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Last Updated: , Created: Sunday, January 11th, 2004

Keep track of your tools

Some of us are neat and organized by nature; others need some driving force to get us to be that way. One of the best motivations is to not losing our tools. Getting the tools out of a drawer and hung up on the wall is the first step. Then draw an outline around each tool, and they now each have a prescribed home. Even if you find that a bit exaggerated for working in your own shop, it suddenly becomes useful when trying to control your tool use by others. They know where to put it back, and you know when it is gone. If you take it a step further, you provide some name tags so that when your neighbour Bob borrows that special vice-grip of yours, you have his name in the place of the tool. That makes it very easy to call him up and ask for it back.

When I first started installing cabinetry in Quebec, I was always loosing tools. Then I built a portable tool box that looked like a shop wall. I would roll it into a job, fold open the 4 panels full of strapped on tools, all outlined and custom fitted to their place. At the end of the day, one glance at my tool box and I could see what was missing. The speciality tools were easy to run down, while knowing for sure that my regular screwdriver was missing, I could push all the guys to double check if they didn't have two -- and I never lost a tool again.


Keywords: Storage, Tools

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