About six to eight times out of ten, when I go looking for a 1/4" or 5/16"
nut driver, I can not find one. So, I go buy more when I am at the tool
place. I now have them on my nightstand, in my truck ashtray, and various
places around the property, except in the little tupperware bin I keep my
bits in.

It's like those plastic grocery bags. You know, the free ones that you have
about a seven year supply of under your sink. And still put every last one
you get in with them. Hell, the plastic is decomposing on some of them,
it's so old.

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite thingus
in the "nut drivers" location.

Steve

I have the same problem with phillips screwdrivers, can never find one
no matter how many I buy. I think they turn into allen wrenches. I
always have too many of them.
73 Gary

Utility Knifes, I must have twenty of them some place. Trip over the darn
things till I need one, then they all go hide with all the little parts that
I drop.

JIm
"Steve B" wrote in message
news:MUHqf.7824$_L5.3100@fed1read06...
About six to eight times out of ten, when I go looking for a 1/4" or 5/16"
nut driver, I can not find one. So, I go buy more when I am at the tool
place. I now have them on my nightstand, in my truck ashtray, and various
places around the property, except in the little tupperware bin I keep my
bits in.

It's like those plastic grocery bags. You know, the free ones that you
have about a seven year supply of under your sink. And still put every
last one you get in with them. Hell, the plastic is decomposing on some
of them, it's so old.

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite thingus
in the "nut drivers" location.

Steve

On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 16:54:54 -0800, Steve B wrote:

Insert your favorite thingus
in the "nut drivers" location.

Steve

Tape measures, chuck keys and scales. I don't know
why, but I'm ALWAYS losing them.
Now, things like that 19/32 socket that came in
one of my sets, I couldn't lose if I tried. LOL

Rastus wrote:
On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 16:54:54 -0800, Steve B wrote:

Insert your favorite thingus
in the "nut drivers" location.

Steve

Tape measures, chuck keys and scales. I don't know
why, but I'm ALWAYS losing them.
Now, things like that 19/32 socket that came in
one of my sets, I couldn't lose if I tried. LOL

Its a variation on the "Law of Selective Gravitation", ie a dropped
tool will always land where it can do the most damage. And tools hate
light (a little known fact) - given the SLIGHTEST chance , they will
hide themselves in a dark corner, or under the bench, or teleport
themselves to the far side of the room. (This is proved by the fact
that, you can be sitting at your bench, put a tool down, and days later
it will re-appear on the other side of the room, a place you havent
been for months...)

And its no good buying spares - all tools belong to the same union, so,
one out, all out...

If you are a neat and tidy person, you can delay or impede these
things, but they will ALWAYS get ya in the end....

73 de VK3BFA Andrew.

HEX KEYS!!! We buy all the sizes 1/2" by the box of 50...that's 50 sets!
We buy the little round plastic holder with a spring around the outside.
That's 50 sets! There are four people that use the sets. Just try to find
a set, and when you do, some are missing. I spend $300 a year on friggin'
hex keys!



"Steve B" wrote in message
news:MUHqf.7824$_L5.3100@fed1read06...
About six to eight times out of ten, when I go looking for a 1/4" or 5/16"
nut driver, I can not find one. So, I go buy more when I am at the tool
place. I now have them on my nightstand, in my truck ashtray, and various
places around the property, except in the little tupperware bin I keep my
bits in.

It's like those plastic grocery bags. You know, the free ones that you
have about a seven year supply of under your sink. And still put every
last one you get in with them. Hell, the plastic is decomposing on some
of them, it's so old.

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite thingus
in the "nut drivers" location.

Steve

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
Steve B wrote:

About six to eight times out of ten, when I go looking for a 1/4" or
5/16" nut driver, I can not find one. So, I go buy more when I am at the
tool place. I now have them on my nightstand, in my truck ashtray, and
various places around the property, except in the little tupperware bin I
keep my bits in.

It's like those plastic grocery bags. You know, the free ones that you
have about a seven year supply of under your sink. And still put every
last one you get in with them. Hell, the plastic is decomposing on some
of them, it's so old.

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite
thingus in the "nut drivers" location.

It's actually simple. A place for every thing, everything in it's place.

I have two sets of nut drivers, one in my shop that live in one of the
small drawers in a Kennedy rollaway, and the other lives on my electronics
bench in a jar. Every time I'm done with a job, I try very hard to put
away my tools. The key is having a place *to* put them away. If you just
vanish them into some handy crevice, or balance them on top of some light
fixture, all just to make them disappear, you will have a terrible time
finding them.

I do still have a hard time finding some things, though. But I'm getting
better at it.

GWE

I once asked a friend of mine, who I deemed terribly anal about having to
have things in their place.

He told me, 'Oh, it's not about having everything in its place. It's about
being able to find it the next time I need it."

Now, that I could understand. My putting things back has gotten better, but
only slightly.

Some days, I will do nothing but "put stuff up." Meaning, I will take
handfuls of things that are laying here and there willy nilly, and put them
in their drawers, on their hooks, and in their bins.

So, for a while, I'm organized. Feeling good about it. Then, for some
unknown reason, AND EVERY TIME, it all goes to hell in a handbasket.

I think a clean shop is the sign of a sick mind. But, then, I like a
mechanic that has a clean shop. Guess I'm just hypocritical.

Steve

Steve B wrote:

About six to eight times out of ten, when I go looking for a 1/4" or 5/16"
nut driver, I can not find one. So, I go buy more when I am at the tool
place. I now have them on my nightstand, in my truck ashtray, and various
places around the property, except in the little tupperware bin I keep my
bits in.

It's like those plastic grocery bags. You know, the free ones that you have
about a seven year supply of under your sink. And still put every last one
you get in with them. Hell, the plastic is decomposing on some of them,
it's so old.

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite thingus
in the "nut drivers" location.

Steve

I use those grocery bags for litter box cleaning so I don't have the
huge bag buildup.

Pete C.

"Pete C." wrote in message
...
Steve B wrote:

About six to eight times out of ten, when I go looking for a 1/4" or
5/16"
nut driver, I can not find one. So, I go buy more when I am at the tool
place. I now have them on my nightstand, in my truck ashtray, and
various
places around the property, except in the little tupperware bin I keep my
bits in.

It's like those plastic grocery bags. You know, the free ones that you
have
about a seven year supply of under your sink. And still put every last
one
you get in with them. Hell, the plastic is decomposing on some of them,
it's so old.

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite
thingus
in the "nut drivers" location.

Steve

I use those grocery bags for litter box cleaning so I don't have the
huge bag buildup.

Pete C.

Given the choice between bag buildup, and a litter box, I'll gladly take bag
buildup.

Steve, who has owned several cats

On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 16:54:54 -0800, "Steve B"
wrote:

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite thingus
in the "nut drivers" location.

Steve

There was one time I couldn't find any ball point pens, but 15 minutes
later I found 4 of them in my shirt pocket.

the loss of hex keys, specifically 3/16 and smaller, is amazing

The way I see it, at the price they sell for in bulk, I'n not all that
concerned.

But my partner's opinion (Dad) is a wee bit different.


"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
. com...
HEX KEYS!!! We buy all the sizes 1/2" by the box of 50...that's 50 sets!
We buy the little round plastic holder with a spring around the outside.
That's 50 sets! There are four people that use the sets. Just try to
find a set, and when you do, some are missing. I spend $300 a year on
friggin' hex keys!



"Steve B" wrote in message
news:MUHqf.7824$_L5.3100@fed1read06...
About six to eight times out of ten, when I go looking for a 1/4" or
5/16" nut driver, I can not find one. So, I go buy more when I am at the
tool place. I now have them on my nightstand, in my truck ashtray, and
various places around the property, except in the little tupperware bin I
keep my bits in.

It's like those plastic grocery bags. You know, the free ones that you
have about a seven year supply of under your sink. And still put every
last one you get in with them. Hell, the plastic is decomposing on some
of them, it's so old.

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite
thingus in the "nut drivers" location.

Steve

Steve B wrote:

About six to eight times out of ten, when I go looking for a 1/4" or 5/16"
nut driver, I can not find one. So, I go buy more when I am at the tool
place. I now have them on my nightstand, in my truck ashtray, and various
places around the property, except in the little tupperware bin I keep my
bits in.

It's like those plastic grocery bags. You know, the free ones that you have
about a seven year supply of under your sink. And still put every last one
you get in with them. Hell, the plastic is decomposing on some of them,
it's so old.

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite thingus
in the "nut drivers" location.

Steve




I never lose anything. Whatever I need at any given time is around here
somewhere. I know it is cause I just saw it a couple days ago.

michael

I had this problem with screw drivers....
I could never find the right kind....
So I tried an experiment
Every time I went to Sears, or Home Depot I bought their medium
quality screw driver set.

I did this for six years, I STILL could not find the right kind of
screw driver.

Then we moved from NH to CA and I cleaned everything up.
At the garage sale I had about 6 5 gal buckets full of nothing but
screwdrivers. I had so many screw drivers it was shameful.

I've almost given up on saturating the environemnt with tools to solve
my organizational issues.

I've given up on screwdrivers , they are all in one toolbox drawer.

Tape measures on the other hand.. may never reach saturation because
you break one once in awhile.....but the Jury is still out we've only
been in this house 4 years.


Paul

wrote in message
...
I had this problem with screw drivers....
I could never find the right kind....
So I tried an experiment
Every time I went to Sears, or Home Depot I bought their medium
quality screw driver set.

Paul

I have done that many times. The 19 screwdriver set, right?

Then I only use about two of them, and one weird sized one about once a
year.

So, I ended up with two worn out screwdrivers, and seventeen pristine ones.

Yes, it's time to go through the tool chest, a 3 cabinet Craftsman. Like
spring pruning.
Steve

On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 20:31:15 -0800, michael wrote:

Steve B wrote:

About six to eight times out of ten, when I go looking for a 1/4" or 5/16"
nut driver, I can not find one. So, I go buy more when I am at the tool
place. I now have them on my nightstand, in my truck ashtray, and various
places around the property, except in the little tupperware bin I keep my
bits in.

It's like those plastic grocery bags. You know, the free ones that you have
about a seven year supply of under your sink. And still put every last one
you get in with them. Hell, the plastic is decomposing on some of them,
it's so old.

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite thingus
in the "nut drivers" location.

Steve




I never lose anything. Whatever I need at any given time is around here
somewhere. I know it is cause I just saw it a couple days ago.

And I put it exactly where I knew I would be able to find it on a
moments notice, the only trouble being that that moment occurred a
couple days ago.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

Pete C. wrote:
Steve B wrote:

About six to eight times out of ten, when I go looking for a 1/4" or 5/16"
nut driver, I can not find one. So, I go buy more when I am at the tool
place. I now have them on my nightstand, in my truck ashtray, and various
places around the property, except in the little tupperware bin I keep my
bits in.

It's like those plastic grocery bags. You know, the free ones that you have
about a seven year supply of under your sink. And still put every last one
you get in with them. Hell, the plastic is decomposing on some of them,
it's so old.

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite thingus
in the "nut drivers" location.

Steve


I use those grocery bags for litter box cleaning so I don't have the
huge bag buildup.

Pete C.

Guys in some circles around here call those plastic handled grocery bags
"Safeway suitcases" which is a reference to homeless people storing their
belongings in them ..

GWE

Gary wrote:

I have the same problem with phillips screwdrivers, can never find one
no matter how many I buy. I think they turn into allen wrenches. I
always have too many of them.

Funny! It's the same for me. But just _Philips_ _Screwdrivers_. No
problem at all with pozidriv-bits, or Torx screwdrivers. Just the
Philips.


Nick
--
Motor Modelle // Engine Models
http://www.motor-manufaktur.de
DIY-DRO - YADRO - Eigenbau-Digitalanzeige

Knife fork and spoon combination sets. Must have lost a hundred sets over the
years.

Steve B wrote:

About six to eight times out of ten, when I go looking for a 1/4" or 5/16"
nut driver, I can not find one. So, I go buy more when I am at the tool
place. I now have them on my nightstand, in my truck ashtray, and various
places around the property, except in the little tupperware bin I keep my
bits in.

It's like those plastic grocery bags. You know, the free ones that you have
about a seven year supply of under your sink. And still put every last one
you get in with them. Hell, the plastic is decomposing on some of them,
it's so old.

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite thingus
in the "nut drivers" location.

Steve

In article ,
michael wrote:

Steve B wrote:

About six to eight times out of ten, when I go looking for a 1/4" or 5/16"
nut driver, I can not find one. So, I go buy more when I am at the tool
place. I now have them on my nightstand, in my truck ashtray, and various
places around the property, except in the little tupperware bin I keep my
bits in.

It's like those plastic grocery bags. You know, the free ones that you
have
about a seven year supply of under your sink. And still put every last one
you get in with them. Hell, the plastic is decomposing on some of them,
it's so old.

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite thingus
in the "nut drivers" location.

Steve




I never lose anything. Whatever I need at any given time is around here
somewhere. I know it is cause I just saw it a couple days ago.

michael

I always put all my tools down very carefully, where they'll be right at
hand when I need one. They're always right where I put them -- if I
could remember where the hell that was other than "around here
somewhere" or "I just had it in my hand _ten seconds ago_, DAMMIT!"

Amazing how cluttered a "primitive" blacksmith shop can become -- and
how quickly.

Now that I have a mini mill, I wonder: Will I always remember where
_its_ tooling is?

In article rMJqf.7835$_L5.483@fed1read06,
"Steve B" wrote:


Given the choice between bag buildup, and a litter box, I'll gladly take bag
buildup.

Steve, who has owned several cats

Surely, Sir, you misspeak!

A couple of cats own _me_, but I can't ever recall my owning one.

John, who occasionally has to chase a cat out of the forge so he can
light a fire.

What attracts light-colored cats to coal anyway?

On 22 Dec 2005 17:17:52 -0800, with neither quill nor qualm, "Gary"
quickly quoth:

I have the same problem with phillips screwdrivers, can never find one
no matter how many I buy. I think they turn into allen wrenches. I
always have too many of them.

See "Goncz' First Law of Regeneration", Gary.

(No, I made that up, but Doug should consider rendering some.


--
STOP THE SLAUGHTER! || http://diversify.com
Boycott Baby Oil! || Programmed Websites

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 00:43:37 -0500, Gerald Miller
wrote:


I never lose anything. Whatever I need at any given time is around here
somewhere. I know it is cause I just saw it a couple days ago.

And I put it exactly where I knew I would be able to find it on a
moments notice, the only trouble being that that moment occurred a
couple days ago.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

Yes. And if the wife or someone moves it I have to look for it.
Randy
--
Randy Replogle

http://www.chem.purdue.edu/machine

"John Husvar" wrote in message
...
In article rMJqf.7835$_L5.483@fed1read06,
"Steve B" wrote:


Given the choice between bag buildup, and a litter box, I'll gladly take
bag
buildup.

Steve, who has owned several cats

Surely, Sir, you misspeak!

A couple of cats own _me_, but I can't ever recall my owning one.

John, who occasionally has to chase a cat out of the forge so he can
light a fire.

What attracts light-colored cats to coal anyway?

I have a theory. I think no one "owns" a cat. They merely "visit", and if
they tire of the food or companionship, they move on.

Steve

Steve B wrote:
"John Husvar" wrote in message
...

In article rMJqf.7835$_L5.483@fed1read06,
"Steve B" wrote:


Given the choice between bag buildup, and a litter box, I'll gladly take
bag
buildup.

Steve, who has owned several cats

Surely, Sir, you misspeak!

A couple of cats own _me_, but I can't ever recall my owning one.

John, who occasionally has to chase a cat out of the forge so he can
light a fire.

What attracts light-colored cats to coal anyway?


I have a theory. I think no one "owns" a cat. They merely "visit", and if
they tire of the food or companionship, they move on.

Cats are roommates
Dogs are children

According to John Husvar :

[ ... ]

John, who occasionally has to chase a cat out of the forge so he can
light a fire.

What attracts light-colored cats to coal anyway?

I think that they like the contrast. My white one likes to curl
up on anything black -- except a lap, which she won't do no matter what
the color. :-)

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

I used to live in a small apartment.
Small tools vanished.
I moved to a 160 Acre ranch.
Large tools (and small tools) vanished.
Now I live on a acre lot.
Medium (and large and small) tools vanish.
The only tool I can reliably find is my backhoe.
The backhoe is old and therefore requires frequent fixing.
The tools that I need to fix the backhoe have vanished.
Screw it!
I am going to plant a steel beam upright in the front yard and weld all my
tools (as I find them) to it.
And I will get to that when I find the electrode holder for the welder.

Ken. ( happy holidays to all)
--
http://www.rupert.net/~solar
Return address supplied by 'spammotel'
http://www.spammotel.com

Gary wrote:
I have the same problem with phillips screwdrivers, can never find one
no matter how many I buy. I think they turn into allen wrenches. I
always have too many of them.
73 Gary




--
Abrasha
http://www.abrasha.com

Grant Erwin wrote:
Steve B wrote:

About six to eight times out of ten, when I go looking for a 1/4" or
5/16" nut driver, I can not find one. So, I go buy more when I am at
the tool place. I now have them on my nightstand, in my truck
ashtray, and various places around the property, except in the little
tupperware bin I keep my bits in.

It's like those plastic grocery bags. You know, the free ones that
you have about a seven year supply of under your sink. And still put
every last one you get in with them. Hell, the plastic is decomposing
on some of them, it's so old.

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite
thingus in the "nut drivers" location.


It's actually simple. A place for every thing, everything in it's place.


In my shop, I have a place for everything. My files are in a drawer, my
needle files are on my work bench in their jar, my fire tweezers are on
the bench in their own jar, etc. this work perfectly fine until, every
once in a while I put a needle file or a pair of tweezers or whatever in
a place where they don't belong. And then, ... it can be weeks before I
run a cross it again.

Abrasha
http://www.abrasha.com

"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
. com...
| HEX KEYS!!! We buy all the sizes 1/2" by the box of 50...that's 50 sets!
| We buy the little round plastic holder with a spring around the outside.
| That's 50 sets! There are four people that use the sets. Just try to
find
| a set, and when you do, some are missing. I spend $300 a year on friggin'
| hex keys!

In your case, time to look into tool control/accountability. Your tool
costs plummet after a reasonable up front expense. Or, you could give a
brand new set to each person who is supposed to use them with the
understanding that that's the very last set you buy them, and if its lost,
it comes out of their paychecks. I've had it done to me on assorted items
in different industries and it works like a champ.

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 02:10:13 GMT, "Tom Gardner"
wrote:

HEX KEYS!!! We buy all the sizes 1/2" by the box of 50...that's 50 sets!
We buy the little round plastic holder with a spring around the outside.
That's 50 sets! There are four people that use the sets. Just try to find
a set, and when you do, some are missing. I spend $300 a year on friggin'
hex keys!

Do the round thingies with the spring hold em any better than the
factory plastic block with the right size holes that get bigger and
bigger the more oil they are exposed to?

Gunner




"Steve B" wrote in message
news:MUHqf.7824$_L5.3100@fed1read06...
About six to eight times out of ten, when I go looking for a 1/4" or 5/16"
nut driver, I can not find one. So, I go buy more when I am at the tool
place. I now have them on my nightstand, in my truck ashtray, and various
places around the property, except in the little tupperware bin I keep my
bits in.

It's like those plastic grocery bags. You know, the free ones that you
have about a seven year supply of under your sink. And still put every
last one you get in with them. Hell, the plastic is decomposing on some
of them, it's so old.

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite thingus
in the "nut drivers" location.

Steve



"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner

On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 11:20:44 -0600, Rex B
wrote:


Steve B wrote:
"John Husvar" wrote in message
...

In article rMJqf.7835$_L5.483@fed1read06,
"Steve B" wrote:


Given the choice between bag buildup, and a litter box, I'll gladly take
bag
buildup.

Steve, who has owned several cats

Surely, Sir, you misspeak!

A couple of cats own _me_, but I can't ever recall my owning one.

John, who occasionally has to chase a cat out of the forge so he can
light a fire.

What attracts light-colored cats to coal anyway?


I have a theory. I think no one "owns" a cat. They merely "visit", and if
they tire of the food or companionship, they move on.

Cats are roommates
Dogs are children


Thats probably one of the more profound statements Ive read.

True indeed

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner

Steve B wrote:

About six to eight times out of ten, when I go looking for a 1/4" or 5/16"
nut driver, I can not find one. So, I go buy more when I am at the tool
place. I now have them on my nightstand, in my truck ashtray, and various
places around the property, except in the little tupperware bin I keep my
bits in.

It's like those plastic grocery bags. You know, the free ones that you have
about a seven year supply of under your sink. And still put every last one
you get in with them. Hell, the plastic is decomposing on some of them,
it's so old.

How many unfindable nut drivers do you have. Insert your favorite thingus
in the "nut drivers" location.

It's actually simple. A place for every thing, everything in it's place.

Yeah.... pile everything on the workbench.... then when you need it,
it's on the workbench G
Ken.



I have two sets of nut drivers, one in my shop that live in one of the small
drawers in a Kennedy rollaway, and the other lives on my electronics bench in a
jar. Every time I'm done with a job, I try very hard to put away my tools. The
key is having a place *to* put them away. If you just vanish them into some
handy crevice, or balance them on top of some light fixture, all just to make
them disappear, you will have a terrible time finding them.

I do still have a hard time finding some things, though. But I'm getting better
at it.

GWE

Do the round thingies with the spring hold em any better than the
factory plastic block with the right size holes that get bigger and
bigger the more oil they are exposed to?

Gunner

Oh, yea...they work GREAT! However, they act like a doorway to another
dimension.

I have one of each and for the last 60 years I have not had any problem.
George G.

On Sun, 25 Dec 2005 04:50:18 GMT, "Tom Gardner"
wrote:

Do the round thingies with the spring hold em any better than the
factory plastic block with the right size holes that get bigger and
bigger the more oil they are exposed to?

Gunner

Oh, yea...they work GREAT! However, they act like a doorway to another
dimension.


But it's a limited doorway. There is always _one_ key left on the ring when
all the others have disappeared... Wait a minute, where did that ring with the
solitary 3/8" Allen key go?


Mark Rand
RTFM