I'm beginning to think the shop has a door to another dimension or maybe the entrance to a black hole.
Not only do I have missing tools, hardware and materials, somehow I seem to get other people swarf,. I can completely clean the shop, not do any machining jobs, but a week later the is rogue swarf in every nook and cranny, and I'm dragging it into and through the house.
I searched on and off until about 10 pm last night, still not test bar, I did find 10 gallons of dark cutting oil, or enough to last me about 30 years at the current usage rate.
My process:
Determine that I need something ...
Luckily "Past Orders" on Amazon, Enco, eBay, etc. go back many years allowing me to determine if a search of the shop might actually discover one. I could keep a personal inventory ... there is software for that ... but such an activity would be rational and very much like 'work'. It is to be avoided at all cost. And relying on my memory ... Bev will attest to the reliability of that method.
If an order for the item is found then search the shop. If searching the shop simply increased the blood pressure then I already have Amazon, Enco, eBay, etc. open in browsers and I probably needed another one anyway
I know exactly where my lathe test bar is. Problem is it would take me 3 hours to move all the stuff it's buried under in order to get it - so no difference really.
My method seems to be that if I can't find it I finally give up and order another one. I figure after doing 3-4 iterations of this I'm bound to find ONE of them eventually.
Either that or I'll see something in a catalog that looks like it would be useful and order one. When it arrives I'll quickly put it safely away in the toolbox.... right next to the one I ordered LAST year and forgot I had.
I've been a victim of the black hole and having a bad case of the "
dropsies" probably 20 times this week
This is one of the reasons that I am glad that I spent the time putting together the tool log database and the time taken to input the tools. It has been very helpful, especially having tools in two different workshops.
The other day I made a gauge, set it down and lost it for hours. I found it in the scrap bin when looking for another piece. Tools are always in one of 15 places, no problem there.
(04-03-2016, 10:13 AM)Mayhem Wrote: [ -> ]This is one of the reasons that I am glad that I spent the time putting together the tool log database and the time taken to input the tools. It has been very helpful, especially having tools in two different workshops.
Once I have my shop rearranged with the new mill in place, I plan on using your program to document all the tools. I haven't run the program lately so is there a field for a location of the tool?
Thanks for making the program Darren, it's appreciated. On my long list of things to do is to convert it to LibreOffice.
Ed
On Thursday, I ordered, 10 more of the AXA tool holder blocks from CDCO, yesterday I opened an email, CDCO had already packed and shipped the blocks, today I found 12 of them in a box. I had opened 4 of them out to 5/8", 4 of them out to 3/4" and left 2 of them stock for 1/2" and the last 2 had been modified to hold small boing bars (in a tube). I'm beginning to think I need a inventory clerk.
I'll use the additional blocks, eventually,
on a side note
Its been 2 weeks, apparently the guy who said he would be right over, to buy the Millermatic 175, mig welder, is not coming. So Monday, I will disassemble the package and put it into storage.
I have installed dry-wipe boards in my shop. I got the size which, when turned "portrait" direction, are the same width as my shelving.
I use the board to record tools which go out on loan. Cuts down on "hey, I can't find my left-hand frambulator wrench, musta lost it, needa order another." Then 9 months later, when the kind soul who borrowed my left-hand frambulator wrench returns it, I have two.
(04-03-2016, 12:53 PM)EdK Wrote: [ -> ]...is there a field for a location of the tool?...
Yes. I included this so that if you had a tool box stolen, you could easily produce a list of tools for your insurance claim. The search function includes this field, which makes it very easy. I still need to finish making some reports, so that data can be printed out but the database is otherwise fully functional.
Do you have a cat? mine's always stealing stuff especially my keys !