Leaving Tools Behind!

[PeteG]

Last week we hand new gutters and fascias fitted and a couple of down pipes, the car port roof had to come off so they could do the side of the house.
This also gave me the opportunity to paint the green cast iron down pipe from the bathroom.

It was last Thursday when they finished, I left a few minutes before them to pick our lass up from work. When we arrived back home, our lass notices
a tool handle in the gutter, this is one round the bay window. I get the ladders and find a bolster and chisel, then we notice another handle sticking out of the side
gutter, so back up the ladder. We have a small table under the car port, and there is a drill bit, under our lasses potting bench we find a Dewalt angle grinder,
and in the corner not one, but two sweeping brushes. Today I'm up the ladder painting the green pipe when the next door neighbour shouts, "Pete, is this yours"?
And she is holding up a backpack! No I replied, and asked if she had looked inside, she did, and there was the guard off the Dewalt angle grinder...

The chap who owned the roofing company had two young lads working for him, may be 18/19 years old, saying that they could have been early twenties,
but I wonder how many tools he's lost since they've been there....I've left two messages and sent two emails, no reply, and I still owe him half the cash yet,
if he forgets, I've saved a few quid and got a few tools thrown in to the bargain as well

 

[Wuffles]

"Can't have enough grinders", it's a thing that.

 

[PeteG]

Very true :lol:

 

[No skills]

I work with 2 people like this, it's not fun.

 

[dickm]

At least they didn't come back and turn the place upside down looking for the tools! One of the guys who was roofing an extension for us some 40 years ago suddenly reappeared in the evening, rushed up the scaffolding and started taking off the slates as he was sure he'd lost his wallet and that it was in the space between the battens. Made a right mess, and then found the wallet in the van. Muppet.

 

[Rorschach]

They are welcome to come work here and leave their stuff around lol

 

[Sheffield Tony]

When I got my car back from the garage once I wondered what was rattling - found a socket, long extension bar and ratchet wrench all still hanging from a nut under the bonnet. It had stayed on there quite a few miles before I noticed.

 

[adidat]

tools get left behind sometimes, had my new snap on dead blow mallet on a job and packed up and left it there. The client was very quick to email and call my boss telling them how one of my team had broken a picture, I had already told him, and told the client that I would quite happily cover the costs on the spot or have one of my guys take it to the framers at no expense. All in all not very nice about the whole situation, accidents happen especially when loading large items of furniture up the stairs.

later on realised had left new mallet on the job, if it was a cheapie i wouldn't have bothered but had only dropped £50 on it a few days before! (I know I'm a tool whore!!!!) The client had a quick check and said no it wasn't there and hadn't seen it, bit strange as I had left it on her desk....

Went back again to make some adjustments a week or so later, and could see the client had her tool box out as was putting some flat pack stuff together. what stuck out from her pound shop specials was my snap on mallet when I pointed out that mine was very similar she turned a bright shade of red and left the room!!

I mean if you are going to steal tools at least hide the evidence!

adidat

 

[PeteG]

I work with 2 people like this, it's not fun.

Totally agree No Skills, I wouldn't be happy but they are young and will hopefully learn!
Or make them buy their own tools!

tools get left behind sometimes, had my new snap on dead blow mallet on a job and packed up and left it there. The client was very quick to email and call my boss telling them how one of my team had broken a picture, I had already told him, and told the client that I would quite happily cover the costs on the spot or have one of my guys take it to the framers at no expense. All in all not very nice about the whole situation, accidents happen especially when loading large items of furniture up the stairs.

later on realised had left new mallet on the job, if it was a cheapie i wouldn't have bothered but had only dropped £50 on it a few days before! (I know I'm a tool Peach!!!!) The client had a quick check and said no it wasn't there and hadn't seen it, bit strange as I had left it on her desk....

Went back again to make some adjustments a week or so later, and could see the client had her tool box out as was putting some flat pack stuff together. what stuck out from her pound shop specials was my snap on mallet when I pointed out that mine was very similar she turned a bright shade of red and left the room!!

I mean if you are going to steal tools at least hide the evidence!

adidat

That's just nasty, makes you wonder how they would react if the boot was on the other foot!

 

[Adam9453]

This is one of the reasons I am so reluctant to 'lend' my tools out.
I've found they either get badly mistreated and/or never returned so now my policy is "just NO".
My most loathed sentence starter from a customer (and some 'friends') is "Can you just...."
It amazes me how some people genuinely expect you to work for free!!
I don't mind doing a favour for pretty much anyone but some just take the P

 

[PeteG]

This is one of the reasons I am so reluctant to 'lend' my tools out

A lad I worked with years ago, none trade, bought all 110v tools, this was after his cousin borrowed
a Dewalt 240v drill, six months later his cousin said it was he's to begin with!

 

[No skills]

This is one of the reasons I am so reluctant to 'lend' my tools out.
I've found they either get badly mistreated and/or never returned so now my policy is "just NO".
My most loathed sentence starter from a customer (and some 'friends') is "Can you just...."
It amazes me how some people genuinely expect you to work for free!!
I don't mind doing a favour for pretty much anyone but some just take the P

+1

It sounds like we would get along, got any jobs?

 

[No skills]

I work with 2 people like this, it's not fun.

Totally agree No Skills, I wouldn't be happy but they are young and will hopefully learn!
Or make them buy their own tools!

Yes buying their own tools is a start, some just won't learn or care. Not to mention working time wasted looking for tools.
As you may have guessed this is a subject that instantly sends me off into grumpy old man mode

 

[skipdiver]

My mate lost his level once and was gutted as he had won it in an apprentices competition and it had been used daily throughout his working life for many years. Several years later we did a job for his mother in law and found it in the gutter where he had left it. He'd done a little Saturday morning job for her and left it there.

I was on a job once and my tools were in an alleyway between two houses while i hung a back door. Do you know that thing where you put stuff down and then can't seem to find it. Well this happened to me several times on this job, only i couldn't find the things at all. Turns out, a young lad across the road was taking my tools one by one "for his dads shed". To be fair, when his dad found out what he was doing, he brought them back again and apologised.

 

[Adam9453]

This is one of the reasons I am so reluctant to 'lend' my tools out.
I've found they either get badly mistreated and/or never returned so now my policy is "just NO".
My most loathed sentence starter from a customer (and some 'friends') is "Can you just...."
It amazes me how some people genuinely expect you to work for free!!
I don't mind doing a favour for pretty much anyone but some just take the P

+1

It sounds like we would get along, got any jobs?

You wouldn't want to work in my business trust me, no profit in uk manufacturing anymore (we're a designer, printer and manufacturer of presentation and stationery products).
I do woodwork as a hobby because I love it, one day I hope to make the switch over to doing it professionally but that road is long and I'm still putting my boots on

 

[RossJarvis]

It really is very easy to leave tools around on site and most people would appreciate it if you let them know. Leaving a tool inside a client or his/her work done is a sign of bad workmanship.

People finding someone else tools and appropriating them is actually criminal in any sense of the word and anyone who "borrows" a tool is duty bound to return it in the same or better condition (within reason) than when they got it.

If any trades-person needs too "borrow" a tool, it is unlikely that he/she is fit to do that task, therefore there is no real reason to lend that tool out. Unfortunately I have learnt that no-one, no matter how trustworthy or skilled they are is worth lending a tool to, although there are some exceptions.

 

[Adam9453]

The frustrating bit is people just don't treat tools with respect.
I look after my tools as if I had given birth to them because I have worked damn hard to earn money to pay for them, but jo bloggs friend doesn't have anything invested so doesn't give a hoot.
I've got very few friends I even let in the workshop these days as I find some are not only a danger to themselves but to me as well.
Worst being the blooming button pressers. Nothing like hearing your planer thicknesser start up when you're not expecting it to, to make you jump!!

 

[graduate_owner]

I read an article about lending tools once. It suggested not to, but if you do lend things then write it down on a piece of paper and pin the paper near the window in your workshop. When the tool is returned, remove the paper, but if there is still paper there after it has turned light brown due to sunlight then it's time to get the stuff back.

What I really dislike is having to go and ask for tools to be returned, and then having to go out of my way to collect them.

K

 

[ColeyS1]

I read an article about lending tools once. It suggested not to, but if you do lend things then write it down on a piece of paper and pin the paper near the window in your workshop. When the tool is returned, remove the paper, but if there is still paper there after it has turned light brown due to sunlight then it's time to get the stuff back.

What I really dislike is having to go and ask for tools to be returned, and then having to go out of my way to collect them.

K

I like that idea. My workmate remembered this morning that we'd lent out a draughtstrip cutter months ago and still haven't got it back- despite seeing the guy numerous times since. Must be old age forgetfulness

Coley

 

[acewoodturner]

I spent days turning my workshop upside down to try and find my good soldering iron to do some elcetrical repairs to a machine. My kids all think I am empty headed sometimes and forget loads of things (I am only 52!) Eventually I remembered my mate borrowed it 6 months earlier to repair a hoover and hadnt returned it. No wonder some people dont get thing lent out to them from me. Nice idea about writing it down and sticking up the bit of paper near the workshop door. I am going to try that one and I will make sure the borrower sees me writing it down.