toolbox etiquette in a shop

[chewy7]

or maybe i will just collect them to put in my box lol

 

[wornoutoldman]

Cover the top of your cart with wheel bearing grease for a week or two. People will stop putting their **** on it. And you can clean it off once your point has been made.

 

[scott37300]

If your box was locked did they break into it to steal the 21mm socket?

If you find parts and other stuff on your box take them and set them on the manager's desk and tell him you keep finding all this stuff on your box and don't know who it belongs to so don't want to throw it away in case it's something they need.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

When I worked in a dealership the biggest problem I had was with salesman who think your tool box is company own and open season for loaning tools. In my shop nobody touched or laid a hand on anyone else's tool box. It wasn't a rule but just a matter every everyone had mutual respect for one anothers property. Sometimes people left a drink of cup of coffee on my box but that was because they were standing around BSing and forgot it. I've been real fortunate in that area.

Even in an equipment dealer we have that problem with salesmen.
It's probably worse due to us being a small company with only 3 tool box's - 2 techs and one belonging to the shop. Sales guys think that because the shop box is open to them (I've made it very clear to the owner I will not be responsible for that box / the tools in it) that they can also grab stuff from mine....the boss is the worst offeneder, at least the rest of them bring the tools back and don't make me go looking for them -- whenever I can't find something I just go wherever the boss has been "helping" and usually find them......Since I was veiwed as "not helpfull" when I tried locking my stuff up all the time, I just made it my policy to buy any replacements for stuff lost by the sales dept. on the company's tool account......

To the OP's situation: I know it ***** and it's disrespectful for someone else to park thier **** on your cart, but I also feel like there is a certain amount of "wear and tear" you will have no matter what you do. Nothing (especially in a shop) will stay new forever. Does that mean do nothing to prevent such problems and just shrug it off? NO, I try to keep my stuff nice and clean and "new" as much as I can, but there is allways a point where something goes wrong - a part slips / goes flying, someone carrying tools / parts bump into the box and dings it. Personally, If I had something that was "table height" like this cart top (very likely for people to set thing on it), I'd probably cover it permanently - glue on a sheet of rubber or something.

 

[makgreens]

To the OP's situation: I know it ***** and it's disrespectful for someone else to park thier **** on your cart, but I also feel like there is a certain amount of "wear and tear" you will have no matter what you do. Nothing (especially in a shop) will stay new forever. Does that mean do nothing to prevent such problems and just shrug it off? NO, I try to keep my stuff nice and clean and "new" as much as I can, but there is allways a point where something goes wrong - a part slips / goes flying, someone carrying tools / parts bump into the box and dings it. Personally, If I had something that was "table height" like this cart top (very likely for people to set thing on it), I'd probably cover it permanently - glue on a sheet of rubber or something.

well this looks like a head or something heavy was on it then pulled off...

im going to get a mat and probably a moving blanket to put on it...that way no one can take it

and if someone stole my 21mm it was while i was working...but i could have just as easily have dropped it but i doubt that..im very **** retentive about my tools...i put them back even after taking an oil plug out and wait for it to drain...yeah its a little ocd but ive spent good money on my tools and want to keep them

 

[joshthedieseltech]

thats bs, if anyone sets a soda, food, tools, parts anything on my box I just put them on the ground a few feet from where my box is, they'll get the hint.

 

[Quint]

Magnetize all of their tools and stick them to the ductwork?

 

[johnsdeere850j]

Grease idea is good, I like that!!!

 

[scott37300]

If other techs are trashing your stuff by using your box as a table and taking your tools I would start looking for a new shop. I don't work in a shop so I don't know how most are run but that is not acceptable. Even if you are the new guy and get all the sh!tty jobs you still have the right to keep your property in good shape and have it respected. Sounds like things are only going to get worse for you if that's the mentallity of the shop. Your personal property and tools are yours and shouldn't be messed with.

 

[Chawietjes]

Sounds like me, I have a cornwell rolling tool cart and people ALWAYS set **** on top! The top kinda looks like a warzone now.....

 

[Ritter4.0]

I didn't see if you mentioned it, but are you new(ish) to that shop? Maybe they all do it to each others boxes and carts and its become accepted as ok. I would just get a permanent top cover, make sure its locked up tight, and call it good. Let them know they can use it as a temporary table when you are not there as long as they clean it off (oil, grease, fluids) before you get there. If anything is left on it when you get there to use your stuff, to the dumpster it goes. Thats how I would do it anyway. That way you can stay on good terms with the other techs.

 

[Chadro]

I used to work at a shop where everyone would mess with one another all the time but one guy in particular was a complete ***.

we drilled a hole in the back of his toolbox and screwed in a grease fitting ....then filled it for 10 minutes with the pneumatic grease gun and went home

y'all should have been there the next morning when he opened that box! must have been cleaning grease out of that box for 6 months but I think he got the hint

I'm not gonna lie, If someone did that to me I'd beat the **** outta them and smear their face in all that grease.

As for the OP, I can't relate. Everybody in my shop stays in their bays and generally keep to themselves. It's actually weird but none of the tech really even talk to each other. They guy next to me is kind of an ******* but he is completely lacking a personality so he isn't a ***** on purpose.

 

[makgreens]

anybody got some pics of what theyve done to the top of their boxes?

 

[UncleJoe]

Another way to do this is to talk to the boss and instead of telling him all sorts of things ask for his advice. Ask him how he would like you to handle this. Let him now you are more than willing to handle this but you want to make sure you do it correctly. This puts him in a strange position, an employee has acknowledged him as the "wise boss", so his ego gets a little stroked and now he has to show you how to handle this situation. It is now his duty to step up and be the shop manager and handle his people and show you he is in control. Let him know that you can not stand for the situation as it is now but you don't want to affect shop productivity with a bunch of drama. Ask him how you should handle this.

My guess is 2 things will happen. One, the problem will be handled by the boss and two, the boss is going to look at you as a team player and he is going to find a reason to promote you sooner than scheduled (if your work is good) because you handled the situation without bringing unnecessary drama to the shop.

Of course he could tell you to shut up and get back to work! Who knows!

 

[j-guenth]

Either fabricate a wooden slopped cover or have a stainless steel cover made so the top of the box is not flat anymore. Make it so it stores in the back while you are using it and then attach it when you go home.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Whatever gets placed on top just take outside & throw in the dumpster. They will get the hint.

That's what i do. Whatever you leave on my box is going in the bin. Countless cups of coffee have gone flying out the shop, a number of lunches, packs of cigarettes and even a phone.

 

[makgreens]

well he(the boss) hates the mess a lot of the techs make and knows we (the GS's) bust our asses cleaning...well some of us do...a few of us clean up our mess and a few of the techs who help us out but typically leave the messy assholes to stay in their filth


if all goes well ill be out of the shop in august....got an interview and polygraph with my cities fire department...then ill go to another shop on a part time basis where they respect the techs and general service guys

 

[makgreens]

what im thinking of doing is getting 2 pieces of either diamond plate or laxan and hinge them in the middle with piano hinges so it can fit in my lowest drawer when not in use...obviously that means it wont completely cover the lid but itll be pretty damn close

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

anybody got some pics of what theyve done to the top of their boxes?

nothing......

I just made mine 6 feet off the ground so noone will set **** on it!...oh wait, I do set MY coffee cup on top of the locker sometimes since it has a mat on top....

.....now if I can just stop people from bumping into the sides.....


Seriously, though, I think the "table height" top is an invitation for people to set stuff on it - especailly those who have little consideration for others stuff.


I actually crushed a another guys cart when I was a newbie - just a few weeks into the job I pulled a heavy assy off a machine and missjudged it's weight versus the strength of the cart (cheapo cart from USA Tools with the slide-apart top halves) - buckled the two lid halves pretty badly -- I IMMEDIATELY found Mike (cart owner) and apologized profusely.....he wrote it off as "**** happens" and never even fixxed it...

 

[Scuderia-F1]

That's what i do. Whatever you leave on my box is going in the bin. Countless cups of coffee have gone flying out the shop, a number of lunches, packs of cigarettes and even a phone.

Exactly what I did before I became my own!
Believe me this works...

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

what im thinking of doing is getting 2 pieces of either diamond plate or laxan and hinge them in the middle with piano hinges so it can fit in my lowest drawer when not in use...obviously that means it wont completely cover the lid but itll be pretty damn close

Again, I'd advise doing something that doesn't require and extra work when you open the lid -- like glueing on a rubber mat. Keep it simple and easy to work with - eXtra parts to be removed will also have to be remembered to put back at the end of the day.....

I also agree with putting anything others do happen to leave on top of you cart either into the trash or tossed across the shop.....I generally leave all the **** my boss or the sales guys leave around the shop wherever it is except for the workbench I constantly use and my tool box -- anything left there gets "gone" after about 10 minutes...the other **** builds up 'till the boss complains about the mess and I just ask "who stuff is it?" and let him clean up.....

 

[demographic]

I work on site a lot and every once in a while I get to work in the same area as someone that thinks my toolbox is their table, for some reason its usually plumbers.

I don't mind them using it as a table as long as they don't mind me dumping all their **** off the top of it in the dirtiest corner I can find.

 

[jjjrmx5]

anybody got some pics of what theyve done to the top of their boxes?

Look for a thread in this forum under my screen name as I orignally asked the question months ago.

Sine I have an Ultra Yellow S-O service cart I went to my local tint shop and bought a 20" x 30" piece of 3M brand Clear Bra in 8mils (it comes in 20" and 30" roll stock) and applied that.

If you have a red or black box, I'd suggest a sheet of magnetic sign mat'l , black stair tread runner rubber from any Lowes or Home depot (comes in roll stock as well), or cut down a rubber door or boot mat from Target then apply with 2 sided carpet tape or 3m trim adhesive tape. Even rubber sheet roofing scraps used to roof/cover flat or low slope roofs will work.




BTW, also have a label maker and made a big long strip that read "NOT YOUR TABLE!" and applied it on top face near lift handle. Works like a charm.
jjjrmx5

 

[durallymax]

somewhat different situation. On our farm I manage the shop, and when employees want to use the shop for personal gains, we let them do it at no charge. Now when it comes to making money on projects that arent theres, there is a shop charge. We have a few folks(most of them) who are slobs. Some are just packrats, others are just lazy. The one person I asked to get all of his stuff that was leftover from a personal project, out of the shop because it was taking up too much space and didnt need to be in there. He shrugged it off, so when he was gone trucking one day i took all of the stuff and piled it in the back of his truck. He never said anything, but I found it funny that he never took it out of his truck bed for 3 weeks.

Then theres the cow feeder who thinks the parts for the feeding equipment are "special" and all have to be on a nail b the door instead of with the rest of the parts in the appropriate section. I always put the parts where they belong then he goes to the NAPA guy and says OMG i dont have a belt for the hydro pump I need one. Then I tell the NAPA guy to not order it, and tell the feeder we have one its by the rest of the belts. He thought we needed VOLVO super oils for the loader buy the service manual lists Valvoline approved oils (NAPA is rebranded valvoline). Why he was so worried about this is beyond me, as he never service the loader anywhere on time and it needed a $28,000 transmission because of it. I immediately went to the boss (my daddy, yes Im an owners son) and told him that this guy is fired from servicing anything, he agreed that I should do the service. Then the feeder tells a coworker that the transmission going out was the bosses fault because he told the boss he just didnt have time to service it. We pick on the boss all the time about that, but since the feeder does no wrong, (50 year old bachelor who lived with his mom till he was 46) we just go on with our lives.

Then we have theguy who claims the shops tools, he hides them everywhere on the farm, you can straight up ask him where a caulk gun is and he will say he doesnt know, then you can walk back to the shop with 3 of them from the barn and he will just say Ohh I didnt know those were there. Guys dense.

The feeder likes to claim tools too. Anything he would use on the feeding equipment he would stash in the feed truck. But now he doesnt service us so all is good.

Then there is the others who frequent through the shop, the use MY box as a storage place. They leave a popcan on my box and I throw it at their head. They leave one of the shops tools on my box and I just put it away, as I am the shop manager, I need to be somewhat professional. Im also the owners son, so naturally the spotlights shined on me and everyones out to get me.

For the packrats in our shop who stockpile things, I just throw them away on weekends when Im at the shop working.

I dont agree with/ get a long with enough of the people who pass through the shop, but I deal with it, over it.

My cousin is probably reading this because he has no life and sits on the internet searching my screenname all day.


But anyways to the OP, be the bigger man. If theres anything Ive learned by dealing with many people in my day, its to simple just stand their and agree and take responsibility for what they say. Its not worth the fight. But at the same time dont let them make you their punching bag, if you get what I mean??? Stand up for yourself, but let some things slide. Being the bigger man sometimes gets you further on a personal lever.

Ive thrown stepladders at people, so Im not some calm cool hippe just so you know. I tend to call people the curly headed **** who is in the **** using the **** with the ****.

So what Im saying is yelling gets you nowhere, calm cool and collected gets you far, being right while being cool calm and collected doesnt get you too far because then you are right and hurting egos evern though you are right.

Life *****, and so does what happened to you.

 

[Gtamazing]

I work a very large but very cluttered shop. When I got my new box (24x34 Proto) I knew right away a large flat area like that was asking for someone to use it as a shelf. Now my partner is a real slob. Within a week he had already left coffee cup rings and cigarette ashes all over it. So I went an got a cover. When he came in and saw the cover he got the hint. Also an apprentice taped a note to the top of his box tell people his box was not a shelf or lean post.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Exactly what I did before I became my own!
Believe me this works...

As it turns out, people don't like it when their **** goes missing, and when they don't want their **** to go missing they quickly get the hint as to where not to leave it. One place i worked lost about half the coffee cups and other kitchen-related **** because i kept throwing it in the bin. People learned not to leave their lunch on my box after going hungry a couple times.

 

[TheGrooveking]

I glued using some small dots of silicone to mount rubber matting to the top of my cart and side box. Sorry for the small picture/crappy cell-phone pic.

TheGrooveking

 

[Thumper]

This is one thing I don't put up with...never have. If I scratch my stuff...it's mine..I paid for it. If somebody else does it.....it's on. Over the years I have had various wise guys that thought they owned the place and treated everybodies stuff like it was junk. After several talks to tell them different some wised up.......a few got their nuts kicked in and got the message.

General service guy or not....you should not have to put up with this ****. Being the new guy does not mean you have to be treated like ****. Some guys are just born assholes...others have to take a class......

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

I went down with a blown achilles tendon ..out for 4 moths , then got laid off as they lost the chevy franchise
went and got my box the other day , there was all kinds of **** on it , and I was the shop foreman
shops are dark dirty places , time is money and stuff gets thrown everywhere
I recommend accounting

 

[Simplespeed]

After reading someones post i realized that i actually look foreward to and hope there will be stuff on my box in the mornings so i can slowly knock it to the ground and make a huge mess. Too bad nobody leaves stuff on my box anymore lol. My box is scratched, dented and old but i keep it clean and at a glance it looks newish.

 

[Skin]

heres my take on it. Most guys are slobs by nature. You said as much about their work place so is it really any surprise they'd use your closed cart, which resembles a table, as a work space? Basically from what you said i'd of actually expected it. I wouldnt run to any supervisors or make any threats just yet, get a real cover and see if that solves your issue. Honestly if you were that worried about its cosmetics in the work place you should of procured one before it went there to stay. I'm not trying to place blame and if i were it wouldnt be on you, but i can totally understand how a bunch of guys in a repair shop might not respect or even fully realize they're on someones property.

If they dont respect their own property and their own work space, they sure as hell wont respect your stuff. I grabbed a weber grill cover as a cover for mine, fits nice, if you want a pic let me know.

 

[Scuderia-F1]

As it turns out, people don't like it when their **** goes missing, and when they don't want their **** to go missing they quickly get the hint as to where not to leave it. One place i worked lost about half the coffee cups and other kitchen-related **** because i kept throwing it in the bin. People learned not to leave their lunch on my box after going hungry a couple times.

 

[Xsapper041]

I'm not gonna lie, If someone did that to me I'd beat the **** outta them and smear their face in all that grease.

Well, all I can say is I think there would be a surprise in store for you

But i understand where you're coming from, you had to be there ...this guy was a complete *** and he had it coming to him. It was either "beat the **** outta" HIM or find some way to convince him to change his ways. What we did was NOT intended as a silly practical joke at someone's expense, although it was funny and people still talk about it almost 20 years later.

He was pisses alright but oddly enough he didn't say a word to any of us

 

[makgreens]

Yeah skin throw a picture up if nya don't mind

And if you by chance have the part # for the cover that'd be awesome

 

[Skin]

will do, check back friday evening.

 

[makgreens]

will do, check back friday evening.

Appreciate it....u get it at lowes or hd?
I might go by tonight and look now that I know its a weber grill cover

 

[Skin]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001H1LUVE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

This is the one. Black out the weber logo [if you care] and you'd be good to go. The way it sits the logo is actually mostly hidden on the back side. Only way someone is going to tear though it is with a razor and some effort. It drapes down and stops right around where the cart body stops so you can move it around covered without any issue or worry that the wheels will run it over. Pretty good fit, just a bit wide but its got velcro straps so quite a bit of slack can be taken out.

For the money it was worth it to me as opposed to a purpose made cart cover which would of probably cost me closer to $100 or more.

 

[crewchief888]

When I worked in a dealership the biggest problem I had was with salesman who think your tool box is company own and open season for loaning tools. In my shop nobody touched or laid a hand on anyone else's tool box. It wasn't a rule but just a matter every everyone had mutual respect for one anothers property. Sometimes people left a drink of cup of coffee on my box but that was because they were standing around BSing and forgot it. I've been real fortunate in that area.

When I worked in a dealership the biggest problem I had was with salesman who think your tool box is company own and open season for loaning tools.

ive had this happen one time, after mr salesman came within seconds of loosing his life, ( i had him by the throat choking him)

of course i'm the one that gets written up, and had a visit from the president/owner the next day.
i was standing there as he informed the salesman,
" the next time you touch anyones tools in this building, i'll let them strangle you, and you have NO BUSINESS being anywhere in the shop, for any reason whatsoever"
as the company pres walked by he turned and said with a smile, "please dont kill my salesman"

guess i'm lucky, over the past 25+ years ive been wrenching i've never had anyone f*ck with my tools or boxes.
but that just may be my happy sunshiny demeanor

 

[PeteMoore]

I was working as a contractor in the local aerospace company when i left the forces.

I was coming in every evening for night shift to find my box on its side, upside down, pry'd open or randomly somewhere else in the HUGE factory.

Baring in mind I had paid upwards of £6k for tooling less than 2 weeks prior, it angered me a little, and as a contractor there with the ignorant belfast scum fucks, there was little i could do. However, a couple of day shift contractors had seen what was happening, and contacted me with regards to who it was doing this to my box and stealing my tools.

Armed with fresh information from 2 sources, I was pretty confident it was just this one bloke I had had a run-in with on my first shift after hetriedtelling me there was no requirement to deburr any drilled holes in an aircraft skin :S

I also realised on this shift that I had a long standing family friend who worked in the "tool fixing shed" in the middle of the hangar on day shift. So my box lived there from that day on.

I have to add at this point that his box and its contents are supplied by the company, and not by himself in any way shape or form, jesus, its hard enough getting those scum bags to do some work, nevermind pay for their own tools.

I took his box apart, boxed and wrapped individual tools and addressed them to his shift manager with an A4 explanation of why it was being done. I also then put a select number of tools in easy to find places in one of the fuselages and proceeded to write out the FOD reports including the serial numbers for the tools found and mailed them off to the shop safety representative.

Lastly, i **** in one of the drawers and shut his box back up, much to the amusement of the other guys on my shift who were all watching as i wiped and dumped the paper in another drawer.

There was never another word spoken about it, and i was lead to believe he was "spoken" to by his bosses.

My box got left alone and I ended up using my own insurance to get a replacement box and tools.

Dont let people **** with you or your tools.

 

[Skin]

Baring in mind I had paid upwards of £6k for tooling less than 2 weeks prior, it angered me a little....

....I took his box apart, boxed and wrapped individual tools and addressed them to his shift manager with an A4 explanation of why it was being done. I also then put a select number of tools in easy to find places in one of the fuselages and proceeded to write out the FOD reports including the serial numbers for the tools found and mailed them off to the shop safety representative.

Lastly, i **** in one of the drawers and shut his box back up, much to the amusement of the other guys on my shift who were all watching as i wiped and dumped the paper in another drawer.

Dont let people **** with you or your tools.

If thats "a little" angered i wouldnt want to see "a lot".