# THAT'S IT!!!!  Janitor Accesories for all!!!!



## ogberi

I'm over it.  I'm done with it.  I'm going to start carrying a meat tenderizer hammer in a hip holster.  

I've had it up to *here* with the damn tool gremlins, and the first time I see one I'm going to go rabid badger on it. I won't stop till there's nothing left but soup, and then I'll set fire to that.   

I was *JUST USING* my dang drill chuck key on the Taig lathe.  Seriously. I faced off my stock, fitted the tailstock, center drilled a hole, and went to swap out the center drill for a drill bit.   The chuck key was *NOT* where I put it, about 10 seconds earlier. 

So I figured, "Maybe it fell down."   Scrounged around on the lathe stand, on the floor, on the totes next to it, in the drawers (a dozen times!), in my pockets, you name it. 

That darn chuck key is *GONE!*  

I isn't *anywhere* around the lathe, or it's base.  Not in the drawers, not on the shelves, not in my pockets, I even drug the lathe stand out away from the wall and looked behind it, nothing.  Nada.  Nein.   No.    

This is the *THIRD* chuck key I've had disappear, *WHILE I WAS RUNNING THE LATHE RIGHT AFTER USING IT*, and I'm completely pi$$ed about it.    

So, I'm going to go to Ace Hardware, and buy a half dozen of those retractable keyring things like the janitors put on their keys.  And a new chuck key.   And I'm going to figure a way to attach it to the retractable keyring like it's a structural element of the Golden Gate Bridge.   I want that thing to put the operator in danger of loosing an eye if you just drop the chuck key.  I'll drill a through-hole in the chuck key handle and thread on a keyring if I have to!   

And if I *EVER* see that dang tool gremlin, I'm gonna snatch that hammer out of the belt holster so fast the leather bursts into flames as the handle clears it, and pound that smug little tool-moving jerk into a quivering lump of jelly in a fashion that violates the Geneva Convention, and all bounds of human decency.   Then I'll scrape up what's left and throw it in my foundry furnace, and unleash 250,000 BTU's of propane hellfire on it, until all that's left is ash.  Then I'll grind the ash up and scatter it across all 5 of my acres of property.  

*pant pant pant*  

Okay, that's the end of my rant.  Off to buy a chuck key, retractable keyrings, and a hip holster for my meat tenderizer.  Heck, I might just epoxy half a cinderblock to a handle and use that.   A 3 lb short sledge is waaay underkill for this.   

Gah!!!!


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## Mike Nash

You probably just have a chuck key shaped blind spot. I am amazed how many times my wife has had to point out that what I am looking for is literally *right there* in front of my face. But then she has the same problem at times.


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## Mark_f

I have the same problem , but I KNOW MY mind is gone. :rofl:

Mark





ogberi said:


> I'm over it.  I'm done with it.  I'm going to start carrying a meat tenderizer hammer in a hip holster.
> 
> I've had it up to *here* with the damn tool gremlins, and the first time I see one I'm going to go rabid badger on it. I won't stop till there's nothing left but soup, and then I'll set fire to that.
> 
> I was *JUST USING* my dang drill chuck key on the Taig lathe.  Seriously. I faced off my stock, fitted the tailstock, center drilled a hole, and went to swap out the center drill for a drill bit.   The chuck key was *NOT* where I put it, about 10 seconds earlier.
> 
> So I figured, "Maybe it fell down."   Scrounged around on the lathe stand, on the floor, on the totes next to it, in the drawers (a dozen times!), in my pockets, you name it.
> 
> That darn chuck key is *GONE!*
> 
> I isn't *anywhere* around the lathe, or it's base.  Not in the drawers, not on the shelves, not in my pockets, I even drug the lathe stand out away from the wall and looked behind it, nothing.  Nada.  Nein.   No.
> 
> This is the *THIRD* chuck key I've had disappear, *WHILE I WAS RUNNING THE LATHE RIGHT AFTER USING IT*, and I'm completely pi$$ed about it.
> 
> So, I'm going to go to Ace Hardware, and buy a half dozen of those retractable keyring things like the janitors put on their keys.  And a new chuck key.   And I'm going to figure a way to attach it to the retractable keyring like it's a structural element of the Golden Gate Bridge.   I want that thing to put the operator in danger of loosing an eye if you just drop the chuck key.  I'll drill a through-hole in the chuck key handle and thread on a keyring if I have to!
> 
> And if I *EVER* see that dang tool gremlin, I'm gonna snatch that hammer out of the belt holster so fast the leather bursts into flames as the handle clears it, and pound that smug little tool-moving jerk into a quivering lump of jelly in a fashion that violates the Geneva Convention, and all bounds of human decency.   Then I'll scrape up what's left and throw it in my foundry furnace, and unleash 250,000 BTU's of propane hellfire on it, until all that's left is ash.  Then I'll grind the ash up and scatter it across all 5 of my acres of property.
> 
> *pant pant pant*
> 
> Okay, that's the end of my rant.  Off to buy a chuck key, retractable keyrings, and a hip holster for my meat tenderizer.  Heck, I might just epoxy half a cinderblock to a handle and use that.   A 3 lb short sledge is waaay underkill for this.
> 
> Gah!!!!


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## Terrywerm

Five bucks says you find it right out in plain sight as soon as you get back from the hardware store!

I know the feeling though!  Been there done that. 

Similar story: Working on my pickup, car, whatever, doesn't matter.  I used the 9/16" wrench while working on it, but now cannot find it anywhere. Went nuts and turned into a raving lunatic because it's GONE!  Next thing I know my youngest son starts chuckling.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK IS SO DAMN FUNNY?"  

"Check your back pocket."

"Rass a frass a frip wrackin' ritz a cot blasted smart alec!"


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## Bill Gruby

Don't buy one of those retractors. It is a waste of money. It will always be on your other pants. :lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:

 "Billt G"


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## coolidge

I tore the house/garage apart last week looking for my caliper...it was in my truck (face palm)


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## CoopVA

Welcome to my world...


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## chuckorlando

I lost a key a month ago. Found it on the same bench last week that I searched 100 times


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## sk1nner

I've heard about Taigs enjoying chuck keys, but they usually  like them with BBQ sauce,  not plain.


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## JimDawson

I have the same problem.  Even if I don't move, the chuck key just disappears.  Then I walk away and it is back.  I think it's the same thing like socks in the dryer.  It must have something to do with the rotating parts creating a time travel vortex or something.:lmao:

A few years ago I was repairing a computer keyboard.  This was back in the day when they actually had screws in them.  I was doing this at my desk, I set the screws right in front of me, did the repair, and went to put it back together.  The screws were gone!  I had never moved.  My neighbor happened to be there and he confirmed that there were no screws on the desk.  We went downstairs to get a cup of coffee, when we got back, the screws were laying right on the desk where I left them.  It's magic I tell ya.:nervous:


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## John Hasler

chuckorlando said:


> I lost a key a month ago. Found it on the same bench last week that I searched 100 times



They'll try to tell you it was there all the time.  It wasn't.  Those evil little monsters love to take things, hide them in their dens for a few days, and them put them back where they found them.  They thrive on the waves of frustration pouring off of you while you search for it.


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## OldMachinist

I keep the drill chuck keys and other lathe tools that might fall into the chip pan painted orange. Seems like the gremlins don't like the taste of Allis Chalmers orange. :rofl:


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## OldMachinist

And the chuck key for the drill press is on a lanyard so it doesn't walk away.


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## sk1nner

My drill press chuck was missing for about 8 months, cleaned that bench countless times.  Thursday night it showed up, have absolutely no idea where it was hiding all that time or why it decided to show up.  Glad to find it though!


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## jpfabricator

It seems like 5/16 th drillbits are my problem. The next time im at a tool wholesale outlet Im going to by a hundred of them. Then after each use I will just throw them away, and get a new one!

Jake Parker


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## Dave Smith

for those of you that also really enjoy reading this thread---Depressing Realities Of Life-- was started by CNC DUDE--it is worth it to search  back and read this thread to know how big a problem this really is---I don't think it is going away---Dave---anic:

*AND NOTE TO JAKE---Don't throw it away until you know where you put the 100 replacements---:roflmao:


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## Mike Nash

coolidge said:


> I tore the house/garage apart last week looking for my caliper...it was in my truck (face palm)



Many years ago, I tore the attic floor back up looking for my 5/8" wood chisel. I later figured out I never even had one. :nuts:


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## Dave Smith

Mike Nash said:


> Many years ago, I tore the attic floor back up looking for my 5/8" wood chisel. I later figured out I never even had one. :nuts:


Mike---good humor is sure good for relieving stress----good one--:rofl:


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## tweinke

It's  a commonly known fact that there are small black holes under work benches. Some of them lead to different areas of the shop. Others lead to unknown places. That is my scientific analysis of where my tools go. Why on earth would I ever leave a tool on the top of the toilet, had to be the black hole under the bench! Totally plausible in my mind.:nuts:


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## CoopVA

tweinke said:


> It's  a commonly known fact that there are small black holes under work benches. Some of them lead to different areas of the shop. Others lead to unknown places. That is my scientific analysis of where my tools go. Why on earth would I ever leave a tool on the top of the toilet, had to be the black hole under the bench! Totally plausible in my mind.:nuts:



Must be true...  I'm also thinking there are some areas of phase shifting going on in some areas of the shop...


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## brav65

I have learned to fight back!  I now carefully place tools in places like my BBQ, in my daughters toy box, in the ashtray of my SUV, in with the dog food...  I know have very little problem finding things! They just magically appear when I need them.  Of course the dogs look at me funny when they end up with my machinist square in their bowl, but it all works out in the end!


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## darkzero

I lost a 5/8" carbide 4 flute corner radius endmill. Brand new, I used it for only one cut. Next time I went to use it, the damn thing was nowhere to be found. I searched for 3 days straight! That was 2 years ago!

Every once in a while when I remember it I'll search but no luck. Started to think I was going crazy & I never had one to begin with. Well 2 months ago I found the container it came in. WTH! Ok, so I guess I'm not crazy but if I found the container, where the hell can that endmill be? Damn gremlins can actually chew carbide or what?

Damn, I hope I don't remember tomorrow, otherwise I'll be spending half the day looking for it again!


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## jpfabricator

It also dosent help matters when you have a 3 yr old who likes to rearange the "pretty rings", thats washers to you and me.
I also have a 7 yr old who likes to take things apart. Unfortunatly he looses half the parts trying to hide his mess up.
My kids and the grimelins make life very interesting.:screwy:

Jake Parker


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## hman

terrywerm said:


> "Rass a frass a frip wrackin' ritz a cot blasted smart alec!"




Man, you _really_ know how to turn a phrase!  Me 'at's off to ya.


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## Terrywerm

Back about 25 years ago we rented a place not far from here, but the only place I could put my tool chest was on a wooden pallet in the garage, which had a gravel floor. One day I start to cut the lawn and in the middle of the front yard I find my 2 pound cross peen hammer.  Odd, I thought, I don't remember leaving that out here, don't know why it would have been out here in the first place. 

Couple days later my wife chastises me for leaving my tools laying all over the yard. I go out into the yard and find my 1/2" ratchet, an extension, and the same hammer as before, plus a small ball peen hammer. My oldest was four years old at the time, and being out in farm country, he was allowed to play out in the yard by himself for short periods, though we checked on him often. It was our thought that he was trying to imitate daddy and was carting my tools around. We explained to him that he needed to leave the tools alone.

A few days later I am working on my pickup, installing a new hanger bearing. As I'm laying under the truck, Buck, our nine month old black lab/elk hound mix comes under there also, trying to get my attention. So I pet him briefly and push him away. Next thing you know he picks up a 3/4" wrench and takes off with it!! 

Okay, now we know who the tool bandit is, and we figure the solution to the problem is to make sure that all of the tools get put away in the tool chest. Easy peasy! 

Next day, same thing, hammers and ratchet are out in the yard again!!  I put them away yet again, and closed the lid on the tool chest. Next thing you know, here comes Buck, pushes the lid up enough to get his nose under the lid, grabs one of the hammers and takes off at a run!! 

That was it!!  Went to town, bought a bunch of 2x4s, carriage bolts, nails, etc., brought it all home and built a bench for the garage, placed the tool chest on the bench. You guessed it, Buck jumped up on the bench and took what he wanted. I finally had to resort to locking the doggone tool chest just to keep him out of it!


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## GK1918

John Hasler said:


> They'll try to tell you it was there all the time.  It wasn't.  Those evil little monsters love to take things, hide them in their dens for a few days, and them put them back where they found them.  They thrive on the waves of frustration pouring off of you while you search for it.




How true it is.  I really dont have problems with chuck keys cause they all have light chains on em.  My problem is keys I hate keys they are meant for prisons.  My father was
a key and lock freak, now my boys the same.  Why lock a vehicle up for repair when theres no motor in it? he does...Then this kid constantly takes away my back pain releif
fluid (yeh little Jack releaves pain and warms my feet)   Idea solution ;  one Eagle 66 oil can with "Jack" (the one that don't squirt no more) and then if the night demon finds it and drinks it
he wont get too far. In the house-cat stealing pens & caught him with keys in his mouth, then I find them under the fridge with a yard stick.
I love this post, its a real problem when ya gotta hide cigars in a reamer container, Taping mouse traps on mic containers etc.   do what ya gotta do...


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## Mark in Indiana

ogberi said:


> I'm over it.  I'm done with it.  I'm going to start carrying a meat tenderizer hammer in a hip holster.
> 
> I've had it up to *here* with the damn tool gremlins, and the first time I see one I'm going to go rabid badger on it. I won't stop till there's nothing left but soup, and then I'll set fire to that.
> 
> I was *JUST USING* my dang drill chuck key on the Taig lathe.  Seriously. I faced off my stock, fitted the tailstock, center drilled a hole, and went to swap out the center drill for a drill bit.   The chuck key was *NOT* where I put it, about 10 seconds earlier.
> 
> So I figured, "Maybe it fell down."   Scrounged around on the lathe stand, on the floor, on the totes next to it, in the drawers (a dozen times!), in my pockets, you name it.
> 
> That darn chuck key is *GONE!*
> 
> I isn't *anywhere* around the lathe, or it's base.  Not in the drawers, not on the shelves, not in my pockets, I even drug the lathe stand out away from the wall and looked behind it, nothing.  Nada.  Nein.   No.
> 
> This is the *THIRD* chuck key I've had disappear, *WHILE I WAS RUNNING THE LATHE RIGHT AFTER USING IT*, and I'm completely pi$$ed about it.
> 
> So, I'm going to go to Ace Hardware, and buy a half dozen of those retractable keyring things like the janitors put on their keys.  And a new chuck key.   And I'm going to figure a way to attach it to the retractable keyring like it's a structural element of the Golden Gate Bridge.   I want that thing to put the operator in danger of loosing an eye if you just drop the chuck key.  I'll drill a through-hole in the chuck key handle and thread on a keyring if I have to!
> 
> And if I *EVER* see that dang tool gremlin, I'm gonna snatch that hammer out of the belt holster so fast the leather bursts into flames as the handle clears it, and pound that smug little tool-moving jerk into a quivering lump of jelly in a fashion that violates the Geneva Convention, and all bounds of human decency.   Then I'll scrape up what's left and throw it in my foundry furnace, and unleash 250,000 BTU's of propane hellfire on it, until all that's left is ash.  Then I'll grind the ash up and scatter it across all 5 of my acres of property.
> 
> *pant pant pant*
> 
> Okay, that's the end of my rant.  Off to buy a chuck key, retractable keyrings, and a hip holster for my meat tenderizer.  Heck, I might just epoxy half a cinderblock to a handle and use that.   A 3 lb short sledge is waaay underkill for this.
> 
> Gah!!!!



If you believe in the theory of parallel universes, there's an alternate you that is ranting on the alternate Hobby-Machinist forum about the chuck keys that keep falling through the portal.

We watch a lot of Wi-Fi around here.


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## sinebar

I estimate that I've probably lost a couple of thousand hours of shop time looking for things that were just where I left them - problem is: I can't remember where I left them.  It usually happens when I'm doing one task then get distracted by another while I still have the tool from the first task in my hand; set that tool down attend to the distraction only to be further distracted by something else - and on and on. Very frustrating, but not as frustrating as going from garage to shop or vice versa to get something only to realize on arrival that I can't remember why I made the trip!


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## hman

sinebar said:


> It usually happens when I'm doing one task then get distracted by another while I still have the tool from the first task in my hand; set that tool down attend to the distraction only to be further distracted by something else - and on and on.



A friend of mine used to call that "pack rat syndrome."  It turns out that pack rats aren't really into commerce ... they just can't carry more than one object at a time.  Thus they appear to be trading all the time.  *And I've got it bad, myself - both aspects of packratism!*



sinebar said:


> Very frustrating, but not as frustrating as going from garage to shop or vice versa to get something only to realize on arrival that I can't remember why I made the trip!



Oh, sing me a song about that one!


PS - Back on the subject of chuck keys ... here's my solution.  Either a broom clip as shown on the drill press (yes, that's a keyless chuck, but I also have a keyed one), or a U of aluminum with a magnet embedded in the center, as shown on my mini-mill.


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## CoopVA

sinebar said:


> I estimate that I've probably lost a couple of thousand hours of shop time looking for things that were just where I left them - problem is: I can't remember where I left them.  It usually happens when I'm doing one task then get distracted by another while I still have the tool from the first task in my hand; set that tool down attend to the distraction only to be further distracted by something else - and on and on. Very frustrating, but not as frustrating as going from garage to shop or vice versa to get something only to realize on arrival that I can't remember why I made the trip!



Whew...  I thought it was just me...


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## sk1nner

My dad would tape his chuck keys to the tools cord by the plug.  It also made it so you could not turn it on when the key was in the chuck.


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## Mark in Indiana

hman said:


> A friend of mine used to call that "pack rat syndrome."  It turns out that pack rats aren't really into commerce ... they just can't carry more than one object at a time.  Thus they appear to be trading all the time.  *And I've got it bad, myself - both aspects of packratism!*
> 
> 
> 
> Oh, sing me a song about that one!
> 
> 
> PS - Back on the subject of chuck keys ... here's my solution.  Either a broom clip as shown on the drill press (yes, that's a keyless chuck, but I also have a keyed one), or a U of aluminum with a magnet embedded in the center, as shown on my mini-mill.
> 
> View attachment 88320
> View attachment 88321



On my DPs, I have a donut magnet on the side of the body to keep the chuck key on. I never really liked attaching the key to a string or flex tubing.
BTW, I really dig the golf ball DP handles.

Happy Trails


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## GarageGuy

Whatever you do... DON'T PUT THE CHUCK KEY IN A "SAFE" PLACE.  Somewhere in my house is a "safe" place where all my best stuff resides.  I just hope I find that place again someday before I die.   :nuts:

GG


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## mwooten

You guys crack me up!


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## brav65

OK I discovered the first place you should look when searching for a lost tool!  After work today I decided to add some tramming aids to my PM25-MV.  Well I used a transfer punch to locate a hole I needed to drill on the mill head to mount my tramming aid.  I walked around to the other side of the mill to locate a hole on that side when I discovered I had lost my transfer punch.  I looked on the mill, my workbench, the floor... and could not find it.  I decided to sit down and think about where I could have put the punch.  I reached for my cigar, but could not pick it up until I put down what was in my hand... the transfer punch!  So the first place to look is in your hand!


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## JimDawson

brav65 said:


> OK I discovered the first place you should look when searching for a lost tool!  After work today I decided to add some tramming aids to my PM25-MV.  Well I used a transfer punch to locate a hole I needed to drill on the mill head to mount my tramming aid.  I walked around to the other side of the mill to locate a hole on that side when I discovered I had lost my transfer punch.  I looked on the mill, my workbench, the floor... and could not find it.  I decided to sit down and think about where I could have put the punch.  I reached for my cigar, but could not pick it up until I put down what was in my hand... the transfer punch!  So the first place to look is in your hand!



:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:


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## silence dogood

I can spent what seems like a hour looking for something and then my wife in two seconds picks it up and says;" is this what you are looking for, dear?


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## ogberi

Finally had a few minutes while the camera had charge and was in the shop when I was.  

That key ain't goin' nowhere very far.  Keeps it nice and close for when I need it.


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## sk1nner

My bet is the whole peg board will wind up missing


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## Wheresmywrench?

silence dogood said:


> I can spent what seems like a hour looking for something and then my wife in two seconds picks it up and says;" is this what you are looking for, dear?



_I learned a looooong time ago if I cannot find it in 30 minutes to call my wife, she'll know right where it went, was left or rolled to with in 5 minutes._


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## chips&more

I had this problem, but not anymore! I just make sure I have more than one of whatever it is. If the one gets lost/misplaced in the shop, I have a back-up. And when the back-up gets lost, I have the first one that got lost. It’s a goofy circle of life…Good Luck, Dave.


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## coolidge

What I hate (there's a whole thread right there) is when I drop something it never bounces into the middle of the floor, no it makes a B line for the most inaccessible possible location.


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## John Hasler

coolidge said:


> What I hate (there's a whole thread right there) is when I drop something it never bounces into the middle of the floor, no it makes a B line for the most inaccessible possible location.



Which in my shop is the crack that opens down into the woodchuck den.  I really need to fill that in (I should have the floor mudjacked but that's too expensive).  Before I fill it, though, I need to bust out enough floor to reach down in there and fish out a couple of buckets of hardware and small parts.


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## GarageGuy

John Hasler said:


> (I should have the floor mudjacked but that's too expensive)



Mine needs mudjacking too... but I think I would have to take out another mortgage.  Do you know how many chuck keys you can buy with that much money?!?

:noidea:

GG


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## Shadowdog500

Get a Keyless Chuck! 

Stinks getting older, doesn't it!   A couple years ago was the first time I ever went to buy a part and couldn't remember what Part I needed when I I got to the store. I strolled the store and luckily remembered when I saw it.  Luckily it Hasnt happened again, and I have a cell phone picture of what I need as a backup.

putting stuff down and not being able go find it three minutes later drives me nuts when it happens.  More times than not it was in the first place I looked, but I missed it on the first look.

Im blaming it on my bifocals.  These problems didn't start until after getting bifocals.

:roflmao:
chris


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## ScrapMetal

GarageGuy said:


> Mine needs mudjacking too... but I think I would have to take out another mortgage.  Do you know how many chuck keys you can buy with that much money?!?
> 
> :noidea:
> 
> GG



Call around and get some quotes.  I had some mudjacking done on the sidewalk around my office and the price was very reasonable.  I was surprised just how inexpensive it actually was.

FWIW

-Ron


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## Randy_m

When you cant find a misplaced tool, go buy another one, walk into the shop and set it down/put it away. Seems like it will always "land" on top of the one you cant find!


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## Ianagos

What I decided to about this problem is:
-on the drill press I secured the chuck key via a yellow wire.
- the mill has a keyless chuck
- the lathe has about 5 chuck keys and 6 or so drill chucks. Most of the keys never leave the chuck as the tang seats the same way. 
Now the main lathe chuck only has one key but I've never lost it. But it goes in the same place every time. But it is huge about a foot wide and long.


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## middle.road

***Resurrection Alert !***
How to start the day: Grab a cup a coffee, bring up an older 'Off-Topic' H-M Post, proceed to laugh one's arse off...
Always start your day with a good laugh. Need to follow that practice more often. 

It's rather like the Blue Guys in the Twilight Zone episode 'A Matter of Minutes', where they tear down & rebuild the world around us every minute or so. I just wish that they'd stay out of our 'shop' areas.

As for our Better Halfs being able to find missing items, it has to do with the uterus, it is a homing device. I give it ten minutes, give up, and then I go find my Honey and beg her to come out and look. Two minutes - tops, and she finds it. Makes ya wonder if you're losing your mind or if reality is warping.

Gotta love Terry's dog, Buck, he would be handy when you're laying under the vehicle and need a tool, FETCH!



terrywerm said:


> "Rass a frass a frip wrackin' ritz a cot blasted smart alec!"


 *↑↑↑↑↑↑* Gonna pin that up in the shop.


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## Billh50

If you really want to find that lost tool, start looking for something else. The lost tool will suddenly show up but you can't find the thing you were looking for.


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## Bill Gruby

When all else fails take your glasses off. The tool will jump right out at you because it does not recognize you. I have done this for eons and it never fails.  ROTFLMAO

 "Billy G"


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## aliva

paint the new keys fluorescent orange or green and add a strobe lite


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## JimDawson

aliva said:


> paint the new keys fluorescent orange or green and add a strobe lite


I didn't add the strobe, but I did paint my broom and shovel handle fluorescent orange because I could never spot them when I was looking for them.  They would just blend in with the background


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## wawoodman

As we get older, we spend more time thinking about the hereafter.

We walk into a room, and say, "What did I come in here after?"


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## CluelessNewB

When I was a kid my Dad would blame me for all  lost/misplaced tools.  He was still blaming me 20 years after I moved out!   Now that he's gone I ask him for help when I can't find something.   I sure do miss him but I still feel him with me whenever I use one of his tools in my shop.


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## T Bredehoft

After 40 years I solved on of my 'stolen tool' problems.   I made half a dozen blocks of wood, drilled for the most commonly used small Allen wrenches. they sit there in order for 1/16 to 3/16.  For literally four decades, I never could find the Allen wrench I just put down. Now if I can't find it, I get one from the next block of wood.


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## Cheeseking

I write "Stolen from Cheeseking" on stuff.  It's a friendly little reminder every time the absconder uses it .


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## kvt

Learned when I worked in a small shop and was taught by an old mechanic Paint your tools one color,   Then when you can find yours in the tool box next to you   Shure enough I painted all mine bright blue,   And the next time I needed something he handed me a bright blue wrench out of his box, because I could not find mine.


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## tomw

Mark in Indiana said:


> We watch a lot of Wi-Fi around here.



Must be kind of dull....I know what you meant, just ....a funny thought; watching wi-fi. 

I blame my tool problem on the Borrowers.

It was one of my favorite books when I was young, and I am pretty certain it wasn't fiction.

Tom


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## eugene13

JimDawson said:


> I didn't add the strobe, but I did paint my broom and shovel handle fluorescent orange because I could never spot them when I was looking for them.  They would just blend in with the background


  I had to do the same to my hand truck, their's a lot of things made of tubing in my shop and they all look the same.


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## mcostello

Ordered in a piece of 1/8" SS keystock for a job. Used 1/2 of it. Put the other piece "somewhere safe", You guessed it, cannot find it. Gave up and ordered in another piece, put it in the usual place. The other piece is still hiding, it seems to be able to outsmart Me. If that place is sooooooo safe, maybe I should store other stuff there.


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## Big Rack

When I really want to find something I've lost I buy another. This makes the jokester's happy they return the lost item and I have a spare. Only way I've found to beat them.


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## derf

Right after I got out of high school, I worked for a brick mason. He would buy a new shovel and proceed to wrap the handle with a half a roll of duct tape. When I asked him what that was all about, he claimed that nobody wants to steal a broken shovel.....


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## JohnBDownunder

What a fun thread. What with the unwritten law that "in any workshop every horizontal surface will gather stuff until the angle created by the pile makes the next bit of stuff slip off to the next horizontal surface", and tool pinching gremlins I found that my chuck keys have one place that keeps em safe. I drilled a hole for each in a small ledge behind my lathe and provided I put them back they don't move.
Alas, should I inadvertently put one down anyplace else, you guessed it- gone. Power drill key is clipped to the cable with just enough room to fit it into the chuck.
           Beware putting anything in a "Safe" place, that's disastrous. At least in my experience, probably because it's not always the same "Safe" place. Sigh


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## intjonmiller

Chuck keys are like the one item I don't have trouble with. I do a lot of audio projects so I'm always getting speakers and taking them apart and putting them together in new configurations. When a speaker doesn't work I cut the magnet off the back and scrap the rest. 

Now there is a magnet on the right side of anything with a chuck. I've done that enough that I don't even think about it anymore. They return to that magnet as automatically (force of habit/muscle memory) as if they were on a retracting key string. The magnets are large and strong enough that neither gremlins nor my kids can pry them off. 

I wish all my tools had such simple solutions. 


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk


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## hman

JohnBDownunder said:


> What a fun thread. What with the unwritten law that "in any workshop every horizontal surface will gather stuff until the angle created by the pile makes the next bit of stuff slip off to the next horizontal surface"


Civil engineers have a term, applied to piles of dirt and sand, that would apply equally here - "angle of repose."



JohnBDownunder said:


> Beware putting anything in a "Safe" place, that's disastrous. At least in my experience, probably because it's not always the same "Safe" place. Sigh


Hmmmm ... I wonder if I should designate one special place in my shop as "the safe place"?????  But would I always use it?  Probably not, if it's more than one step away from wherever I was at the time.  Gotta think about this!


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## mmcmdl

The magnet is a great idea for sure ! Now I'll be roaming the shop looking for my magnet ! lol


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## intjonmiller

mmcmdl said:


> The magnet is a great idea for sure ! Now I'll be roaming the shop looking for my magnet ! lol


Just use a good size speaker magnet (for 4" or greater speaker) and it won't wander anywhere. 

I suppose you could just go out and buy neodymium magnets. I have some cool 1" cubes that are ridiculously strong. But I'm not one to buy something if I have a perfectly usable and appropriately Shop Chic alternative available.


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## Mark in Indiana

When I worked in Industrial Maintenance, I kept one chuck key of each size in my tool box. I always had the size that I needed if the machine that I was using didn't have one.


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## derf

I have my chuck keys on a leash. The leash is threaded through a coupla  eye bolts, one on the machine and a couple  on the ceiling with a counter weight on the end. It always seems to go "up" when I let go of it.


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## TommyD

Thank God, I'm not the only one.....welding stuff out in the gay-raj, run a bead and looking for the slag hammer, where did it go I just used it. Then I can't find my welding bucket! Forget about the small stuff, I have two trailer hitch pin and lock combos, yep can't find the key for either of 'em. I'm always finding stuff that has been lost for years or JUST AFTER I buy it new again.


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## intjonmiller

TommyD said:


> Forget about the small stuff, I have two trailer hitch pin and lock combos, yep can't find the key for either of 'em. I'm always finding stuff that has been lost for years or JUST AFTER I buy it new again.


It's sad to cut off perfectly good hitch pins. Not that I've ever needed to...


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## mws

Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most. 

I decided to paint a bunch of often used wrenches orange one time, just to stave off the Gremlins. I collected all my wrenches, started shaking the new can of Safety Orange spray and popped the top off. But wait, I need to arrange the wrenches on the newspaper first. OK, done... where's the paint!? 
Took me an hour to find the can on a shelf next to the back door just above eye level (3 feet from the wrenches!). Found the Orange top right away. 

I have a BOLO (Be On the Look Out) list on my toolbox of missing things.  Every once in a while I scratch one off.  Just often enough to keep me looking. Kind of like those ocassional $2 lottery wins. 

One of the best ways to find a missing tool is to buy a new one. 

Great Thread!


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## mmcmdl

mws said:


> Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most.



Followed closely by # 2 ........eyesight . Bifocals .......Trifocals . eh.....alls I want to do is see whats in front of me . Cripes .


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## mws

OK, I have to share this, as it happened today.  I'm a Boy scout Leader.  That means I need to pack all the things the boys are likely to forget. So, back in November at the State Jamboree someone asks to borrow my plastic camp mirror to put his contacts in.  I remember getting it back. I don't recall what I did with it after that.  I haven't been able to find it since.  It SHOULD be in my pack which I've torn apart three times since AND my wife poked through (as mentioned earlier that usually works), No mirror. This morning I'm packing for another scouting event. I open the pack, there's the mirror, right where it should be.  I'm beyond baffled.  Gremlins?


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## foleda

mws said:


> OK, I have to share this, as it happened today.  I'm a Boy scout Leader.  That means I need to pack all the things the boys are likely to forget. So, back in November at the State Jamboree someone asks to borrow my plastic camp mirror to put his contacts in.  I remember getting it back. I don't recall what I did with it after that.  I haven't been able to find it since.  It SHOULD be in my pack which I've torn apart three times since AND my wife poked through (as mentioned earlier that usually works), No mirror. This morning I'm packing for another scouting event. I open the pack, there's the mirror, right where it should be.  I'm beyond baffled.  Gremlins?



My wife and I observed this phenomenon many times.  Her explaination was alternate univeres.  Objects occasionally transition into an alternate universe for a variable amount of time and then return to our reality.


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## atunguyd

I know it's been a while, but in light of this thread, if you are still looking for where you misplaced your golf balls I think I can help you with that. 

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk


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## hman

Hey now ... wait a minute!!!!!  That's *MY* drill press you're showing.  I got them thar golf balls fair and square, out in the woods near the third hole ;~)


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## darkzero

darkzero said:


> I lost a 5/8" carbide 4 flute corner radius endmill. Brand new, I used it for only one cut. Next time I went to use it, the damn thing was nowhere to be found. I searched for 3 days straight! That was 2 years ago!
> 
> Every once in a while when I remember it I'll search but no luck. Started to think I was going crazy & I never had one to begin with. Well 2 months ago I found the container it came in. WTH! Ok, so I guess I'm not crazy but if I found the container, where the hell can that endmill be? Damn gremlins can actually chew carbide or what?
> 
> Damn, I hope I don't remember tomorrow, otherwise I'll be spending half the day looking for it again!



Holy crap! Guess what? I found that endmill today! It only took me 5 yrs to find it!

How the...I have no clue how it got there but it was sitting in the container that I keep my HF chip brushes in. I guess it's been 5 yrs since I've looked in that container.


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## Silverbullet

With me , I have help losing things LOTS of things,  I get things ahead of time to do a job put them where I know I want it. Two days later time to get all the materials together and there gone. No one knows where YUPP disappeared . Three days or after I rebuy the materials , there found and she says oh I forgot I moved them and I didn't know they were what you wanted. So now I'm out doubled the cost. But it's my fault she moved it. Happened many times


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