Marking your tools?

[gb387]

After seeing the post on stolen tools on ebay... is there some type of rubber/paint dip you can use on your hand tools? Where I work there are tons of hand tools around and we all mix and match our tools and sometimes we spend alot of time sorting them out at days end. Any ideas?

 

[Concrete Video]

Eastwood sells a tool dip to make the handles rubbery. That may work for you on some tools. You could engrave them too, or dab them with a spot of paint if you don't mind that, I personally like to keep my tools shiny.

 

[OH-MAN]

If you are worried about just mixing up yours and a couple guys at work, paint them (just a bit not the entire wrench) a color . You will be suprised how much stays on them even when you use them. If you are worried about them being stolen you need to engrave them.

 

[gb387]

Not so much stolen just mixed up... At home I like to keep my tools clean, but at work that never works.

 

[iiibdsiil]

I worked with one guy that got pissed because another mechanic would always use his tools without asking. He laid them all out on the ground, ran a red spray paint line over them all. The borrower never touched them again because you could see whose it was from 20 feet away.

 

[chaotik]

Yeah..paint is the easy way...but I like to keep them shiny as well. You could get a roll or two of some thin hi vis tape and just put a small band of it around the handle or somewhere else on the tool.

MIKE

 

[avsfan733]

would it be possible if you wanted to spend the money to have your tools painted with automotive paint and if so how long would it last...meaning if i had my car painted and had leftover paint could they do the tools or will the paint not stick to the chrome plating?

 

[Luckydevil]

avsfan733- normal paint wouldn't do to well. powdercoating on the other hand would probably do just fine except on the inside of the wrench ends.

 

[Satatic]

There are tools to etch metal.

 

[Double Venom]

An old eletric engraver works great. From a few feet away you can't even see the marks/initials, etc.,and it wont break through the finish. Last for decades too!
DV

 

[Baketech]

If the tools are so identical that you can't tell the difference, then why does it matter who's box they go back into....

 

[mikemolzahn]

Personally I etch my tools so that there is no question whose tool is whose.

Mike

 

[ears]

I worked with a guy who painted all his chrome tools orange. Just regular spray paint, it lasted very well, would wear here and there but always some on it. Wipe it with brake fluid and they look like new again.

 

[mikemolzahn]

I worked for a family owned Defense Contractor in the Florida Panhandle for a year and when I was working in the tool room we found a storage cabinet with the original sets of tools from when they first opened. All the tools were spray painted certain colors for each box. I found the tools that were in the Neon Pink and Hunter Orange Boxes. Felt sorry for the guys with the Neon Pink tools.....lol

Mike

 

[Monte]

angle grinder and grinding wheel

 

[Elroy]

Elroy has faced the mix up routine for years. The grinder and engraver are just too drastic and permanent. The spay can method is a little on the red neck side.

Elroy utilizes some Lacquer-Stik and high lights the stamped areas. Notice the red paint here:

Can you see that Min-Wax shine ??

Now that you pointed it out .. it's a good glossy Minwax shine

 

[Richard Givan]

I bought a bunch of Craftsman wrenches, combo and gearwrench type a few months ago the next town over. They came from the estate of a fellow who had recently passed on. He had laid all the metric wrenches down and shot a band of yellow paint across both sides of the handles to tell them apart. I prefer to keep them separate myself, but the instant recognition factor is growing on me.

 

[SocketDeviler]

Good one, Elroy.

 

[Richard Givan]

Ellroy is on to something. Have to say I like what he has done. Elegant and easier to read the sizes. think I will follow Ellroy's lead here.

Maybe add some pinstriping or discreet flames.

 

[Elroy]

Good one, Elroy.

Did ya like that one?

Just make sure you say out of the sun when you're around Elroy. Especially when the sun is to his back. At least make sure you have a shade #10 lens with in easy reach !

 

[kwhitelaw]

couple wraps of electrical tape around tool.

easy to remove should you ever want to leave profession and sell tools

 

[Old Donn]

Brought back fond memories, Elroy. My dad did the same thing to his wrenches and sockets years ago.

 

[bushhawg73]

I just bought a Snap on wrench off ebay. the original owner painted the Snap on logo John Deere green. It really does not look bad. Personally I engrave all of my tools.

 

[Stuey]

Why oh why is Elroy's ratchet flipping me off? lol

 

[senlow]

Elroy has faced the mix up routine for years. The grinder and engraver are just too drastic and permanent. The spay can method is a little on the red neck side.

Elroy utilizes some Lacquer-Stik and high lights the stamped areas. Notice the red paint here:

Can you see that Min-Wax shine ??

That's the way to do it. Mark the tool without defacing it. Elroy has a classy method of identifying his tools.

 

[Elroy]

That's the way to do it. Mark the tool without defacing it. Elroy has a classy method of identifying his tools.

Elroy spends enough on tools he isn't going to phuck up the plating with an engraver. Thank you for the kind words.

 

[mattwgrizwald]

Elroy has faced the mix up routine for years. The grinder and engraver are just too drastic and permanent. The spay can method is a little on the red neck side.

Elroy utilizes some Lacquer-Stik and high lights the stamped areas. Notice the red paint here:

need to be educated where I can get this Lacquer-Stik ?

 

[Elroy]

need to be educated where I can get this Lacquer-Stik ?

This information can be found here.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21903

 

[mattwgrizwald]

very swell elroy I'll check my local parts store that has been around for like fifty years they might have some

 

[Shocker]

Agreed. Elroy's solution looks great, but how hard is it to remove? Preventing the sale of stolen tools might not work with this if it comes right off.

I am going to do it. Love it.

 

[Elroy]

It comes off but it takes some effort.

We have some tools that have been marked in this fashion for a good 25 years and you can still see the paint.

It's not really going to identify for theft but mix a bunch of tools up at the job site and they segregate easy.

 

[Plombob]

The problem with Monte's method is so many guys notch their tools. I've seen used tools that have anywhere from two to six notches. That's not a unique scheme.

I've used an engraver that attaches to a 12v battery.

 

[A_Pmech]

I use one of these:

http://www.etch-o-matic.biz/eom.htm

Many tool manufacturers use Etch-O-Matics. I use them to mark my products.

The company says this about the marking equipment:

Marks made by the Etch-O-Matic meet ALL Military, Commercial Aircraft, NASA, U.S. Government, USAF, U.S. NAVY, Atomic Energy Commission and all known Industrial Specifications.

Their list of customers is impressive, most all of us already have parts and tools marked with one!

Heck, NASA uses them on the Space Shuttle!

 

[Canadian Charlie]

I like some don't mark my tools as I use them in my own garage. I think when my boys grow up and get thier own tools I might have to do what Elroy did

 

[hobie1dog]

When I worked at McDonnell Douglas they showed us a film of a F-15 crashing after it got up in the air about 200 ft.....seems a wrench was left in the airplane....had the guys name on it too......really bad day for him.

 

[geologist]

Personally I engrave all of my tools.

I engrave all of my ratchets and wrenches, including my adjustables. The only tools in my box that aren't engraved are sockets and my lovingly restored Diamallloy adjustables.

 

[greasemonkey44]

red electrical tape; although elroys trick looks great

 

[LSU]

I routinely go to various pawn shops when I'm out of town "just to look".

My finds have included NIB Milwaukee Sawzall, NIB 1/2" Drill, stuff that looks like it went out the back door of a Lowe's, Home Depot or some ex-wife's divorce settlement.

I strongly suspect some of these items at some point were either shoplifted and pawned or stolen out of someone's truck.

I've seen folks come in with tool to pawn and could tell by the way they were holding them that they had no idea what they were doing.

I've been the victim of a couple of tool thefts a few times so about 25 years ago I started marking my tools, tool boxes, shovels, etc.

I'm not opposed to lending my tools and I've gone on some church mission trips and have done Habit so I really wanted my tools to come home with me. Marking them has proven to be the way to go.

First thing I did was have a mylar stencil made with my name. I've got one in 1/4", 1/2", 1" and 3". If I have a tool, I spray paint my name on it. I use yellow paint because that is what I've always used. If yellow won't show up, I use flat black. - can it be sanded off? Sure. Can it be removed with gasoline - maybe. BUT - petty criminals usually are scared away from stealing stuff that is easily identified.

I always figure if someone steals my tools and heads to pawn shop then they're going to have to spend some time removing the name.

All my tool boxes are steniled with the 3" name stencil. You can read it from the across the street. I stencil all 4 sides and the top. I want to send the message that this is my stuff and just leave it alone.

For my wooden handle tools I get some blue painter's masking tape and paint a nice 1" wide stipe around the handle in yellow or orange. I mask it up because it looks better. I've just done the spray line but I like the clean line better.

I have engraved some of my tools but I'll admit that at times I get too lazy to do this.

My brother and other tool freaks tease me about the stencil but I started giving them for Christmas presents and folks use them. The last batch of them I found on the internet. Get the mylar one because they last a long time (some of mine are 15+ years).

If if own it, somewhere it has my name stenciled on it. I use the biggest stencil I can so it stands out.

As for screwdriver's I use the tape and do a strip up by the handle (not on the handle) on the shaft.

I've not come up with good way to do sockets.

When I buy a new tool the first thing I do is stencil it.

I've not had a theft since I started doing the marking and I've found that I generally am able to keep up with my tools.

 

[ishiboo]

Way to dig up an old thread

I don't engrave/etc. mine because I'm more worried about my stuff getting mixed up, if people are going to steal it they're going to steal it. I have contractors I pay to work on my house/barn and they often use my tools. I just use a Sharpie. The silver Sharpie marks all of my screwdrivers, cutters, etc.

 

[kc-steve]

If the tools are so identical that you can't tell the difference, then why does it matter who's box they go back into....

Since this guy's last activity was 2006 then I guess it's safe to add that he sounds like someone who RARELY needs to buy any new tools.

Steve