Ever get tired of walking across the shop to get the tool you need?

[johnny means]

"... I have 4 or 5 tape measures around the shop..."

Again, I have to point to Murphy's law. Regarding tape measures, rulers, pencils and or putty knives, it does not matter how many you own or how many you scatter around your shop. There will simply never be one within reach. And don't try to pass off that old "pencil behind the ear" thing. You know darned well that sooner or later you will stab yourself in the eye. Tapes with belt clips may seem like another way to circumvent the inevitable. But sooner or later you will end up catching the thing on something and ripping your pants off. And, again, according to Murphy's law, it will be when you have a customer standing right next to you.

Ain't it the truth. I have no fewer than one tape measure for every 100 sf. of shop space(1200 total sf.) and can still never find one.

[Peter Aeschliman]

Sounds like someone is having a bad day.

LOL! I'm still laughing.

[Kev Godwin]

Why not just wear a lightweight nylon tool belt? Gee, I just found my tape measure, my pencil, my etc.....

I guess I don't have this problem. My safety glasses and ear plugs (or ear-muffs) hang around my neck all of the time when not being used.

My credit card is another issue. Can't seem to find it when a new tool is calling. The LOML is always out wearing off the magnetic strip.
Kev

[johnny means]

Why not just wear a lightweight nylon tool belt? Gee, I just found my tape measure, my pencil, my etc.....
Kev

So I could missplace all my tools at once.

[Larry Edgerton]

What I am tired of is walking across the shop for something and forgetting what I walked across the shop for.

My new shop is half as big, so I figure I will walk half as far......

[Mitchell Andrus]

What I am tired of is walking across the shop for something and forgetting what I walked across the shop for.

My new shop is half as big, so I figure I will walk half as far......

....and forget twice as much.
.

[Jerome Hanby]

Why not just wear a lightweight nylon tool belt? Gee, I just found my tape measure, my pencil, my etc.....

That's how I addressed the problem, I bought one of those tool belts...and when I find it, all these problems will be history...and I'll have my tape measure and pencils back...and my small engineers square...and my car keys, gee I'm tired of walking.

[Brad Wood]

and here I thought this thread was about how every time I go shopping, what I want is on the far side of where I am..... EVERYTIME




anyway, nice little cart. I like the power tool. Unfortunately I fall into the "everything is no more than six feet from me" category too.

[Karl Brogger]

Some of the tool and clamp carts pictured here are very cool. But really... Murphy's law states that the tool you need will always be as far away from you as it can be. It does not matter how many tools you pack around with you. Murphy's law is very clear on this.

Organization is key. Not just having a place to put things, but making sure you actually put them there. With that said, I spent almost 2 hours the other day just walking around and saying: "There you are", to all the long lost crap I've picked up and not put back in its place.

[Scott Vantine]

Ain't it the truth. I have no fewer than one tape measure for every 100 sf. of shop space(1200 total sf.) and can still never find one.

I fall into this same rut every time. I can have six tapes, four pencils and the task I am working on is ten feet from everyone of them! Or they all grow legs and hide! LOL

[harry strasil]

Walking about the shop looking for things falls into the category of that new FAD, EXERCISE, I get all the exercise I need just setting on the front steps and watching all the females parading up and down the street in front of my house. Its what I call the best form of EXERCISE, gets you heart to racing at times, is enjoyable, but doesn't tire you out or let you overdo it.

lets see, shop is 3 steps wide and 5 steps long, now I'm tired.

[Bob Carreiro]

Try somewhere in the neighborhood of 15! And ditto for pencils!

[David DeCristoforo]

Well the truth is, it's easy to circumvent this entire problem. All you have to do is follow the first rule of organization: "Don't put it down... put it away." If you do this and you have followed the second rule of organization: "Make a place for everything.", you will always be able to find your stuff. Of course, it's easy to make exception to these rules when you are in the middle of a project. But if one were to strictly discipline one's self, the problem is not that hard to deal with...

[Kyle Iwamoto]

What I am tired of is walking across the shop for something and forgetting what I walked across the shop for.

My new shop is half as big, so I figure I will walk half as far......

ROTFLMAO. Been there done that WAY too many times. I usually keep walking, and use the bathroom. By that time I'll need to anyways.

[Matthew Joe]

I've found it helpful to "leash" tape measures and pencils to each of my tool stations with a bit of string. Same goes for chuck keys, wrenches for the router, etc. I have a couple of free-floaters for tasks that must be performed away from the tool, but these still get lost.

Less of a problem to find misplaced tools, but kind of a headache to deal with all of that string!