When to Buy and How to Mark Your Tools
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
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In this livestream excerpt, Adam answers questions from Tested members LexLuthorJr and K about the best time to buy a tool and tips on how to mark your tools as your own. Thank you for your questions and support, Lex and K!
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A special thanks to Tested members LexLuthorJr and K for their support and questions!
Tools are becoming more inexpensive.
And don't last as long.
Life is changing......
Initials with a paint marker on electric tools and a bright Chevrolet orange stripe on us non electric
@@meinkamph5327 i know i tend towards the internet and buy old quality life long tools. The premium brands have a premium price. They are built well they just aren't serviceable anymore
Too bad marking your tools voids the warranty
What’s this you have won thing ? Fake right?
My grandfather would mark a new tool with the date he purchased it and his initials using an engraver, so he knew it was his and how old it was. Luckily, we shared the same initials so when I inherited it, it was already marked.
That is amazing ❤️and your tools will also be inherited
Yes I'm also engraving my tools that way. Shop made tools i have made and selling get the same treatment with a extra makers mark.
Same, although my Grandfather didn't date them. Had to look up the production codes to get a rough estimate. I bought an electric engraver to follow that tradition
I'm glad they ended up in your hands😊
Doesn't solve the identify-it-from-across-the-room part, but once one gets close, it's a solid thing to go on.
In my aircraft maintenance job the company used to put "micro badges" on all your tools upon hire. To the naked eye it looked like a pencil eraser sized dot of clear epoxy with 3 or 4 pieces of glitter in it. But when the glitter was looked at with a magnifying glass they were engraved with your name and employee number.
Problem I see with that, as cool as it is, is you can't just glance and tell that it's your tool. Paint is good cause if I have a big pink stripe on my tool, it sticks out and can't hide in plain sight. I see someone with my pink tool, I know they have it
@@collectiveleakwhat durable paint did you use?
My father was a tool and die maker. When I was old enough (maybe 12 years old) to start using his tools, he bought a set of quality tools for me. He told me. "Those are yours. Use them, don't lose them. If you lose them, don't expect to use mine." To this day I have those tools with the exception of one. Later in life he gave me more tools he had extras of. He knew they were going to somebody who would take care of them. He is gone now, and I still have the tools. When I use them, I smile, he is still there helping me!
My dad bought me a set of craftsman mechanics tools when I was about 10 too. They are still my base set today at 46.
Wow, I always wondered how you got those tools. Thanks I really needed to know.
As an Auto Mechanic for over 30 years, I would always engrave my name on my tools and also marked them as you have. I've always had a rule on lending and borrowing tools to / from other mechanics. That rule being if your barrow a tool from someone more than 3 times, you need to buy that tool for yourself!!
I got that same reply. Is that a scam?
@@MartyMcFlyV I also have this reply and have dome doubts it it is a scam. When i contact via telegram my address and phone number is asked.
@@MartyMcFlyV Also asked to pay $125 to "FedEx" to receive the > $1000 Mac computer that i did won.
Engraving is fine if you want to walk up on everyone using a tool that looks like yours and ask them to let you look at it. Best to mark it in a way that can be seen easily at 12' as Adam says.
I have a 100+ year old wooden hand plane that has initials carved onto almost every face of every component. EG whoever you were it's pretty obvious you either worked with thieves or were a touch paranoid.
I found that when working in a shop with all guys, pink spray painted tools rarely got borrowed and even less frequently wandered off. You might take some ribbing from some of your less secure colleagues but your tools remained with you. :)
Done that with pink for 40+ years and you are right, nobody wants them.
I once toured a show thru Mt. St Mary's college, a girls school near L A. We needed to borrow a pry bar or something. All their shop tools were painted pink. They explained that every time a show passed thru, it would borrow tools and not return them. So they started painting all their tools pink. The loss issue became ZERO. We returned everything we borrowed...
I do red but have certainly considered pink for that same reason. No one's going to be stealing your wrenches.
Yeah, I didn't use spray (in the sign business that's just sloppy) but pink with occasional neon green (just so it's easier to find) always worked a charm. Those who've never walked into a crowded, busy shop picked up a tool someone else was using and walked away without anyone saying a word don't know. Almost always a new hire. It doesn't matter if it's common or you 'only need it for a minute' you never take a tool someone else has marked. Especially from a specialist. There might be a dozen of them in the shop, but that one is marked. At the worst I found myself having to mark sharpies because my work area was between the rest of the shop and the closet where there were boxes of them. That meant every time someone needed one they'd head towards the closet then go "Oh, there's one" and I ended up having to go get another sharpie for the fourth or fifth time that day. Meanwhile, the rest of the shop had literally hundreds of them laying around on shelves, tables and tool boxes. Oh, and if you borrow a roll of tape from someone and the end or corner is folded over so it's easy to find and pull you will be remembered fondly if you return the tape with at least a gesture of folding it in a similar manner. When you use tape a hundred times a day having to spend ten seconds picking and scraping at it with your fingernail is profoundly annoying.
My grandfather was an ironworker who would take his tools from job to job. He also had an extensive shop at home with every kind of tool you could imagine. Every tool he had had this particular colour red pain on it somewhere to the point that until I was old enough to know better I just assumed all tools had this paint on it because every tool I ever used did. When I was old enough I realized that all my uncles and aunts and cousins had their own colour for their tools as well. My grandfather passed away 40 years ago and my aunt took over his shop and all the tools in it and the same red colour paint. I have no idea what kind of paint it is or how one can of it could have lasted so long but I dream of the day taking over that colour red and marking all my tools with it as well.
I'm willing to bet if he could have, he would have powder-coated them. Super easy to apply, and is almost indestructible by comparison to regular paint.
Its weakness is UV rays, so it fades pretty quick if it spends a lot of time outside, but a lot of equipment gets that paint treatment because it lasts so long. Apply the powder and cook it at a high temperature to make it stick.
So I guess Jamie's solution was pretty good, he knew which tools were his and other people never borrowed them twice, and if they did you could identify them by their blood on the zip tie. 😁
And the cuts on their hands! And maybe the cuss words coming from their workspace...
Hi Adam, I have to tell you, many years ago we had a new bed delivered and I lent the guys my my Makita 9.6 volt drill to assemble it. A couple of weeks later I went to use that drill and couldn’t find it anywhere but I didn’t make the connection to the delivery guys until about 3 years later when we had a fridge delivered from the same company and the same guys delivered it. I was watching them unload the fridge and I saw my drill in the back of their truck. When I told them that was my drill they denied it and said they had been using it for years and I said I know, about 3 years. “So what makes you think it’s yours” they asked and I replied, because I can still see my f*cking name engraved on it from here. They claimed it must have got mixed up with theirs but they must have been using it with their bloody eyes shut because I had put red paint in the engraving like all my other tools. I laugh about it now and how unbelievable the story seems but I was really pissed at the time. If you buy a cheap zip-tie gun they at least cut the ties off neatly so they don’t cut you open🤬 but you still have the lump to deal with. Cheers Stuart 🇦🇺
i do the engraving and ink over thing also. my first name and last initial.
Pssst, it's Adam, not Jamie 😉
@@wrongtown Ahhh, so sorry Adam.
Apologies if it's already been mentioned: this works for marking rock climbing gear: nail polish. Comes in tons of colors so you can make it individualized. After the color dries, hit it with a clear coat to make it even more resilient. Has worked reasonably well for me on metal tools.
It is basically a colored epoxy. Most are non-electrically conductive; a couple of lavers will protect from low voltage shocks. It will also protect metals from oils and salts from our skin. As long as it is not chipped, it will last years.
Are you able to scrap it off? If not, your idea might be a better option than engravers or hot poking machines
One of the great life lessons I learned from my Granddad (who built B29 instrument panels, among other things, at Lockheed) is that tools aren't an expense, they are an investment! I still have most of his tools! I took them when he passed many years ago because nobody else in the family had any interest in them ...
Another axiom I live by is I don't borrow anyone's tools and I don't lend mine out! There was ONE exception. Years ago, my next-door neighbor was an ex-dirt track racer. If *I* had something he needed or if *He* had something *I* needed it was no problem, because we both made sure they went "home" when we were done!
If i lend a tool, i make it my responsibility to get it back.
I learnt in primary school, if you lend a pencil or pen to someone, most of the time it won't be coming back to you on it's own.
I lend and borrow stuff all the time, and i can see why things don't get returned. Life is busy.
I'm guilty of never retrieving things, and also guilty of never returning things.
I have my brothers plunge router sitting right beside me as i'm typing this. It's been here for months haha.
I ponder if the ancestor who gets my tools will appreciate that they were carefully chosen and create a set worth more than the sum of the parts. Interestingly I have routinely used tools I bought up to over 50 years ago. And then there's the ones from this week, lol.
I have a wide range of quality among my tools, from cheap HF stuff to your well-known "pro" stuff. If I'm lending a tool that someone is going to be using for more than a day, they're not getting the good stuff. And if I only have one of a certain tool that would be difficult and/or expensive to replace, they're not getting it, period.
I learned to mark my tools back in the early 60's from my father. He would mark all his tools by using a file or hacksaw to make three (3) short lines spaced at about 1/8". I made my mark as two (2) at 1/8" - 1/4" space to the third mark. Never had an issue with our tools intermingling.
My grandpa similarly marked his tools with the inscription: I V I. His name was Ted Victor Leifson and when I was a kid I could never understand why. Then one day I asked my dad and he explained that's how all the old timers did it. Simple, much like a cattle brand.
Then he showed me exactly how he did it...using a file on the outside, rounded edge of an open end wrench.
I remember thinking: Wowww.
It all made perfect sense.
I use the same marking pattern! 2 grooves close, the third farther away. It usually never gets noticed (so not tampered with) until I have to point it out.
In the same location helps too, so you know exactly where to glance and dont have to search the entire tool
@@RILEYLEIFSON_UTAH Not a tool guy (when I was around, he did some landscaping/surveying during college) but my dad had a brand-like logo of his initials that he put on his briefcase for quick ID at work or on the carousel for his many airline trips.
especially for smaller tools like files nail polish is a great way to mark tools too! My mom was a watch maker and she marked her tools with nail polish and then etched her initials into the tool's metal as a backup
I paint as well. But I take it up a notch on new tools. I distress and weather them so they don't look new. Like graphite dust in the motor vents so it looks poorly maintained and about to blow. Basically give them the "full Adam".
I would also recommend taking pictures of your tools and to make sure you note the make/brand name/model/serial numbers.
One thing my father did that I’ve adopted as I’ve started building my own shop is that everything was sharpee’d with “Stolen From [your name here]”. Mostly because if anyone ever stole his whole toolbox their next stop would be the pawn shop and the last line of defense was hoping the pawn shop owner realized how bad it would look to have a full set of Milwaukee with “stolen” written all over it. 🤷🏼♂️
I had an old woodworking mentor who gave me this advice: Buy harbor freight (or cheap) for all "specialty" tools. If you use it to failure, you know you need it and buy a high quality version. If it never breaks, you have a usable tool and didn't overpay. Also, don't buy the absolute cheapest version if it can kill you upon failure!
Bought a large harbor freight mechanics toolset for my oldest son for a college graduation present. Told him as you use them, if they break you’ll know which ones you need to replace with quality tools.
I'd add the caveat to not buy a tool so cheap that the harm it could cause underperforming is more expensive or more time consuming than the money you save from not buying a better option.
On a bigger scale, I used to work for a company that used purple road cases instead of the typical black cases with white spray paint lettering that you see in EVERY single Rock concert behind the scenes documentaries. It was to differentiate between Christi Lites and FM Systems cases and others. It helped a lot on big shows...
My father could tell you from experience that tool theft changes you. He was a mechanic working for a local diesel engine repair shop. He had a full cabinet of hand tools that got stolen when the shop got broken into. The shop paid him enough to replace most of the tools, but rather than go through the process of buying an entire cabinet worth of tools again, he just quit and started driving a big rig.
Dang, talk about rage quitting! I love it and can totally understand
Not only did they steal his tools, they also stole his job in the end.
For almost all tools, there is a bit of polymer plastic/rubber somewhere. I use a fine point wood burner to melt my initials and then fill it in with an odd color (silver) paint pen. On an all metal torpedo lever, a Dremel’d initials followed by a paint pen
I made a very custom "brand" that I mark all my tools and more. It started when I needed to mark kayaking gear (we all had similar PFDs and paddles so it came in handy to identify them). It then evolved to my climbing equipment and even my landscaping company.
The brand was a unique combination of a few letters merged together. I made multiple methods to apply it to different materials including a hot-metal brand for melting/burning it into things, paint stencils for spray paint/airbrushing, and for smaller items I would just use a permanent marker.
I have been using this on everything since 2005 and it seems to work pretty good.
You could say that it became your brand. 😛
Another problem with zip ties is that they can be nipped off, and then you have no proof of ownership. I used colored electrical tape to mark climbing gear, along with sharpie markers on webbing, which worked well. I use spray paint on power tool cords to make it easier distinguish this tool from the rest of the cord and extension cord.
Don't use standard sharpie markers on climbing gear, *especially* not on textiles. Here's an excerpt:
_Tests done by the UIAA Safety Commission and some rope manufacturers have shown that marking ropes with liquids such as those provided by felt-tipped pens can damage them; even with those markers, sold specifically for marking ropes. The test results have shown a decrease of up to 50% of the rope strength, more correctly: of the energy absorption capacity of the rope (expressed by the number of falls in the standard test method in accordance with the UIAA Standard101)._
_Therefore the UIAA Safety Commission warns against marking a rope with any substance that has not been specifically approved by the manufacturer of that rope._
@@tissuepaper9962 wow- I had no idea. Thank you.
I also mark ropes and webbing with sharpie, but only at the very end so any degradation is not an issue. Hard gear I mark with nail polish. I used to use electrical tape but it would eventually gum up and start falling off. Nail polish is pretty bullet proof.
The only problem with electrical tape is that it falls off with any real use, I've found far too much tape in cracks that's fallen off of cams and stoppers. Nail polish is a good alternative, though it helps if you keep it on a low wear area.
@@tissuepaper9962 That report is a decade old at this point. Rope and sharpie materials have changed to the point that it is probably fine to use a sharpie and defiantly a dedicated rope marker. I recommend the channel HowNot2 they did a break test on this. While not expansive in the number of samples they didn't find any reduction in strength.
I knew an old navy guy who was a machinist and he was a pink cloth tape guy. His stuff had it all wrapped and when he was doing something sketchy, he wrapped his ring finger in pink tape because it made him slightly uncomfortable but still able to work. It was his way of keeping his things his and reminding himself that he had a family, so if he was going something unsafe he would think twice. Later I found an AVE video and he talks about the exact same philosophy, mark your stuff and be responsible. I use pink cloth tape as an honor to Tim and AVE.
I developed a habit where I use my non-dominant hand when reaching into sketchy places. I figure if I'm going to lose something, might as well still be right-handed in the end.
I agree 100%
If I need a tool more than once a year I buy it…..
Or if I think it’s cool I buy it…..
Or if its on sale and I might use it one day? I buy it…..
Or if it’s the same brand as my other tools I’ll buy it…..
OK I’m the first to admit I’ve got a problem!
But I’ve got a lot of tools!!!!!
heck you probobly even have the tool that can fix that problem!
now which one was it...
Glad to know I'm not the only one with that problem. I've bought tools I was pretty sure I may never even use. LOL
Me too
Music to my ears! Oh how this now-disabled 74-yr old former props master, handi-gal, and jill of all trades loves tools!! I come here often to worship in your shop and listen to all your “Shop
Sermons”. I still use the heavy metal tools my grandpa brought with him from Poland. TY Adam for sharing it all!!
Another ole fashioned shop girl! Hooray! Nice to know we are still around.
Those tools must be pretty loud. 😄
@@Voirreydirector may you both keep at it (to some degree or other) for as long as you have the desire to. :)
I'm a mechanic for a living and we had a saying similar to yours but it was "if you borrow a tool more than once, then you should probably buy it because you'll need it again"
Bonus marking tip;
Buy a UV flashlight* - use fluorescent paint to mark your tools.
Your tools will light up like a christmas tree if you shine UV light on it.
It's particularly useful in the dark / poorly lit workplace (indoors or outdoors).
And very useful if you've forgotten where you've put your tool down.
Don't want a ridiculous color on your tools?
There's a yellow 'highlighter' Sharpie that can ALMOST invisibly write on your tools.
In regular light, almost invisible.
> In UV light... BOOM! christmas tree.
--
* [At close range (a couple meters), one of those single LED UV keychain lights - (that you get with certain UV activated glues) - will work well enough
Also,
Even a 'DIY blacklight' - (aka 3 pieces of tape, colored purple, purple, blue (with Sharpies).. stuck on the glass of a regular white LED work light) - will mimic blacklight enough to fully light up your tools at a distance.
--
Bonus bonus tip:
I also use this 'UV marking' method for my bikes.
I live in Amsterdam - there's more bikes here than inhabitants.
Finding your bike in a SEA of similar looking bikes can be a pain in the butt.
I've marked mine with fluorescent zip ties - (double function; they also keep the brake / gear cables in place) - and with some distinct UV paint markings.
Again; UV flashlight, shine it past a row of a 200 bikes...
Aaand.. Christmas tree. :)
I like the stripped paint idea, most of us though, are in general construction trades where intentional theft is the problem. What I have done is what a cop once told me is best from their perspective, was to engrave your driver's license number on your tools. If he stops a suspected thief and sees a DL number on a tool he can quickly and easily run that number and get your name, address, etc. If it is stolen, he now has actionable proof to make an arrest and for prosecution. Also, if you find an unknown tool in your truck with a DL number on it you can ask a cop to run it to get the owner's location to return it.
@@samTollefson Definitely a scam
@@samTollefson Definitely a scam. I also reported the reply as "unwanted commercial content or spam."
Anyway, great idea about the DL!
@@JonesNate Thank Nate, I appreciate you!
I used to spray paint my tools pink. Apparently No one in the shop would try and keep a pink tool 🤷♂️ before that, no matter the color, they would still go missing
Back in the 90s, the man who is now my best friend's husband always bought pink lighters, because in the 90s no Albertan male would ever steal a pink lighter. :)
Fingernail polish (lacquer) in a wild color works great for hand tools and especially sockets or really small tools. I have sockets that I've used heavily since the mid-90's and they still have fingernail polish on them!
Dear Adam, I wanted to Thank you for the UA-cam Videos, I am a Maker (Wood Is my Medium of Choice at the moment) and Your videos on Orginization, tools, and perservering have inspired me to take my Making to the next level. You are a True Inspiration. Thank you So Much! A greatful Fan!
My Dad was an engineer, and he had an interesting take on marking one's tools.
He said that marking a tool is a double-edged sword, since it may actually make it more likely that someone would steal it permanently, ie take it home with them and never bring it back.
They can't use it at work and claim that it belongs to them, so they will take it to use at home instead, where it won't matter that it's got someone else's name on it.
An unmarked tool will likely stay in the building, and can be tracked down and 'stolen back' from the thief.
My Dad did mark his tools (they had them professionally engraved with their name in those days) but it's an interesting idea.
Marking only works when your coworkers can be trusted, and 'thefts' only happen by accident.
My uncle would always mark his tools in hidden places like at the battery compartment for this reason
About twenty years ago, I suffered a break-in where I had many things stolen, including tools. I found them in a pawn shop, but when I reported this to the police, they carelessly (or perhaps deliberately) told the pawnshop owner exactly what to look for, and said thief marked many other items with that same symbol - so the cop refused to seize any of my items saying that other people had marked them the same way. I learned from that point to engrave valuable things with a short combination of symbols that nobody else would be likely to duplicate. Doesn't allow for across-the-room identification, but once seen, these symbols are unmistakable.
I do about the same, but also add my initials, along with taking a photo of the tool, the markings, and the receipt/purchase order the day I get it, that stay backed up via my phone, and on my external HDD when I do my normal offline phone backup, so I have 2 copies, and the digital photos will have the metadata as further proof.
I had a cop tell me one time to put your driver license number on your tools because it’s something they can easily look up, not nothing that be used to too much advantage by the perp knowing your DL number. Not sure now a days if that still holds with how sophisticated identity theft is. Would love to know if this risky these days to have floating out there.
@@jbshrop Not risky for you. It would blow up on the thief copying your mark onto other tools because he's got no legit reason to put your driver's license number on other tools.
@@CommodoreFan64 Cameras are so cheap and it makes filing insurance claims and police reports super easy. Takes all the stress out of a loss.
Many manufacturers offer an online service to register the tools you bought from them, with serial numbers etc. Often they grand an extra year of warranty.
This can be very helpful, when you have to proof the ownership.
Tools (and other items) can be marked for different reasons:
-To proof you are the owner
-To identify your tool from a distance
-To let others know others it is your tool (and how to contact you so you can get it back if it is found.
I heard about someone who did write in all his books 'This book is stolen from ' followed by his name.
an old mechanic taught me once to never cut off zip ties with side cutters. Simply take a pair of linemans, grab the tag end as close as possible and twist. it leaves a nice smooth finish that will not cut you!
Also a pair of flush cut pliers. That's what I use in aviation for all the wire bundles!
Yes, this. Use flush cutters
I'm surprised engraving wasn't mentioned. My father, who worked in the Air National Guard and later ran audio during stage performances, engraved his name and SSN on every tool. On smaller tools he'd just engrave his last initial and the last four of his SSN. Reason being is that paint, zip ties, or any markings like that can be removed. It's a lot harder to remove and engraving. His concern was more flat out property theft, rather than someone picking up the wrong tool. Some tools were actually stolen and his engraving them helped get them returned. After he passed, it was a nice reminder of him to see his handwriting on his tools. Also when asked his SSN number when unprepared, I was able to answer the question by looking at his big old red pipe wrench. I fully support engraving over painting.
engrave then [aint over it. the paint goes into the engraving.
Why would you put your SSN on the tool? So you get your tool stolen and your identity? That must be the dumbest thing I've heard.
@@_tuxedocat that was an old school practice and not uncommon. SSNs I don't think were used like they are today. I remember my dad doing it on some of his larger tools and I think back then (60s and 70s) even the police recommended marking items with your SSN. Seems crazy now considering how careful we are to protect it.
@@_tuxedocat Of course you wouldn't do that now. You'd just do your name or some other mark. He was in the Air National Guard from the mid 50's to mid 80's. Using your SSN was common place in the military. Everyone used it as an ID number. To be "safe", you'd only use your last 4 digits. Shoot, as a kid you'd learn your SSN just like your phone number and your address.
@@_tuxedocat Back in the 1980s, the state I lived in offered the option of using your SSN as your Driver's License number so that you'd have one less number to keep track of. Obviously, that policy has changed, but it might be wise of you to keep in mind that things change over time before you decide to shoot off your mouth and sound like an idiot.
I mark my tools in work with cheap bright Pink nail varnish, i find nail varnish last longer than spray paint (which i use when I'm stuck). Also bright pink means you can spot one of your tools a mile away and it's also a great anti theft method because masculine men don't want to use a pink tape measure, tools started to disappear less once i switched to pink,
As a female in the field I feel this on another level my tools would wander off everywhere painted them bright pink on a dare once. None ever went missing ever again that wasn't from my own stupidity!
I use purple as people do not like that color as well and it happens to be one my favorites next to black.
As the only girl in my shop The guys in my shop never wanna use my tools cause they’re marked pink and sparkly.
@@HankScorpio64 I lost a cord because another guy used also used purple.
My dad used to by pink lighters back in the day for the same reason.
The problem I've run into over the years with picking a color code is that either my shades of color get discontinued or eventually you come across a kindred spirit who has the same color. I bought a big drafting stencil kit when I was younger that had some stencils that I would never use for my sketches. I started using those stencils to create a quick dirty but unique pattern with my spray paint color. Everyone knows that the Makita 18v batteries with weird geometric purple shapes and lines don't belong in their bag at the end of the work day.
So I learned that 3:17 "Don't ever use tape under any circumstances" to mark your tools, instead 7:08 "aluminum tape or metallic tape is another great way of maybe making a very visible part of your tool that makes it stand out " :P
I think he's going back because usually metal style tapes don't use the same glue as duck tapes which are usually the style people use for colorful marking.
Duct tape adhesive is horrible! I believe that is what he meant. Gaff tape does not leave the same residue.
@@thelast929 Even gaff tape gets gnarly after being left on something for a year. Maybe not as bad as duck tape or electrical tape but still not good.
I COMPLETELY AGREE about marking ALL your tools. My mark was two green lines and my name. All my tools were marked with a paint pen, but if I didn’t have time to mark a new tool or if I bought the tool while on a job, I would temporarily use green pinstripe tape that I kept in my toolbox for that purpose.
Once a year, a month before my biggest annual show, I would spend my spare time in front of the TV refreshing the marks on ALL my tools.
Oh, and my rule for buying a new tool was - If I have to borrow it from someone three times (in a day or a year) then I had to buy my own at the first opportunity. There were times when the company I contracted to would ask to borrow a tool from ME because they forgot to put one in the show kit. 😆
One summer I worked as a "Go-fer" for a Plasterer. He had all his tools marked. So I did the same. Being young and cocky, I marked all my tools with the engraving "not yours". Now that I'm older I still mark mine that way, but ingrave my initials hidden somewhere, like on the underside of the battery mag well.
With tools it’s like edc knives.
Buy once, cry once.
If you have a socket set- use your favorite color nail gel and put it in the stamped numbers on the sockets. Mine are pink. The gel stays very well.
My dads are red. I did his for him. He said it helps him locate the 10mm and 13mm much easier.
I worked in the family business as an HVACR tech. My dad had bought an electric engraver when he was getting started and just like him my tools were all marked with my initials AKD and/or my name. Some tools, primarily the company tools, would be engraved and larger ones such as ladders would also have our company name stenciled on with paint and usually at least one of our labels that we put on the units when servicing or installing. I never had to worry about any of my co-workers, but on some big jobs with other trades especially with companies we didn't normally work with you had to be careful.
I work in a diesel shop, so my tools stay with my cart by the truck I'm working on, so I don't need them to be easily identifiable across the shop. I do, however, want to prevent them growing legs, so I write my name on in paint pen. I find the best place to do this on my Milwaukee stuff is inside where the battery snaps in, it keeps the paint protected from chipping and prevents it being covered over by grease, but is easily accessed to check if someone confuses my tool for theirs or vice versa.
I don't work in a shared space, but from time to time I'll take my tools to a work site or a friend's house to help with a project. I found a simple method that works on any tool: I write my initials or name on them with a sharpie, then seal it with a thin layer of 5-minute epoxy. I've also done this with utensils in our Boy Scout "chuck boxes" (boxes of cooking utensils taken on campouts)...those ALWAYS wander from box to box as they're shared. Easy fix and stays in place through dishwasher cycles.
I like to engrave a metal part of my tools with my initials and company name. I then paint it with marking fluid and the sand excess off once dry. It leaves a real nice, noticeable stand out colour
Reading reviews of the spring loaded automatic center punches, it seems they all always break, so I just go with the cheapest Harbor Freight version and plan to buy a new one when it breaks.
Plasti-dip or heat shrink on anything with rubber handles (color code and enhanced insulation), hockey stick/ tennis racquet wraps for anything that will be swung (color code and better grip)... I also tend to like shorter handles on my hammers (working in confined spaces), so I usually cut them to around 5 inches below the head of the mallet if they are timber handles. Power tools: paint and gutted paracord wraps.
The bright colors help a great deal on site when I'm cleaning up the end of the day/job.
For my spanners I've filled the embossed text with paint to make it easier to read and stand out a little, Nobody else has hot pink text and my tools don't wonder too far.
A couple items don't take paint well at all so I've used a graffiti ink that stains to write my name then used cloth tape (camera tape) to add the colour.
My grandfather would paint all his tools yellow. Like the WHOLE tool! He was a roofer and constantly had different people working for him. Day one for a new hire he would say "my tools are yellow, if you paint your tools yellow they are now MY tools. Pick a different color or a different job." I thought he was being really weird, but when I was older and worked in jobs with tools I got it! I miss him.
Im a machinist by trade and woodworker/carpenter as a hobby. My rule for loaning out tools at work is this: I’ll let you borrow it but it better be back in my toolbox by the end of the day or you will never borrow it again. Ive solved the issue of confusing who’s tool is who’s by putting a label on my batteries and tools.
Patrick Hoyne mentions using nail polish; I'll second that! I'll also add that I always mark my tools in (at least) two places: one obvious one, so I can tell from across the shop, and one subtle one that only I know about. A great spot for this is on the part of the tool or battery that is covered by other half of the tool/battery once the battery is inserted.
This significantly reduces my concern about using removable paint to mark my tools. I once caught someone red-handed; they had removed my name from my heat gun and were trying to walk out with it, and I simply asked them what color the secret dot on the inside of the tool was! More commonly, when I've suspected someone might have "permanently borrowed" a tool, I can surreptitiously check a hidden spot and quickly disprove that theory, which has probably saved a friendship or two from a hurtful and false accusation.
I use an electric engraver on most of my tools. In addition, I also use hi-vis gaff tape so I can see it at a distance. I’ve used paint in the past, but it gets dirty. The tape is easy to replace. I work in the entertainment industry, so a lot of people have that same tools on a job.
I use primarily hand tools so I usually use colored shrink wrap. Finding it large enough to fit over some power tool handles might be tricky.
As for tools you need, I used to work on heavy equipment and a standard wrench or socket set came with your regular fractional sizes. The first time I started a job on a backhoe or excavator I noticed that I was missing a certain size.
I ended buying, I believe 3 different 32nd size sockets and combo wrenches. And of course sockets and wrenches above 1".
As for marking, I always used paint. I'd fill in the engraved areas with red paint, mark screwdrivers and other tools with paint somewhere on the tool.
I worked at Black and Decker during college, so I loaded up on reconditioned tools bought with an employee's discount. I hardly bought any power tools for twenty years after that, and I still have some that I occasionally use. After that, most tools seem too expensive and too low quality! I was spoiled.
I have a B&D drill that is +/- 50 years old and still works...
Adam is really interesting to listen to. It's like hanging out in the shop with an old friend
Some military and aerospace jobs require engraving or laser etching of each tool, traceable to the person or even the specific toolbox globally. In industry I used my last initial followed by the last 4 of my SSN. You can't see it from a distance, but it is undeniably yours. If I were on a job where tool mix-ups were likely I would probably just use orange survey paint.
I had the last four of my SSN as my password for the time clock at my first job. Can't believe that employers abuse our national PIN (that wasn't meant to be one) as much as they do. Or writing it on an application and just handing it to someone... completely insane.
At least nowadays most job applications are online and have standards for data protection
Paint Marker for plastic tools for quick identification. Heated up metal stamp in some part of the plastic for permanent marking in case paint marker wears off.
My Grandpa had a brilliant plan. He just etched his Social Insurance Number on every one of his tools.
Needless to say this is a terrible idea that thankfully never came back to bite him in the butt.😅
OMG! I was about to chime in with that one. So many grandpa tools have their name and SSN on them. My wife's grandfather must've been a wiz with the engraver because his practically look like handwriting.
In your Grandpa's day, and mine, nobody thought to use another person's Social Security number to commit a crime like they do today. It was unheard of until the internet came along. Nowadays you better watch your back with everything.
Once saw a presumed military member at a pool with a name and SSN tattoo. While your dead body won't be unknown, other pool goers might be getting a car loan.
Bright nail coloring is great for marking. It doesn't wear and tear easily nor does it scratch/color other items.
Something I have considered with my power tools is designing a branding tool makers mark and brand into the plastic and filling with colored paint. This will work for any plastic or wood tool. For a few dollars people on Etsy will make a brand from your design. Way cooler than spray paint making your tools look like a pig with lipstick!
My dad designed a monogram for himself, of his initials run together. He literally branded it onto wooden shovel handles and the like, using a soldering iron.
When I decided to do the same, many decades ago now, I couldn't make it work for my name -- at least not in regular letters. But in Cirth, the Dwarvish runes from Lord of the Rings, my initials make a funky little symbol. Six strokes, one of them curved. Easy! (Bonus with runes: they were meant for being carved into things, so they're mostly straight lines.) If I were designing it now, I'd probably use real runes, not Tolkien's, but whatever.
Have a metal stamp with small lettering for my initials, heat it up and melt the plastic. Same stamp and bang on it for metal imprints. Usually have those initials in a good hiding spot. Photograph them (along with the serial number for power tools) for proof of ownership. Its a bitch with craftsmen wrenches and all the sockets…LOL!…Just engrave the handles. Sockets are low cost anyway.
the best tool marking i've ever seen is from a graver i used to know who hand engraved his own tools with scenes of er0tica. the guy must have spent hundreds of hours doing it, but it was good practice and no one would ever mistake his tools for theirs.
🤣🤣🤣
That's fantastic 😆
My grandfather used an electric pencil/ engraver and put his logo which were his initials in a certain way in every single tool he had. I was lucky enough to inherit a lot of them and have plans to do the same to my own newer stuff
All of my small hand tools that I use for electronics at work (nippers, Allen drivers, end wrenches, tweezers, etc) I mark with nail polish - a blue stripe and then a yellow stripe, about 1/4” wide. Then I shadow box them in leftover ESD foam that otherwise gets thrown out from out packaging (my poor mans Kaizen Foam). I shadow boxed a tool set for a coworker and did his tools with a purple and blue stripe.
I’ve liked using strips of colored electrical tape in the past. It doesn’t leave a bad residue that’s hard to get rid of. But at the same time if you can see it pretty well from a distance.
I always used the spray paint method. A ziptie tip is to twist the end of. It seems weird but it doesn't leave a sharp edge near as bad. Also I have used electrical tape to mark tools as well. Not as bad as duct tape but it doesn't last as long and has an almost greasy residue. But not as permanent.
Usually engrave my name on tools (never considered a bright color so I can see it across the room though) Also for tool batteries I like to write the month and year I got them. Nice to know how long they hold up.
I marked my favorite drill with my thumb dipped in my favorite kelly green, so no matter what it's undeniably mine!
I engrave all my tools with my name or initials depending on the size with a hand engraver, I also have some hand me down tools from my grandfather which are engraved the same way and his initials are the same as mine
Adam's hair is killer in this vid. Love it. It's like mad scientist with better style
I know I'm all late and I've watched this episode before, way back. Just wanted to say;
I use a distinctive scribble etched into my tools, my initials stylized and then embedded with a sharpie so it pops, I do agree across the room it blends in with others, so a nice spray paint color is nice too. People appreciate the ease of recognition when tools get mixed together on a project... Tape is the worst.
However, if someones got sticky fingers you just need to be defensive in those situations and keep it locked up. Doesn't matter how you mark it when people are roguish, though an etched tool is harder to sell... I've had the misfortune of working in some pretty abusive non union construction companies that have half the jobsite stolen overnite by a disgruntled sub contractors. Let alone walking away for a few moments from your setup in a busy area... I hate thieves.
I use plastidip or thermofit. For the metallic stuff I like to use a carbide tip then nail polish.
when i worked at a robotics company as a programmer we had a big garage/warehouse where we preassembled the various projects for testing and programming to minimize on-site time.
we had 2 fully equipped tool trolleys that were color coded with pink and green paint by our resident master machinist. man did he give us some shit when we didnt put tools back where they belonged or into the wrong trolley. but of course the one allen key that fits like 90% of the bolts on a robot was always missing...
thats when i got my own cheap chinesium allen key set and had a permanent spot in my work pants and because it had some kind of "super duper bronze protection coating" it really stood out and i always made sure to have the full set in my pocket at the end of the day
I run a three week seasonal site build. We have probably just shy of ten grand in Dewalt 20v tools for 20+ workers plus all the bits and accessories. My advice is get a quartermaster or make someone responsible for keeping track of everything.
I was watching this on my Xbox and actually logged in on my phone just to say that, as a Scot, hearing Adam describe zip ties as “shite” completely tickled me. 😂🏴🤘🏻
Paint pens and filling in embossed regions. And definitely use spray paint. My guys are told to choose 2 colors, 3 if the 2 are similar to someone else's, and get to painting and filling. It is always rough having to paint new purchases.
Man, that would be sweet though. "Today, your job is to mark ALLLLL of your tools with your color scheme, and help out where needed. That's it. That's all you do today, because next week when you want to borrow Bob's Whatchamacallit, Bob's gonna ask you a very important question: "where's YOUR Whatchamacallit"?
Spraypaint... through a 3D printed stencil.
3D printers make *great* stencils. About 0.6mm thick is enough to be rugged and paint a *lot* of things.
And them claiming ther're thiers...wooohhh, this cheap diamond pen came to mind. By now I was into it, and started buying better quality tools,(Snap-on, Mac...etc...), so I needed some way to mark them.
This cheap diamond pen would scratch the metal of any tool deeply!! With little effort! So I initialed everything, in the hardest to get at spots, as possible, in multiple spots, and colored the etching in with a fat florescent blaze orange, indelible marker, and I never lost a tool again. Some of the older guys would raz me about it, but I had the last laugh in the lunch room when they complained they can't find a tool.
Sorry about the novel here, but...well...you know. :)
Dave
We have an old hand saw that was initialed by one of my great grandfathers. We don’t have makings we just know who it belongs to based on where it’s stored. Some of our tools get thrown into buckets so you can’t find what you need in a hurry. The socket set bucket is a bit like a lucky dip.
As a tip on how to remove tape residue, we use something called "Essence jupiter" works like a charm, even on old sticky one, I don't know what it's called in the USA.
I engrave my name in most tools, but as a security feature i use powdered phosphorous mixed with super glue in some of the holes left behind from weight reduction in the casting process. Quick flash of a UV light and it's easy to see the marks.
For marking, I like the idea of a stencil with a custom mark + paint marker + unusual, bright color
Yesterday i was removing a turbo from a vehicle at work, one nut was in an almost imposable place to remove, i did remove it by cutting a 15mm socket in half and tig welding it to an old swivel, you can buy these but only in sets that cost $200, so for the price of one Chinese socket and a worn out swivel i had one.
Adam, Thanks for the tip, I use colored ceat shrink, rubber bands and yes, colored duct tape too! I found naphtha works well to remove the glue gunk.
my aunt once grinded the last 4 of her social into the handles and the cases of her drills.
White-out pens work remarkably well on some tools. (Plastic and rubber)
I use to use tape but have recently swapped to bright personalised labels on my power tools. For hand tools, I use my same colour but heat shrink rather than tape.
I also have a little engraving of my initials on all my tools in case anyone tries to remove my markings, but this shouldn’t happen as I now have a rolling Tstak toolbox where everything goes straight back to after I use it and gets locked, especially if it’s on stage.
Counterpoint to you zip tie opinion: it's bloody BRILLIANT. I agree with you, that would drive me NUTS, but it clearly doesn't bother him. That's what makes it great! He's found something that not only marks the tool as his, but ALSO mildly discourages people from using them at all. Clearly someone could cut the zip tie, but at that point paint probably wouldn't stop them either :)
When I worked in groups where tools would tend to "wander off", I'd cut an inconspicuous yet distinct small shape into the tool so that when someone had the audacity to claim that, let's say, "oh no these are MY Corona Bypass Pruners", I could point to the mark and shame them for their thieving ways. I've lost far too many tools to people who'd happily lie to my face. There are of course accidents, and yes, this works for that too.
But anyone, once they kmow the mark can make the mark. So in extreme cases I'd superglue some unique goo-gah to the tool somewhere it'd be hard to notice and/or pry off
I have a laser engraver in my shop I use for permanently marking all my tools. It's fast, simple, and can mark on the smallest tools or large tools.
I always used a engraver and went right down the side on battery stuff under the pack. I know not so good from across the room but your not going to look under the battery if you are trying to steal it either.
I'm notoriously ocd with my tools and yet horribly organized. But my retort is usually "this isn't a library. I know where everything is. Ask me and I'll tell you" as a result I know what each thing is and where it goes often over the span of months but not everyone is nearly as neurotic. I had a friend using that exact hand drill off and on and then got into an argument when i came back to claim it. I started doing the white paint marker name label afterwards like my mom use to do with our toys growing up lol. Now i wanna cover everything in fuchsia and purple hazard stripes.
I've marked some of my games and DVDs with a little red dot sticker. My Wii remote has one on the inside of the battery door, and on my Switch it's on the underside of the kick stand.
Could have sworn I saw a video of Adam saying he used bright color tape
On his tools 😂.
Glad he tested it out for us
So, for my welder /plasma cutter, I only have one 220 receptacle. So, I put 2 zip ties on the plasma cord. One at the plasma, and one at the plug. Now, its easier to see which plug is wich but the zip. For all the grinders I have plugged into a power strip, I used different color zip ties, one at the tool, the other at the plug.
Great Videos!! Ive branded my drills with a piece of tig welding rod bent into my initials.
9.6 volt makitas were the very first practical cordless drill, the first one that I remember having a clutch and the tool to have back in the 8 bit days. I worked for a window company and we provided one for all of our installers. 9.6 volt Makitas and fax machines completely revolutionized the way we worked over the course of one summer in the late eighties.
Fingernail polish seemed to last a long time and wasn't as cumbersome as spray paint. Plus there was a variety of colors.
These days there are more nailpolish colors than what you will know what to do with! :)
Traditional machinists way of marking: shitty freehand engraving with a die grinder that no one can decipher 😬