Tool basics

[sberry]

This is my git er done stuff. I might modify it on occasion, trade the double box for a longer one or 2 simple combos. When I am doing my MyGyver stuff out and about and shuffle thru the tool box its ah ha! When I go somewhere might pick up additional tools with special intent, a sledge, bigger adjustable, sockets but to float around this is it in about as few pieces as possible and with the addition of a 10 mm could tear the engine out of a golf cart quire easily if I had to.
A can of spray and paper towels I could break out of prison.

 

[sberry]

I have engineered so much out of the shop maintenance out of things its just simple 99% of the time. I don't need to throw a lot of basic tools in a truck because we already got them on it. I don't go to get my "socket set" because there are a couple combo wrenches in the tool box as part of the process. Its cheap.

I was cleaning one up and stripped it out after a couple small remote jobs and seems a lot of stuff migrated on to one in part of the pickup and use. I usually strip them up when they go to the non mechanical help in the busy seasons, they just don't need all the rattle around and if they need something specific they get it.

Sometimes we choose what to take and drive based on the amount of equipment on it, I try to migrate it back thru deliberate effort if I can help it but we deal with all the common tool placement issues with multiples until finding what we need isn't an inconvenience or an excuse. I think what precipitated this was the search for what gobbled up the 5/16 nut runners. We try but every once in a while we lose one.

I looked at the pile on the right, not a single ratcheting tool.

 

[Bull]

I like you, sberry. You get a lot of guff around here from guys probably half your age, who can do 1/4 as much, with twice the effort.

 

[Scout Driver]

I like you, sberry. You get a lot of guff around here from guys probably half your age, who can do 1/4 as much, with twice the effort.

I agree, Bull. Some people are shocked at what can be accomplished with a pliers in a holster, a 6 way screwdriver and a 6" adjustable wrench in your back pocket.

Scott

 

[sberry]

Believe it or not, as goofy as it sounds there is a science to some of it, when my numbers of employees fluctuate where does the need for tools cross their path, you could put it on a chart, some in industry try to quantify what I talk about with the words "budget" (long concept)
In reality even the pro only uses a few of his tools on a regular basis. In a shop like mine only need to increase duplication of commons to absorb additional men or for convenience often as part of a process.
My job is similar to a construction/installation/auto/truck tractor kind of thing, really not much we wouldn't do but I can estimate and equip, if I hire someone and they come up with an excuse as to why they couldn't do it with what I sent them with I would be suspicious.

 

[sberry]

That screwdriver in the first pic with the yellow and blue handle is a deal I wouldnt mind back if I had to outfit something. Not every 1 $ screwdriver is a good deal but suspect the shank was left over and stuck in a cheap handle, I snagged a couple off the shelf and bought a couple more after they proved out and the 2 I kept are still in service, I have better I guess and I didnt drive them with a hammer but after 20 years still will grab it if its close to install a recept screw, the tip is still great, still not a pos to use within its limits.

Its got a different handle, easy to spot, used them 1000's of times. Its been one of the most profitable hand tools I have ever bought.

 

[sberry]

I stripped like 40 scredrivers and 40 pairs of pliers out of my toolbox the other day and I got just a pinch of reman to do on my service cart top yet. I had intended ontossing some of it, a lot of it still service worthy and I can distribute back to units in the spring but it was a sorting nightmare. Just only so many things you can use.

 

[bczygan]

Hmmmmmm...

Reducing the tools to just those needed.....

It's an interesting concept!

The shop I'm working in has so many new and especially OLD tools, that you caan't find what you need. You spend a LOT of time looking.

Work I'm doing right now requires a dozen tools at most.

But in machining you need lots of drill bits and lots of mills etc.

Still, just a few measuring and marking tools are used all the time.

Some tools are duplicates, but duplicates are because of having a basic set of tools at a machine for regular use there.

The trick is organizing them so they are easy to find.

Putting them back at the end of day is the secret.

Other problem is all the never used or needed tools that should be gathered together and disposed of.

I'm going to go through and organize things as I work and get just what we need, just where we need it.

Bill

 

[jeffk14]

A lot of purists cringe at the thought of a claw hammer in a "mechanic's" tool kit. In a portable, mobile setup however, I contend that if you can only take ONE hammer with you, a claw hammer is the only way to fly!

 

[Lotek]

Don't remind me, I have a toolroom that dates back to the 60's, they never threw anything out, they haven't had a shop foreman since 07...

 

[TAftw]

Every ship in the Merchant Marine runs on Channellocks, adjustable screwdrivers, Crescent wrenches, and Never Seize.

 

[Haveblue]

Great thread sberry! It goes right along with what I always tell people, "use what you got" It amazes me how people waste time looking for a tool sometimes. A good example, we have an air tank at work that has a quick coupler with a chuck that is always in it. A guy went to put air in it one day, and asks "could I borrow your air chuck for a sec to air this up?" I said, hell just use the chuck thats on it..use what ya got! I guess he just didnt think about it. my boss tried to tell me to knock the center out of a spark plug to rig up a way to leakdown test an engine one day. I didnt say anything, but when I went to check the car, I grabbed my compression tester hose, and took the schrader valve out of it. He knows better, people tend to overcomplicate things sometimes. I think im the only guy in our shop that owns a vacuum gauge..and I do use it. Oh yeah, the claw hammer, and a self-tapping screw makes one hell of a seal puller!

 

[basspro]

That is excellent. I was always told that a sign of a good mechanic was visible to how many tools he/she has drug out and being used. I dont always think that to be true, but I too believe in, "use what ya' got".

 

[sberry]

How is this for fukkinoff? The more we worked on these carts the worse they got, it has been some mystery trouble shooting along the way when we had repeated problems and when they are a mess there is no better way than to strip our custom bodies off, clean them up as seasonal PM.

It involves a little process similar maybe to r&r an engine body similar to a nascar, maybe a drag car. These little suckers are fussy, I still found things I overlooked but part of the deal is a system thinking thing with the mechanic. It really needs a dealer level course but as part of it there is a confusing nut bolt set up. I have tried everything and finally came up with 3 stages stacked in used coffee cups, install in exact reverse order, about 10 bolts in each cup to account for it all as it goes. We will reduce some washers even along the way.

Sorting thru all the bolts is a real problem, egg carton method is not right. Here in theory the mechanic should be able to dump a set of bolts/nuts and he is done with a step when all is used up, move on to next step with cup etc. Here we have a lot of stuff, its easy to keep reaching over getting a bunch of stuff out but with a little work a guy can get about 8 predictable tools, air ratchet etc and deliberately following an experienced pattern it can become fast and correct, twice as good in half the time.

As important as having tools is putting away ones you got in error at the same time you get the correct one, its bigger than being perfectly organized, the discipline to return it quickly and to not get it out the next time its done. The second time I get rid of about half the tools it took me to do it the first time.

 

[sberry]

Its super easy to duplicate here and it can hurt a bump but overall not a big deal and wouldnt be such an issue to a guy working from his own cart etc.

But as I mentioned in the babble above the second or 3rd time around I am getting to figure to reduce the number of tool changes. To get to this wash up point can get by with changing one socket and turn it to reverse on the install. I put it all away again and noticed about 6 sockets out again when my brother tries to do this, can do it in 2 with no extensions and 3 to take engine out all covers stripped etc. 3 end wrenches a nut driver and small adjustable and its on the bench in 30 minutes, can dodder and do it in an hour with washup.