Aviation Mechanics..Let's See Your Toolboxes!

[Steinmetz]

Do Boeing use SAE fasteners and Airbus use Metric?

probably a bad example I know as they sell aircraft worldwide but inquiring minds want to know

Yes. I was an Engineer at the Boeing plant in Renton, WA before I went to law school. They did (and do) use SAE fasteners.

 

[Hootbro]

..........

Skydrol will turn your Channellock pliers green, and don't get that stuff in your eyes.
................

I hate Skydrol.

I always thought if Satan had blood running through his veins, it would be Skydrol.

 

[Delbert G]

I hate Skydrol.

I always thought if Satan had blood running through his veins, it would be Skydrol.

I agree with that!! and the smell.

 

[Chamkila]

the new skydrol is nothing compared to the older skydrol used in the 747100 or 200 or even the 300. The old stuff would eat thru plastics while you watch them. The new takes its sweet time.

 

[rudeboyrs]

I'm an aircraft mech / A and P / LAME from Australia and I've happily stumbled upon this forum whilst researching 'tool control' solutions.

I laughed at the OCD comment, but the biggest issue in my company at the moment is tools not accounted for (missing) after maintenance. We actually certify that all our tools are present after working ... if not, we a liable.

Within the next year our toolboxes need to meet tool control rules by being foam cut and quickly identifiable if anything is missing.

 

[rudeboyrs]

and the skydrol discussion ... I too have always thought it was the blood of Satan.

For those that don't know ... its flame retardent hydraulic fluid and it stings like fire just the littlest bit in your eye and it makes your skin feel terrible. We use it in 3000 psi hydraulic systems.

But I still think the smell of Mobil 33 just hangs around the most ...

 

[Alchymist]

Worked out of a toolbox like ZRX61 posted above for 4 years. I can tell you that the Boeing B52 is all SAE. Worked for an aerospace manufacturer 2000-2008 on equipment for everything from the F16 to the Space Shuttle. It was all SAE, never saw a metric fitting anywhere. The company supplied roll around and top boxes, all Craftsman. Some of the older employees had Kennedy boxes from way back.

 

[64Trvlr]

You will discover how dirty you can get...
Charles

............work on radials...

LOL, radials don't leak they're just marking their spot on the ramp.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

No topboxes, but a few side cabinets. They don't build up, they just build wider.

I had a top box for several years. When I set up a new rig, I expanded horizontally, as you need the top clear for either a paperwork work area, or a component work area, and you need to be able to roll under the aircraft. Mine will just barely go under a MD88/90 just forward of the wing fillet fairings. You don't want to be pushing all the way around the aircraft to get to the other side if you can help it.

Charles

 

[Steinmetz]

I'm an aircraft mech / A and P / LAME from Australia and I've happily stumbled upon this forum whilst researching 'tool control' solutions.

I laughed at the OCD comment, but the biggest issue in my company at the moment is tools not accounted for (missing) after maintenance. We actually certify that all our tools are present after working ... if not, we a liable.

Within the next year our toolboxes need to meet tool control rules by being foam cut and quickly identifiable if anything is missing.

Tool accountability is a real issue in the aircraft industry. No tools are lost/abandoned inside aircraft. Period.

 

[noslocars]

If you get skydrol in your eyes just put some castor oil in them. The burn will go away instantly. We keep it stocked in our first aid cabinet. Back to the topic, I have a snap on tool box that I use. I will post a picture of it when I figure out how to do it.

 

[Hootbro]

If you get skydrol in your eyes just put some castor oil in them. The burn will go away instantly. We keep it stocked in our first aid cabinet. Back to the topic, I have a snap on tool box that I use. I will post a picture of it when I figure out how to do it.

Milk also works to flush Skydrol out of eyes if Castor oil is not readily available.

 

[Hootbro]

Tool accountability is a real issue in the aircraft industry. No tools are lost/abandoned inside aircraft. Period.

On the surface, I would agree with that statement. In my experience though, I have found lots of tools over the years with many going back to original manufacture of the aircraft. Mainly it was stuff on heavies that get caught and lost under the insulation blankets. I even found a vintage late 1970's "OUI" men's magazine one time under a blanket on a DC-10. It was like a little time capsule left by someone who was working in the area when building it.

 

[Provincial]

Tool accountability is a real issue in the aircraft industry. No tools are lost/abandoned inside aircraft. Period.

I had a friend (now gone) that was once a mechanic for Boeing on the 747 pre-delivery flight line. he had a drawer full of 3/8x7/16 box end wrenches. I asked him why he had so many. He replied that "when I did a pre-delivery inspection I could guarantee that I would find at least one of these in every plane." He had about 20 pounds of wrenches that he had found in the planes, as well as bucking bars, drill bits, hardware, and other tools. He also found lots of trash that the threw out.

I found a bucking bar and a cut-down Snapon 9/16" angle wrench in a DC-3 during one inspection.

It happens, but shouldn't.

I had the owner (my boss) of a Grumman Goose fire up and fly off despite my protests that I couldn't find a screwdriver used in the inspection that he was waiting for me to finish. When he came back, I found it jammed in the landing gear and the blade had cut halfway through the sidewall of the main tire. I chewed his a** out and rubbed his nose in the cost of the replacement tire. He did listen to me from then on.

Many of these mistakes are caused by "hurry up."

 

[mattygee]

Yes, it shouldn't happen, but tools get left on airplanes all the time...or sometimes a tool falls into an area that is simply impractical/impossible to access. Obviously if you know it fell into an area where it can cause harm you have a responsibility to find it, but many times this is not the case.

I just lost a 1/4 drive socket behind an e/e rack a few weeks ago...looked for 20 minutes for it with no luck. Pissed me off, but sometimes you gotta know when to move on. I'll find someone else's sooner or later...

M

 

[rudeboyrs]

Times have changed ...

Very recently ... we had an aircraft 'on the ground' for the whole day due to a lost socket.

It fell into a CFM56-7 engine core section at the end of a nightshift (0600). As the tool was not returned the aircraft was not allowed to fly.(It could be stuck and jam the engines VSV control). All day it was looked for, and fresh eyes the next night found it.

Where I work if a tool is lost, your aircraft does not fly. One of the reasons tool control is so important to us.

 

[mf44]

What are those wrench holders you have there?

 

[racingtadpole]

Times have changed ...

Very recently ... we had an aircraft 'on the ground' for the whole day due to a lost socket.

It fell into a CFM56-7 engine core section at the end of a nightshift (0600). As the tool was not returned the aircraft was not allowed to fly.(It could be stuck and jam the engines VSV control). All day it was looked for, and fresh eyes the next night found it.

Where I work if a tool is lost, your aircraft does not fly. One of the reasons tool control is so important to us.

Well that means you're not working for Tiger.

And maintenance dont need to ground anything at QANTAS, senior management are pretty good at that..

 

[Chamkila]

yes, it shouldn't happen, but tools get left on airplanes all the time...or sometimes a tool falls into an area that is simply impractical/impossible to access. Obviously if you know it fell into an area where it can cause harm you have a responsibility to find it, but many times this is not the case.

i just lost a 1/4 drive socket behind an e/e rack a few weeks ago...looked for 20 minutes for it with no luck. Pissed me off, but sometimes you gotta know when to move on. I'll find someone else's sooner or later...

m

really?????? You do know if a faa inspector is on this site he can yank your license for this? Dude e/e racks and ratchets dont mix.

Wow times have changed!!!!!

 

[rudeboyrs]

Jetmech09 ... have you got any details on your foam and cutting? Did you buy the foam and cut it yourself as you add tools, or a company did it? Thanks mate.

 

[rudeboyrs]

Well that means you're not working for Tiger.

And maintenance dont need to ground anything at QANTAS, senior management are pretty good at that..

Ha ... nice one!

 

[SantaAna12]

Cool Thread. JetMech....Rudeboys Q is a good one if you have time.

 

[ianguilly]

Here are some pics my dad sent me of some of the boxes he has hanging around at work.

 

[helgrind]

Here are some pics my dad sent me of some of the boxes he has hanging around at work.

GE CTEC... I was just there for some training on the CF34. There's some cool stuff there

 

[ianguilly]

GE CTEC... I was just there for some training on the CF34. There's some cool stuff there

My father has worked for ge for almost 40 years. Grew up walking around ctec.

 

[k_onn]

hi all,an airframe fitter here.deals mainly with major commercial aircraft types.just sharing some photos of my toolbox that i made.hope you guys like it!

 

[north]

That looks like a very nice box k_onn. Would love to see some pictures of the whole box.

And welcome to the forum.

 

[Justin1776]

I am not an aviation mechanic but I did have a discussion related to this thread with my Snap-On dealer the other day. We were on the topic of .gov contracts and he told me a story about NASA's toolboxes that Snap-on designed for them. In order to A. prevent theft and B. keep track of tools, Snap on designed a system that keeps track of all tools that are in and out of a box. The box drawers open automatically (can't remember if by voice or by hand proximity to the respective drawer) and when you select a tool, the box knows what tool it is (via laser). And if you try to swap in a Craftsman for a Snap-on, it will still show as missing. He said that SO had one of these boxes on display at a dealer convention. Pretty cool stuff

 

[k_onn]

hi all again!got more shots of my toolbox.a little something about the box,it is actually made to be a 3-tiered box.the mostly used tools sits in the top and middle tier.the bottom houses those not so frequently used tools.the box is made entirely of aviation grade aluminium and stainless steel sheets.rivets were used to fasten all of them together.measurements for the box are L20 x W12 x H11

 

[AV tinker er]

While I was an avionics tech doing depot level maintenace I could do my entire job with a #3 philips, a #6 & #8 high torq (see pic, left screw), a 1/4 drive ratchet with a 1/4 socket (deep and shallow), cotter pin puller, maybe a wrench or two, and a torque wrench. That makes for a very unimpressive toolbox. All the crimpers, stripers, Watt meters, Flukes, and anything else that had a calibration was supplied for us.

 

[gagreen]

My new toolbox officially qualifies





















I work in GA doing mostly restoration work. I've been in aviation for 8 years but an a&p only since July 2013. Definitely no where near done adding tools... My snap on dealer loves me. I was avionics in the air force but making the transition from fighter aircraft to ga has not been to bad at all, other than filling up my toolbox ha.

 

[Adam.C]

Boeing factory boxes are Lista not snap on. They are team boxes, no personal boxes in final assemblies at any plants I have ever seen. I've seen HF rollers in smaller hangars beside snap ons.

Boeing tools are serialized snap on, and include metric, but most hardware is SAE.

100% shadowed - it's safety, not OCD. Aircraft have been lost due to guys leaving Allen keys behind. Most tools are very hard and can severely damage dynamic components. This is no joke. The crash I'm thinking of killed the pilots.

I have found tools in my car left by mechanics and have lost valuable tools working on my cars. I now try to practice the same sort of tool control measures and specifically choose tools that are easy to find in dark engine bays and car interiors.

 

[rusjack]

Here is mine - company supplied. Mostly Bahco - Snap On ratchets + crows feet, Blue Point mini ratchet things. I like lots of it, hate lots of it.

-Working on Bombardier Globals & Challengers.

 

[gagreen]

Here is mine - company supplied. Mostly Bahco - Snap On ratchets + crows feet, Blue Point mini ratchet things. I like lots of it, hate lots of it.

-Working on Bombardier Globals & Challengers.

What country are you in? I only ask because of the boxes. I was thinking about ordering one for home until I couldn't find one stateside.

 

[Stokes_]

I see some in here were smart and bought angle wrenches, I'm like the only guy at work that has a set and people ask me to borrow them all them time. Will post pics of my box after work tomorrow.

 

[RTUmark]

My company actually calls it 6s now. I forget what the sixth s was though.

Shine

 

[rusjack]

What country are you in? I only ask because of the boxes. I was thinking about ordering one for home until I couldn't find one stateside.

I'm in the middle east. I think they sourced them from Germany, but I could be mistaken. Somewhere up there.

 

[hallboyone]

There is a company in my town called L-3 communications. There big thing is to take old, obsolete tankers and transform them into a mobile center for the army to control all of there undercover operations. I've taken a tour several times and, needless to say, no cameras allowed. But I can describe the boxes.
They were all snap-on and had a card swipe on the front (it also had a touch pad I think). When a worker swiped there card the box would unlock and he could get whatever tool he needed. When he closed the box it would read what tool is missing and since the employee swiped in they know who took it. If the tool doesn't get returned then they replace it out of your paycheck. Finally, if they tool you wanted wasn't there you could find who has it on the screen. I just thought that it was awesome.

 

[bhalv]

I see some in here were smart and bought angle wrenches, I'm like the only guy at work that has a set and people ask me to borrow them all them time. Will post pics of my box after work tomorrow.

angle wrenches are easily the best money I have spent in regards to aircraft work

 

[gagreen]

angle wrenches are easily the best money I have spent in regards to aircraft work

I've been in aviation for years and have never sat back and thought an angle wrench would be handy here, but I know as soon as I get on the truck this week I am going to order a set and hate myself for not having them before.