Tool Inventory

[ship]

Winter months... too cold to be constructing stuff and not the busy season yet, Laptop in the garage (for work purposes)... Time for the inventory that has been coming for years. Too bad I didn't have it while I was buying the tools as now that the inventory is done for the most part, now it's a question of pricing it out.


Brand, serial numbers, part numbers, SKU or item numbers, description and quantity and price.

One long list supplemented by photos from the Klien 10:1 screw driver tool stashed in the car trunk to the Dremmel circle cutter never yet used. Been considering doing this for years... always something better to do given how much time and work it would take. A few weeks ago an electricical contractor friend of mine had his garage cleaned out of all of his tools. He is now searching for pricing, remembering what he had, etc. in fighting with the insurance company to get back some extent of what he owned.

So I did the inventory, took a little over a week for me and still working on pricing - tonight I remembered the 2000 Home Depot catalog which lists part numbers, sku's and pricing - was even able to find the price of my discontinued grinder in it. Believe I have a 1998 Home Depot catalog at work which might have a few more things in it I don't yet have, this much less I curse myself for throwing out the various McMaster, J&L and Grainger catalogs when they get old for finding the older stuff in inventory but no longer able to find... remember buying but it's no longer there. This much less it will take a trip to the Menards and Lowes at some point for pricing out other tools. This plus a bit more work in pricing out from National Telephone Nicopress tool, to searching out what a c.1930's hand grinder stone would be worth back than, than with it doing the markup for antique.

What's a Reed Mfg. Co. #412 pat. Aug 19, 1902 1" R, NPT, 2.3/8" Square Pipe Threading Die worth? Got a set of similar pipe taps and pipe tap handle - still use them. Some things with a bit or research, this especially with old catalogs one can price out, other stuff even left blank to debate about later should something happen and one needs to replace it, can be debated or figured out later. Main point is Beyond a c.1950's Dunlap 1/4hp Motor, 5.8A, 1750rpm, with 2" Flannel Wheel - I currently use as a home buffing wheel that can be debated about in worth (Bell Box on cord with switch to turn it on, Eagle 5-15 yellow/silver plug....) for the most part and at this point, most of my tools are tracked down and once I finish, only a few would be up for debate in worth in getting me back to where I was.

Following this, and a more broad say amounts of spray paint on hand, or rivet storage case, down to bin organizers photoed full of every size screw feasible, I get onto the stuff at work which for me and work would be good for them also. Should I get fired.... what tools in my personal tool box belong to the shop verses me, what tools for them are ascets verses for me should the shop burn down what tools does my home owner's policy have to cover in personal tools. What's the serial number to say my right angle drill, this down to computer.

And next, what's in the house. Hmm two copies of Fuch's, much less a copy of "The Magic of Stage Lighting" amongst other books? LazyBoy chair etc. etc. etc.

A list or a few - say one for antique fixtures, a list for tools, a list for books, a list for tools at the shop, a list for other stuff in the house like a 1926 Kodak film projector and two films etc... once noted and doccumented. Sent as lists to "Mom", sent to work the alternate computer, perhaps a fire proof safe or safe deposit box and the insurance rep. Photos, lists and if not totally complete - sufficient to get an idea of what was there should it get lost.

In addition to that, I'm sure the accounting dept. at work would love to know what I have in my area.

Following this all, engraving all tools. Drivers Licence number and name for anything expensive, perhaps phone number if one would be a more constant number - less a problem these days, and name for other less expensive stuff.

Should I get fired... The pre-approved of list as perhaps amended goes out the door with me - not expecting such a thing but possible for all. Such a list of what you own becomes a legal doccument in having sent it to the management as it were and if they in recieving it don't, or can't prove objecting in reply in part to that list... they just lost a court battle to it. Save of course a copy of what you sent to the management in what you say your tools are - this assuming your own personal tools are so intermixed with shop tools it would be hard for even you to figure out what you bought verses what the shop bought and is in your box. - Again a concept in record keeping from the start. This granted, I would seriously miss the ferrule crimp tools and a few other specilized tools stored in my tool box as opposed to my department's more generalized tool box, but still the idea is if I should have to leave, it's on record what is mine verses the shop's and is easier to ammend later than figure out afterwards.



This all as opposed to someone in my area bitching and moaning about someone steeling his C-Wrench today. Been gone a week, seems he left early one Friday and didn't take his personal tools home with him or lock his bag. Someone "borrowed" appairently his personal tool without permission and didn't ask or return it. It's now gone.

Hmm, don't feel too bad for him in magnitude or rational personally. First, he left his tool bag around for someone without to help themselves. Granted, everyone should have personal tools but that's another battle in having people that are "professionals," people with "Jobs" and those with "Jobs but with some sense or not of personal responsibility to provide their own personal hand tools when working for a place that one might expect one to say take a bag lunch one day instead of going out to lunch each day in providing your own hand tools while in a position that requires you to be a skilled professional technition." This much less I as raised in a Union shop.. If I were to borrow a tool for more than a few days, I was expected not just to return the tool as soon as I was done working with it or by the end of the day in asking for it again, but also to have one by the end of the pay period also. Way weird working for a non-union and non-career shop.

This given my wife don't even own a 1.1/4" combination wrench and we just bought her her own nut driver set, she does own for the most part her own basic tools as supplemented by the shop or me as one of three people at the shop in "go to" people in providing tools if you don't have your own. All of us have direct ability to replace what don't come back (working on that) or get damaged in use easily replaced by the company - this as opposed to an employee above getting lost or stolen tools, or having to replace a damaged tool loaned out to those that don't have responsibility. Once recently had a socket wrench go lost. It was found a few days later 40' up in the air still on the Speed Wire hoist the tech person responsible for having borrowed it, at his co-worker using it "left it" in not returning it after done with it and potentially causing an un-safe condition. Hmm, didn't feel the at times boring nature of having to have a Balonga sandwich lunch... thus went out to lunch every day but don't have any tools to speek of and having to borrow even a 3/8" drive 9/16" socket. Borrow - heck work provided = go sweep a floor elsewhere in the building in being re-tasked, tools being used forgotton. This much less also was that clamp finished being tightened before the tool in it's frame also tightened?


Certain shop tools are provided, certain basic hand tools shouldn't have to be by pro's.

Anyway in a general sense, While it's really hard to keep replacing my $20+ each Apex #QR-M-490-A 1/4" drive power bit magnetic and locking bitholders, - best one can have and I don't even get to use six months after I re-stock again in having them over other bitholdes, work does pay for my missing tools as amongst like three people with our own full tool boxes to supplement shop tools, and those responsible enough to have bought their own, have that intimidation factor going for them in reasonably being busy but with it, expecting loaned out tools to be returned, and not having to replace them until we each implement computer tracking TBA.

So again, some crescent wrench missing - shouldn't have left your tool bag around. Good you had the tool of your own, bad in finding out you shouldn't leave it open and available. I do lock up my tools when nobody around, or during the day, I have a five person department people have to get thru in borrowing my tools. If it gets missing after that (short of computer tracking) it's often fairly rare and more a tool put back into the wrong drawer than gone. Just found a Klien cable slitting kinfe today, thought it gone for weeks now, just in the wrong drawer in me constantly saying "just put it on my work table and I'll put it away" but this someone lost for me in doing me a favor in putting away amongst a six foot high tool box with a lot of drawers. On the other hand, did just have to replace a Klien 4"x1/4 tip square drive screw driver. No idea of where it went - those most likely to have to borrow one from me intead of using a shop crap tool don't have it and short of upper management and I don't remember who loaned out to... gone. Granted amongst it and the Phillips, they get replaced about every other year in at times having to loan out a quality tool to remove a stuck screw over a crappy tool that gets stripped. And with less skilled labor or use, such quality tools even wear out, they need replacement so in the end, it will have been replaced anyway at some point. More a question of me wanting to use a tool that in the end I still bought for my own use, and it not being there - this no matter of some shop loaning out tools person of last resort or proper person to be borrowing tools from in me having a way to replace those missing.

Anyway, computer inventory and computer tracking of them TBA.

This good for insurance purposes, tracking purposes in should they get lost for insurance purposes or tracking down and yelling at those who borrowed them, than should you get fired, the tools you get back.

a concept in addition to marking your tools.