help for the tool less

[jd_1138]

Leaves ya scratching your head. I picked up some French doors for a friend. $30 on CL, and he only has 2 sedans so no way to fetch. I brought them over today, and he thought they didn't look 48 inches wide like they were advertised.

We were in the garage, and I said where's your tape measure. He looked for 10 minutes and was getting pissed. His son or wife keeps taking his tools and not returning them. I replied "but you don't have a toolbox, where will they return it to?", I asked just messin' around with him.

I put together a nice assortment for him when I got home and will drop it off this week. Helps that I am an Imelda Marcos when it comes to buying tools when they're dirt cheap at garage sales or the local hardware stores.

Stanley plastic box with hole for padlock (his request)...I think I bought it on sale for $5
2 tape measures
hammer
2 pliers (general, and needle nose with cutters)
torpedo level
10 screwdrivers (Craftsman USA but mostly HF)
2 pairs of scissors
adjustable wrenches (small and a larger one)
2 clamps
hex keys
zip ties
electrical tape
mechanic's wire
a small assortment of fasteners and wire nut connectors
carpenter's pencil
some other stuff I can't recall

I made him a similar kit about 10 years ago. I have no idea what happened to it. That set had some beautiful 1970s/1980s Stanley 100 Plus screwdrivers. This time he got mostly HF (the cheap black plastic handle ones, couple Pro ones) and 2 newer Stanley ones.

 

[engineer2]

I made a similar tool box for two kids when they had their college apartments. They said it came in handy for hanging pictures and such.

At move-out time, I asked "where's the tool box?"
"I dunno"
"what happened to it?
"I dunno"

Same answer from both kids.
I'm glad it was crappy no-name tools.

 

[AZ Pete]

my Dad bought me a cheap set of Fleet tools when I got my first car, in 1966. I still have them, and a Craftsman 3/8" and 1/4" SAE socket set and Challenger box/open end wrench set he bought for me about a year later. Still use the Craftsman and Challenger sets.

 

[Bubba Fett]

I made a small tool kit for my wife. Standard, Phillips, and a few Torx drivers, a tape measure, slip joint, needle nose and diagonal cutting pliers, a small torpedo level, and a small hammer. This would cover most of her needs, all in a small tool box that belonged to her father.

Will she ever use it? Probably not, but she appreciated it anyway. And I don't have to worry about her using my good screwdrivers as digging tools. (We have plenty of actual digging tools.)

 

[3baygarage]

It's a great gesture. Unfortunately not everyone cares what happens to their tools. I had a cousin ten years my senior whose father bought him a huge beautiful Craftsman set for Christmas. With him being a new father, I was at his house, and took the time unbagging and setting it all up for him, putting every socket in its spot in the case. Fast forward a year or two, and half the sockets were gone. My aunt was completely pissed and mentioned it to me saying his set was of no use. He kindly let friends take whatever the heck they needed for a repair. All just a memory now. That was years ago, he's been gone about nine years and his snot *** son still hasn't shown up to show my mother the tattoo he got of his dad.

 

[m6z]

Nice of you. I've got at least half a dozen tapes throughout the house. Things get misplaced/moved and it's always nice to have a backup.

 

[Dave455]

That’s a really nice, and practical, gesture!

The trouble is, some people are tool people, and some simply are not. If you are, then you tend to acquire your own tools. If you’re not, then stuff does tend to drift away.

I made a similar gesture to a friend few years back. He was trying to do mechanical jobs with next to nothing so I gave him some screwdrivers, pliers, hex keys, etc etc. Not top end, but good “mid grade” usable tools. Ten years later it was all gone.

My gues is you’ll be back in the same situation in 10 years time!

 

[jd_1138]

That’s a really nice, and practical, gesture!

The trouble is, some people are tool people, and some simply are not. If you are, then you tend to acquire your own tools. If you’re not, then stuff does tend to drift away.

I made a similar gesture to a friend few years back. He was trying to do mechanical jobs with next to nothing so I gave him some screwdrivers, pliers, hex keys, etc etc. Not top end, but good “mid grade” usable tools. Ten years later it was all gone.

My gues is you’ll be back in the same situation in 10 years time!

In 10 years, I will get him the nastiest Indian made tools forged in a mud pit/water puddle.

 

[jd_1138]

It's a great gesture. Unfortunately not everyone cares what happens to their tools. I had a cousin ten years my senior whose father bought him a huge beautiful Craftsman set for Christmas. With him being a new father, I was at his house, and took the time unbagging and setting it all up for him, putting every socket in its spot in the case. Fast forward a year or two, and half the sockets were gone. My aunt was completely pissed and mentioned it to me saying his set was of no use. He kindly let friends take whatever the heck they needed for a repair. All just a memory now. That was years ago, he's been gone about nine years and his snot *** son still hasn't shown up to show my mother the tattoo he got of his dad.

Wow, how sad he didn't respect those tools. I still remember with fondness when I got my first place out of college in 1996. After a month or so, I went to the local Sears at the mall 2 miles away. I bought a new CM portable box, few sets of tools, screwdrivers, etc.. I carefully put them away in order.

I still have that set. Along with SK and Powr-Kraft (inherited).

 

[MarvinBerry]

I've never bought tools for anyone like that and I've known more then a few. What I have done is instead of gifting tools I'll take em shopping and help assemble a kit.

It's the old teach a man to fish thing... if they have an actual interest in learning how to fix **** around the house they'll spend their own bucks on steel. And at that point I'm happy to help pick out what they actually need.

Happy to help people learn the difference between hex torx and a screwdriver & get em equipped but they need to show an interest & self motivation first.

 

[anavrinIV]

Wow, how sad he didn't respect those tools. I still remember with fondness when I got my first place out of college in 1996. After a month or so, I went to the local Sears at the mall 2 miles away. I bought a new CM portable box, few sets of tools, screwdrivers, etc.. I carefully put them away in order.

I still have that set. Along with SK and Powr-Kraft (inherited).

My dad bought me a Kobalt mechanic's set (one in the blow mold case) for my birthday when I was in college in 2008. I have always worked on things and needed my own stuff away from home, and that set was easily portable and storable in a dorm room. I cherished those tools and put them to great use over the past 13 years. I still have most of them...a few broke along the way and my quantity of tools has increased significantly but until last year they were still my go-to sockets and ratchets. I replaced the majority with Tekton sets last year (a definite upgrade over Danaher tools even if they are not US made) and the Kobalts are now in a track box.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

JD, that was nice of you to do that, but I would only do that once. After that, it's on him to keep track of his stuff.