On Feb 8, 3:55*pm, Jo - the girl wrote:
I'm really tired of people (housemates, friends, and family) taking my
tools without permission and then failing to return them. I go to get
some pliars or something and they're not there, it's really annoying.

I need a small portable toolbox/hand box for my tools and need an
opinion. I'm looking for one that's about 16 inches that I can put a
padlock on. After looking at a few it occurred to me that a padlock
might not keep people out. Some of the hinges on the plastic ones
appear big enough that you could push the pins out and open it up at
the hinges even if it had a padlock. What I'm wondering is how
difficult it would be to do that? Would a metal box be more difficult
to get into or does it depend?

If your 'friends' would rip open a tool box to 'borrow' what they
need, simply get the biggest thing with a lock that you can lift
(Sears isn't too bad for this) and chain it to something permanent in
the house, like a drain pipe. Adopt a policy of getting a deposit
equal to the tool cost upfront before the item leaves home and then
deduct something reasonable from that if they bring it back on time
and in perfect condition. Consider it just a means of retraining some
individuals who have gotten a bit inconsiderate over the years. You
stand to gain a lot of respect, you tool collection will be intact and
you won't lose any friends that really matter. HTH


Joe