Found Tools

[BFBOB]

There must be a thread for this already, but I can't find it, so here goes: Tools you've found (other than roadkill)
I found this hammer inside a wall on a construction site where I was working. It was a thick wall with plumbing in between the faces, or the insulation would have hidden it completely. I'd made a hole to mount a 2x4 box, and my skinny little arms were small enough I could reach through and grab it. Several trades on site and no way to know whose it was, so I left it hanging from a string in the middle of the room with a note "Did you lose me?" Two days later it was gone.

 

[BFBOB]

 

[dwasifar]

There must be a thread for this already, but I can't find it, so here goes: Tools you've found (other than roadkill)
I found this hammer inside a wall on a construction site where I was working. It was a thick wall with plumbing in between the faces, or the insulation would have hidden it completely. I'd made a hole to mount a 2x4 box, and my skinny little arms were small enough I could reach through and grab it. Several trades on site and no way to know whose it was, so I left it hanging from a string in the middle of the room with a note "Did you lose me?" Two days later it was gone.

If it had gone after one day, it would mean the owner saw it and took it. If it took two days, someone else realized on the second day that the owner would have taken it the day before, and scored himself a free hammer.

 

[fourjeepin]

I found a drywall saw in my attic this week.

 

[Bubba Fett]

At work. I've found a pair of Knipex diagonal cutters, a Stanley screwdriver, a pair of Eclipse long nose pliers, a Vaughan hammer, a crappy screwdriver, a Mini-Maglite, and a Harris punch-down tool at different times/places, but all on top of ceiling tiles.

Funny thing is, I knew who lost them all. He was always losing tools. After he retired, I started finding all of these, and probably more. I'm confident there's still stuff around that has been lost.

 

[PoorUB]

I found a Fluke VOM in a case on a roof top heating unit. Too bad it was mine from about a year earlier!
I was still excited to find it!

 

[ecotec]

At work. I've found a pair of Knipex diagonal cutters, a Stanley screwdriver, a pair of Eclipse long nose pliers, a Vaughan hammer, a crappy screwdriver, a Mini-Maglite, and a Harris punch-down tool at different times/places, but all on top of ceiling tiles.

Funny thing is, I knew who lost them all. He was always losing tools. After he retired, I started finding all of these, and probably more. I'm confident there's still stuff around that has been lost.

I have so many rules for myself about not setting down tools.

It’s easiest in a boom lift where I can hang a rig bag on the rails… but I am just as strict with myself when I work off a ladder (I do not wear a tool belt).

If you start leaving tools on ceiling tiles and I beams, it will not be long before you leave one behind.

 

[KnurledNut]

I had this literally fall on my head when I was tearing out a mobile home bathroom ceiling:



It was sitting right next to the stack vent where it was last used to punch the hole in the roof.

 

[KnurledNut]

Ive also found a bottle of air tool oil in a wall.
A big beater screwdriver in a ceiling.
A ulility knife with a roofing blade in an attic.
Some really cool old vintage bottles in a chimney wall.
And stud cavities full of old used double edge safety razor blades from the slot in the old medicine cabinets.

 

[RTM]

I had this literally fall on my head when I was tearing out a mobile home bathroom ceiling:



It was sitting right next to the stack vent where it was last used to punch the hole in the roof.

interesting that it is pneumatic. Probably left from the factory, since most small compressors won’t power that?

 

[cvairwerks]

Found a bucking bar in a wingtip a number of years back. Aircraft owner had been complaining for years, that something went bang every time he snap rolled to the right. That wing panel had been installed on the aircraft when it was upgraded in the 50's, while still owned by the military.

 

[Mick56]

Years ago I bought a F-150. A week or so later I was putting new plugs in it, and found a Snap On 1/4" flex head ratchet laying behind the carb, on top of the intake manifold.

 

[BigMike782]

A friend of mine gave me back my 3/8-7/16 box wrench.......about 10 yrs after I had worked on their boat

 

[RyanE]

Many years ago I was doing some work at a natural gas plant. We were draining some flocculation/agitation tanks for rehab and after one was drained, lo and behold a nice Pelican explosion proof/waterproof light was unearthed at the bottom.

The plant operations guys said the initials on the light were from a guy that retired, so I kept it! Still carry that light around, although it's pretty obsolete (incandescent).

Happy hunting!

 

[Drill Sergeant Arc]

I had this literally fall on my head when I was tearing out a mobile home bathroom ceiling:



It was sitting right next to the stack vent where it was last used to punch the hole in the roof.

Straight from the factory to you! But with a slight time delay.

 

[klassenl]

I found a very expensive Fluke meter above a ceiling one day. The business owner was able to get it back to its proper owner. And I have found various small hand tools throughout the years. I always just claim the because I have left my share of stuff behind.

 

[GreenIron]

This was 30 years ago. I was a soon-to-be Service Manager at a new job.
I don't recall the brand, but I found a multimeter at the building we were refurbishing and preparing to open as a heavy-equipment rental business. I asked the electricians on the job if it belonged to them. They said it was not theirs. I left it on one of the office window ledges in case someone recognized and claimed it. About 3 months after the job was complete, my supervisor told me to put it in my toolbox. I already had two Fluke multimeters, so I gave it to a Tech I had recently hired.

 

[tez929rr]

There must be a thread for this already, but I can't find it, so here goes: Tools you've found (other than roadkill)
I found this hammer inside a wall on a construction site where I was working. It was a thick wall with plumbing in between the faces, or the insulation would have hidden it completely. I'd made a hole to mount a 2x4 box, and my skinny little arms were small enough I could reach through and grab it. Several trades on site and no way to know whose it was, so I left it hanging from a string in the middle of the room with a note "Did you lose me?" Two days later it was gone.

Here is one thread:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/what-kind-of-tools-have-you-found-in-the-road.227120/

 

[Bucko]

Found a wrench under the hood of my car when I was younger and recently had taken the wife's car in for tires and apparently they used a solid rubber block as a spacer on the lift that stuck to the car and fell off while sitting in the driveway. Both times I took them back.
Only roadkill I've found was a 8" drop hitch with the ball, not having anyway to find the owner on that one its still with me.
As a kid I was helping my dad on a jobsite that was enclosing a covered patio in at a commercial building. His buddy was chipping away with a brand new Vaughn framing hammer at some stucco to attach furring strips for drywall. Suddenly one side of the claw breaks off, few minutes later the other side gives up the fight. He signed and dated it and stuffed it behind some insulation on another wall. He and I learned an important lesson that day about using the right tool for the job. That was about 35 years ago and I sometimes wonder if its still in there.

 

[619DioFan]

Found an old nut driver under my house two days ago. Thew it away , oh the shame - I threw away a tool.

I work in the moving industry and deliver out a lot of household shipments from overseas. Found a nice box cutter in a crate ( loose , not part of the customers belongings )found a cell phone in a crate from Japan , most likely drop by one of the Japanese packers. Wonder how many times he or she tried calling it to find it.

Not a tool but we opened a crate from Hawaii and a live and very pissed off cat jumped out , right into the face of a 350 lb Samoan I worked with. Clawed his face up big time. Was pretty funny watching him chase that cat through the neighborhood. He would never open the crates after that
Amazing that cat survived for weeks in the crate with no food or water.

 

[cpttuna]

In the service, I found a pair of binoculars and a compass while on recon

 

[driftpin]

I was making a U-turn on Bird Rd in So. Miami (FL), heavy traffic and I missed my 1st turn, so had to do the U-turn.

As I swung into the curb lane, I saw something in the gutter. I immediately pulled into a strip shopping center, parked, and ran back to what I saw. Sure enough an Ingersoll-Rand 1/2" drive pneumatic impact gun, w/a 3/4" deep socket on it. I looked up & down the gutter to see if there were other tools, but no.

At home, I gave it some oil in the quick-connect, and my 80 gallon Saylor-Beall made it chatter-away, happily.

In front of Dania Beach (FL) Jai-Alai I found an ECHO CS300 chainsaw, it needed a chain. Works great.

Found a fiberglass heavy-duty 7 ft. ladder on the interstate before it was smashed to smithereens. I use it to access my garage loft.

There are others, but those are some of the more-expensive ones, still functional.

 

[Meursault74]

This week I found an 8" adjustable wrench next to a toilet. Figured it fell out of a guy's back pocket while he was taking a dump. Must have been distracted by the phone, how else you not hear that?

During the pandemic when I received an order from Costco, there was a Gerber pocket-knife clipped to one of the cardboard boxes from my order. I guess it was being used to open boxes and was left clipped there.

Had a new refrigerator delivered/installed many years ago. Found a Channellock 420 much later on top of the fridge.

I lost a Leatherman tool when I didn't close my sheath properly. By my calculations I'm still on the losing end so far.

 

[confidant]

Lost a large pair of Logging Tongs about 15 years ago in the woods.
I used to skid out trees with a tractor, and one day I noticed they were missing.
Searched for them on and off for years.
I loved those tongs, but replaced them with poor substitutes.
Found them this past fall in just about the same area they were last used.
They were well camouflaged then they decided to raise their head, just a bit off of the forest floor.
I love those tongs!

 

[BFBOB]

Now, that's a story!
Gives me hope maybe some day I'll find the Milwaukee M-12 I lost a month ago. Probably sitting on top of the ceiling waiting to konk someone.

(I gave up and bought a new one- at least they're not expensive)

 

[Rusted Nut]

In 1977 I bought a ‘55 Chevy pickup for $400. Truck had a 283, and “ran OK”. I drove it home about 9 miles and the dipstick was covered in chocolate milk, time for tear down. I pulled the intake manifold and there was a 9/16” Craftsman combo wrench wrench laying in the valley. Wiped the curdled oil off and put it in the tool box, noticed “Petty” was engraved on it.

Turned out the 283 was actually a high performance 327, had factory ported 2.02 heads; came out if a late ‘50’s/ early ‘60’s Vette. I’ve often wondered if the wrench was from Petty racing; that motor would be something the Pettys might have had. How it got in that truck is anyones guess. Ran really well after I rebuilt it! Still have the wrench.

 

[mogandave]

A buddy of mine found a Victor Port-A-Torch in the back of a pickup outside of a bar once.

 

[rsparks64]

I found a carpenter’s finishing hammer in my yard but did not have any carpenters doing work at our house nor did my neighbor next door. A contractor left a nice large measuring tape in my driveway (a 50 ft tape) and I think one of our contractors may have left that. We had some roofing work done and a worker left a utility tool similar to a utility knife but it had a small hook on the end, I assume for grabbing/catching nails. Some contractor left a mediocre level (2ft long). Some irrigation contractors left 2 nice fairly new sharpshooter shovels.

 

[dscheidt]

My favorite is a pair of blue-point radiator hose pinch off pliers I found on the heater hoses of a truck in a junkyard. Opened the hood to look for the fuse box, took the pliers, too.

 

[driftpin]

A buddy of mine found a Victor Port-A-Torch in the back of a pickup outside of a bar once.

More explanation is necessary here. Either your story is lacking essential detail, or your 'buddy' is a thief and if you were with him when he 'found' the Victor torch, well, anyone reading this can draw your own conclusion.

 

[PoorUB]

I found a very expensive Fluke meter above a ceiling one day.

Are there inexpensive Fluke meters?

Actually, I will not buy any meter than Fluke. I bought a couple over time, then tried Field Piece and UEI and they didn't hold up like Fluke so in the long run the inexpensive meter is Fluke!

When I cleaned out my dad's garage I found a Fluke meter I bought in the mid 80's and gave to him when I wanted a different model. It still works and in back in my shop.

 

[Barnabas]

Long time ago I noticed an odd bump in the rear seat carpet on my 1971 Pinto. I lifted the carpet to run speaker wires and discovered the bump was a ball peen hammer probably left at the factory.

The big question is what we’re they doing on the assembly line with a hammer in the back seat of the Pinto just before the carpet went in ?

 

[klassenl]

Are there inexpensive Fluke meters?

Actually, I will not buy any meter than Fluke. I bought a couple over time, then tried Field Piece and UEI and they didn't hold up like Fluke so in the long run the inexpensive meter is Fluke!

When I cleaned out my dad's garage I found a Fluke meter I bought in the mid 80's and gave to him when I wanted a different model. It still works and in back in my shop.

I have a problem with collecting meters. I have 2 old analogue, and 4 digital clamp on meters and 3 voltage/continuity (Wiggy) testers. My favorite among the herd is the cheap Greenlee and the cheap Wiggy. Even though there are 2 Flukes in there.

 

[slowtwitch73]

When I was 14 or so, I bought a Willys cj2a from an avocado farmer down the road for 500 bucks. While crawling around under it I found a Craftsman 9/16 1/2 combo box end on a nut wedged against the frame... loked like it had been there quite a while....I was over the moon about it.. still have it and use it often.

 

[seber]

I found a carpenter’s finishing hammer in my yard but did not have any carpenters doing work at our house nor did my neighbor next door. A contractor left a nice large measuring tape in my driveway (a 50 ft tape) and I think one of our contractors may have left that. We had some roofing work done and a worker left a utility tool similar to a utility knife but it had a small hook on the end, I assume for grabbing/catching nails. Some contractor left a mediocre level (2ft long). Some irrigation contractors left 2 nice fairly new sharpshooter shovels.

I believe you are referring to a roofing blade. The hook is for cutting asphalt shingles.

 

[Paycheck]

So nobody found a 10mm socket?

 

[RaisedByWolves]

interesting that it is pneumatic. Probably left from the factory, since most small compressors won’t power that?

My thoughts exactly.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

I was making a U-turn on Bird Rd in So. Miami (FL), heavy traffic and I missed my 1st turn, so had to do the U-turn.

As I swung into the curb lane, I saw something in the gutter. I immediately pulled into a strip shopping center, parked, and ran back to what I saw. Sure enough an Ingersoll-Rand 1/2" drive pneumatic impact gun, w/a 3/4" deep socket on it. I looked up & down the gutter to see if there were other tools, but no.

At home, I gave it some oil in the quick-connect, and my 80 gallon Saylor-Beall made it chatter-away, happily.

In front of Dania Beach (FL) Jai-Alai I found an ECHO CS300 chainsaw, it needed a chain. Works great.

Found a fiberglass heavy-duty 7 ft. ladder on the interstate before it was smashed to smithereens. I use it to access my garage loft.

There are others, but those are some of the more-expensive ones, still functional.

Back in my rowdy days I had a friend who had a friend who owned a wrecking yard. My buddy got a decent looking but rusty service truck off of him for a song. We did Enduro racing and this truck was just the ticket to stuff all the tools in and pull the car.

Coming back from a race we hit a pothole and I saw sparks behind the truck and told him to stop. He didn't want to stop and figured it was something that fell off of the trailer.

What it was was the floor of one of the box compartments let go and spilled the entire air tool kit he had all over gods creation.

1/2" impact, air hammer, panel saw and sockets....all gone.

 

[TRLKC]

The one and only tool I’ve ever found on the road was a keeper. A long handle 10mm - 12 mm box wrench. Wiped it down and in the box it went. I own a fair amount of old Snap-On I bought about 30 years ago. But this is the only SO wrench I own. All my others are 30 year old SK and newer GearWrench ratcheting combos. Love this road wrench, especially for the price!

 

[ecotec]

A buddy of mine found a Victor Port-A-Torch in the back of a pickup outside of a bar once.

So… your friend stole a torch?