Thread: Wrenches

Originally Posted by meleii

Typically we paint them so we know they are ours. Mine are blue and white kinda like a cloudy sky. Most just grab some marking paint from the gang box and put some type of mark so they stand out.

I had some tools in the workshop together with others, mine with a bright yellow ribbon painted on (since the Army yellow striped stuff appeals to me).
One of the other guys sort of lost his head and suddenly said that it was his tools.
I pointed out the yellow stripes but he said he always paint them like that too.
I thought I might end that discussion fast by scraping away some paint and show him that underneath the paint was my name...
NO, the idiot still said it was his, and that he writes MY name on his tools!
He is gone now... don't ask but you won't meet him anywhere!

I was an ironworker apprentice and was about to weld my initials on my spud wrenches. An old timer asked me what I was doing. I told him and he advised that it was not a good idea to weld on the wrenches, as that might take the temper out of them, and they might break if I stuck them in a column to stand on them while waiting for a piece.

So I asked him what the best way to mark them with my name was. He said that they can steal them with your name just as easily as they can steal them without it. Keep them close by you and don't leave them around unguarded was his advice. I followed that advice and with the exception of a 12" Crescent wrench I never lost a tool on the job.

A short while ago I was cruising through an antique shop and came across a "vintage" linesman wire crimper. I love stuff like that. I needed one for my truck and for $15 I can't buy a new one even of poor quality. On one side it had a name and on the other it had another's. Cool! I normally wouldn't have done it but there was room so I added mine. Either one of my grandchildren or someone from my estate sale will say, "I am at least the 4th owner of this tool."

From my experience my coworkers and people in general are honest and they understand what a good tool is worth to its owner.

I have many stories about how people want to blame others for their loss. A coworker lost his tape measure one day and ranted and raved about how someone stole it. About 2 months later he was in his basement of the house he was building and reached on top of a beam. His lost tape measure fell down and hit him on the head. He sheepishly admitted it the next day when he came to work.

Another had his favorite flashlight stolen. 6 months later when he got a PM [Preventative Maintenance] request for the same fan above a ceiling he came into the lunch room and told everyone it was exactly where he left it.

I am not above all this. One morning with a busy shift change in the locker room lots of stuff being talked about. I went to my locker at first break and my pants were missing. I wear jeans and our uniforms have jean pants. What the heck??? There were my pants on the floor. My change and pocket knife were missing. My fault. I mentioned it to a couple of coworkers but what can I do for my stupidity? I bought a new knife, [A Kershaw Leek] on the way home. I always have my knife in my pocket. Later that night my wife came up from the basement where I change with my odd shifts to keep the rest of the house quiet and said, "Is this your knife?" The next day even though I had only mentioned it to a few most had heard about my rant. I had to humble myself and admit my error.

Tim

Originally Posted by Hirlau

The salesman said it had a lifetime warranty.
A friend of mine, at the time, wanted to read one of my judo books, he kept it 5 years.

Was it in English, or did he need to learn a foreign language to read it, either that or he Jamie a self taught black belt :-)

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Snap-On is art. Beyond tools. I don't have a lot of them but every now and again, when I need a wrench I make it a Snap-On. Ebay is a good source for high end tools. The USA Craftsman, vintage S&K, Proto, are all good. Vintage J.H. Williams too.

Vintage Snap-On. More and more of their stuff is being made in China.