the finishing work and light installs. Over the wet bar we had planned a can light so I tapped with a hammer to double check where the studs were. Each time I tapped I got a thud back. Tap thud, tap thud. If I tapped harder the thud was louder. :confused2:I thought maybe the contractor had put a rock in there as a joke. I finaly punched a small hole and felt something with my finger but could not figure it out. I marked a circle for the can light and went at it with my saws all. Something went flying. When I finally had the hole cut, I reached around tentatively and found the contractors small cats paw pry bar. A few weeks later we had him and the wife over for dinner to celebrate the project and I gave it to him wrapped as a thank you present along with a new 25' tape measure. He finally realized it was his pry bar and had to admit he was wondering where he had left it. We all got a laugh. :laughing: