What is in your Toolbox ?

[jonbeeza]

Just got a second hand Bicycle off someone, and I needed to tighten the wheels. Rummaging through my old tool boxes, and even older tools. I could not find a size 15mm spanner, best fit I could find was a 5/8 Af spanner. Spanner did want to slip off and get me to smash my knuckles, but I took it easy and got the job done.

While I was in my toolbox I realised I had five hammers, a good few spanners of the same size for some reason. Lots of PVC tape that has probably long perished, loads of different size rusty screws that I keep putting back in the box. A set of brake pads that list their use for cars that I can't recall having ever owned, an Escort Mk3 rubber piston boot that looks brand new but probably well over twenty years old. A load of nuts and bolts from an old motorbike that I owned. Oh and the Junior hacksaw, with the ( customary ) blade missing, and the list goes on..

To be fair to my toolbox hoarding habits, I fitted a wooden shelving to the wall the other day, and I found some old screws at the bottom of the toolbox, they were just the right size. I must have put those screws in the toolbox over ten years ago, with the idea of needing them at some point..

So come on, who else has a junk filled toolbox?

 

[boogie man]

What is thing you call a toolbox? I've got a 10x 8 toolSHED, rammed full of stuff that might come in useful one day. I hoard things because you can bet your boots that the moment you chuck something away, you'll need it. My old dad worked in the ironmongery business all his life and I was in the same business for 12 years, so I've got a massive amount of tools and gear, some of which is probably obsolete these days. Still hanging on to it though.

 

[Mr Bump]

I used to do a lot of motorbike maintanence and restoratation which I have kind of quit now so have quite a lot of small tools and stuff..

I plan to whittle mine down soon.

 

[jonbeeza]

What is thing you call a toolbox? I've got a 10x 8 toolSHED, rammed full of stuff that might come in useful one day. I hoard things because you can bet your boots that the moment you chuck something away, you'll need it. My old dad worked in the ironmongery business all his life and I was in the same business for 12 years, so I've got a massive amount of tools and gear, some of which is probably obsolete these days. Still hanging on to it though.

LOL

I would love a shed, but we live in a small one bedroom flat. If we ever move to some place bigger, I would love a shed. I love hoarding stuff. I would get a classic motorbike for starters. Would love a good sturdy work bench with all the tools. Would probably get back into camping also..

Deffo fit loads of shelves to hoard all those nuts bolts screws and other such bits n bobs

 

[omens]

Meh none of the fancy stuff others have. I've only bought my toolbag last year. It's got a hammer, a mallet, a set of spanners, a ratchet screwdriver, a tape measure, a set of allen keys, a stanley knife and a torch. I'm in need of pliers. Things like electric screwdriver, spirit level, torque wrench and breaker bar live on a shelf in the garage.

 

[jonbeeza]

Meh none of the fancy stuff others have. I've only bought my toolbag last year. It's got a hammer, a mallet, a set of spanners, a ratchet screwdriver, a tape measure, a set of allen keys, a stanley knife and a torch. I'm in need of pliers. Things like electric screwdriver, spirit level, torque wrench and breaker bar live on a shelf in the garage.

I thought you were going the Frank Spencer route for a moment then, getting a Tool a week

 

[OldCarlos]

What is thing you call a toolbox?

Similar to you Larry. I have a double garage full of tools & things that `will come in useful one day`. Unfortunately nearly half the space has been taken over by bikes, scooters, toys...........

 

[jonbeeza]

My tools are stored in the cupboard that houses the electric meter, crammed amongst the stepladder and other bits and bobs. Rummaging in the cupboard usually means the ladder fall on top of you. Not an ideal situation, but we just do not have the space

 

[neil_g]

in my bicycle tool box, short of things like a decent bearing press everything that i need to strip a bike down to parts and back again.

in my snap-on chest, i cant really remember but 2 socket trays, 2 spanner trays and some specific mini tools (cone compressor tool and subframe tower bolt socket etc).

 

[jonbeeza]

in my bicycle tool box, short of things like a decent bearing press everything that i need to strip a bike down to parts and back again.

in my snap-on chest, i cant really remember but 2 socket trays, 2 spanner trays and some specific mini tools (cone compressor tool and subframe tower bolt socket etc).

I don't have a dedicated cycle tool box, everything lets lumped together, again due to lack of space

 

[frank]

Spanners/sockets about 50 yrs old metric & AF, sure there is a couple of whitworths in there too, a old but still working yankee screwdiver (days before screwguns) and other assorted junk. My favourite being a small 6 inch long shifting spanner which fits in the jacket breast pocket, got me out of a lot of scrapes over the years. Gave a lot to my son who now dabbles in engineering etc.

 

[Wee man]

Shed nearly full have started using plastic buckets instead of tool boxes just find what I need drop it in a bucket and away I go. Threatening to tidy my shed in near future as I need a special spanner which is in there somewhere!

 

[boogie man]

We had a new kitchen fitted last year, so I recycled the old units into my man-shed. Loads of space now: even more room for STUFF!!

 

[TheBigYin]

well... this is most of the bike maintenance kit - the workstand doesn't fit in there, and the wheel-truing jig gets brought out and bolted to the workbench when needed, but this is most of the rest of the kit...

IMG_3415.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr

close the doors, and it's quite neat looking - the 4 big Ikea cases are full of various bits of bike, cleaning kit, groupset's i'm collecting for project bikes etc...

BikeCave Storage Complete.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr

 

[viv1969]

well... this is most of the bike maintenance kit - the workstand doesn't fit in there, and the wheel-truing jig gets brought out and bolted to the workbench when needed, but this is most of the rest of the kit...

IMG_3415.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr

close the doors, and it's quite neat looking - the 4 big Ikea cases are full of various bits of bike, cleaning kit, groupset's i'm collecting for project bikes etc...

BikeCave Storage Complete.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr

When may I pencil you in to re-arrange my garage?

 

[nilagin]

With my wife about, there is probably nothing left in my toolbox. If I know I am going to be doing something I invariably go out and buy the tools. The toolbox gets replenished for a short while only to go missing again. No idea what she does with it all and she claims she hasn't touched it as usual. I know it isn't my sons as the eldest has his own mechanics tool barrows and tool chests and the youngest has his own tools that he uses for college.
At least she can't get her hands on my tools at work. Ratchet spanners, 1/4" 3/8" and 1/2" socket sets, 8mm to 27mm ring spanner set. Hide/copper mallet, neoprene mallet, rubber mallet, large and small hammers, hacksaw, junior hacksaw, various pliers, torx drivers, sockets and keys. Feeler gauges spark plug gapping tool. Rechargeable electric drill. w****r (slide hammer) box spanners, spark plug spanners, English and metric allen keys. Files.
I gave away all my hand grinders a couple of years ago when I started my new job.

 

[TheBigYin]

When may I pencil you in to re-arrange my garage?

Don't think you'd be prepared to cope with how long it takes me to do projects like that... Think it took me a couple of weeks to get completely sorted - though, in fairness, I did have to a first fix on moving all the wiring around, wait a day for the sparky to inspect my work and connect / write a certificate for it, then start and plaster the bare-brick walls (2 coats bonding plaster, 1 coat of skim), rip up the exisiting awful lino tiles (that appeared to have been put down with some form of tar/bitumen!), renew a couple of damaged floorboards (and build a "hatch" to get down into the sub-floor area) - then fit a new laminate floor (including again making sure the "hatch" was liftable without disturbing the laminate) - THEN I could finally get some emulsion on the walls and build the cupboards (they're actually Ikea Wardrobes, the kitchen cabinet versions were too deep to get the bikes into the room as well - it's a pokey little room if I'm honest) and the over-fridge Shelf.

Nice when it was finished though...

IMG_3428.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr

As you can just about see from the picture above, if the cabinetry was any deeper, the bikes wouldn't fit without fouling the doorway...

 

[neil_g]

wow thats a lot of stuff. all my bike stuff fits in one of these:

http://kingfisher.scene7.com/is/image/Kingfisher/3253561975035_01c

(other than the bontrager charger pump and park stand)

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Not sure

My partner took it all when she left.....

If it was not nailed down, all went with her. Shrugged my shoulder at the time and hit the holiday trail....

 

[jonbeeza]

With my wife about, there is probably nothing left in my toolbox. If I know I am going to be doing something I invariably go out and buy the tools. The toolbox gets replenished for a short while only to go missing again. No idea what she does with it all and she claims she hasn't touched it as usual. I know it isn't my sons as the eldest has his own mechanics tool barrows and tool chests and the youngest has his own tools that he uses for college.
At least she can't get her hands on my tools at work. Ratchet spanners, 1/4" 3/8" and 1/2" socket sets, 8mm to 27mm ring spanner set. Hide/copper mallet, neoprene mallet, rubber mallet, large and small hammers, hacksaw, junior hacksaw, various pliers, torx drivers, sockets and keys. Feeler gauges spark plug gapping tool. Rechargeable electric drill. w****r (slide hammer) box spanners, spark plug spanners, English and metric allen keys. Files.
I gave away all my hand grinders a couple of years ago when I started my new job.

Many years ago my then missus gave me a load of wood working tools, I soon gave them away. I had no intention of doing any joinery work around the house...

 

[jonbeeza]

well... this is most of the bike maintenance kit - the workstand doesn't fit in there, and the wheel-truing jig gets brought out and bolted to the workbench when needed, but this is most of the rest of the kit...

IMG_3415.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr

close the doors, and it's quite neat looking - the 4 big Ikea cases are full of various bits of bike, cleaning kit, groupset's i'm collecting for project bikes etc...

BikeCave Storage Complete.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr

Very neat, I do like it. Great provided you have the area to use all those tools

Don't think you'd be prepared to cope with how long it takes me to do projects like that... Think it took me a couple of weeks to get completely sorted - though, in fairness, I did have to a first fix on moving all the wiring around, wait a day for the sparky to inspect my work and connect / write a certificate for it, then start and plaster the bare-brick walls (2 coats bonding plaster, 1 coat of skim), rip up the exisiting awful lino tiles (that appeared to have been put down with some form of tar/bitumen!), renew a couple of damaged floorboards (and build a "hatch" to get down into the sub-floor area) - then fit a new laminate floor (including again making sure the "hatch" was liftable without disturbing the laminate) - THEN I could finally get some emulsion on the walls and build the cupboards (they're actually Ikea Wardrobes, the kitchen cabinet versions were too deep to get the bikes into the room as well - it's a pokey little room if I'm honest) and the over-fridge Shelf.

Nice when it was finished though...

IMG_3428.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr

As you can just about see from the picture above, if the cabinetry was any deeper, the bikes wouldn't fit without fouling the doorway...

I like they bike, I should have bought something like that. The bike I bought the other day, was just a cheapo throw away type. Be lucky if I get six months use out of it

 

[dejongj]

My tool box is private and I'd like to keep it like that.

 

[OldCarlos]

As you can just about see from the picture above, if the cabinetry was any deeper, the bikes wouldn't fit without fouling the doorway...

I think you've missed a trick there. Given that most of the contents presumably aren't used daily, you could free up a bit of floor space by attaching one of those vertical bike hangers to the front of the cupboard, or even hung from the ceiling!

 

[jonbeeza]

Also found this at the bottom of my toolbox, apparently you attached a bit and place it on a stubborn screw or bolt. Then give the end a belt with a hammer, the stubborn bolt etc then loosens with the sudden jolt. No idea how it got in my toolbox, or at least I can't ever recall buying it

 

[Bobsyeruncle]

Also found this at the bottom of my toolbox, apparently you attached a bit and place it on a stubborn screw or bolt. Then give the end a belt with a hammer, the stubborn bolt etc then loosens with the sudden jolt. No idea how it got in my toolbox, or at least I can't ever recall buying it

I've got one too. It's an impact driver

 

[Steep]

There's one of those impact drivers in my tool box too, it belonged to my father who used to love getting rusty bolts off cars.

If I were to list al the tools I've got the thread would be on page sixteen by the time I was done. I've got a 1.2 mtr silver aluminium satellite dish I'm going to turn into a fountain one day...one day.

 

[TheBigYin]

I think you've missed a trick there. Given that most of the contents presumably aren't used daily, you could free up a bit of floor space by attaching one of those vertical bike hangers to the front of the cupboard, or even hung from the ceiling!

The idea was actually to get a couple of wall-hanging brackets, and display the 2 daily rides hung on the wall as mobile art... A bit like this (it turned out that the Cross bike was still just a little too long, and the rear wheel interfered with the door when wall mounted, so it has to lean against the wall at an angle )

DSCF2749.jpg by The Big Yin, on Flickr

As to hanging the bikes from the wardrobe doors... it did cross my mind, but after considering the strength of Ikea hinges and the fact that they're screwed into chipboard, I decided against hanging £5k's worth of fragile metal and carbon fibre from them.

ETA: good grief, those bikes are filthy... April Last year must have been bad weather!
ETA Again : sorry for turning this thread into "Show me your Bike-Cave"

 

[jonbeeza]

I've got one too. It's an impact driver

There's one of those impact drivers in my tool box too, it belonged to my father who used to love getting rusty bolts off cars.

If I were to list al the tools I've got the thread would be on page sixteen by the time I was done. I've got a 1.2 mtr silver aluminium satellite dish I'm going to turn into a fountain one day...one day.

Ahh, impact driver could not recall what it was called. Would have thought it would have ripped the head off a stubborn screw, never used it so I do not know.

 

[Throttle]

I have loads of tools so have various toolboxes ones with just spanners another has electrical and so on, plus loads power tools such as a cordless impact driver, 4 drills ( cordless, cordless hammer, corded hammer and corded SDS )..
Under my stairs it was basically getting filled up with gear so i built myself a solid shed out of heavy quality decking fitted a van lock on it to make it secure then moved out some of my random horded type items and lower priced type bits into the shed to empty under the stairs, Its gradually starting again though under stairs

I'm fairly capable of doing most jobs in home, car or outdoors so i do use most of my collection of tools eventually lol

 

[jonbeeza]

I have loads of tools so have various toolboxes ones with just spanners another has electrical and so on, plus loads power tools such as a cordless impact driver, 4 drills ( cordless, cordless hammer, corded hammer and corded SDS )..
Under my stairs it was basically getting filled up with gear so i built myself a solid shed out of heavy quality decking fitted a van lock on it to make it secure then moved out some of my random horded type items and lower priced type bits into the shed to empty under the stairs, Its gradually starting again though under stairs

I'm fairly capable of doing most jobs in home, car or outdoors so i do use most of my collection of tools eventually lol

I still keep finding various items of tools, but not a 15mm Spanner that I was originally looking for

 

[johnny8977]

Quickly looking through this thread made me more jealous than usual on TP.

Especially since sorting the garage out is on my to do list. In answer to the original question - too much crap and not enough decent tools! I'm always looking for the right size drill bit etc. I should throw it all and invest in a few quality pieces.

Now - back to the internet.

 

[nilagin]

I still keep finding various items of tools, but not a 15mm Spanner that I was originally looking for

I fairly sure even the pretty comprehensive toolkit I was supplied with at work never had a 15mm spanner. Just as well I already had one from the previous job.

 

[jonbeeza]

I fairly sure even the pretty comprehensive toolkit I was supplied with at work never had a 15mm spanner. Just as well I already had one from the previous job.

To be honest, not even sure if I ever had a 15mm spanner. Best I could get the job done with, was a 5/8 AF spanner one one side and adjustable spanner on the other side. Really do not like using an adjustable spanner, as it tends to ant to round the nut

 

[Nod]

A good adjustable should do the job properly. I use Bahco ones on the rare occasions I don't have the correct spanner to hand.

 

[jonbeeza]

A good adjustable should do the job properly. I use Bahco ones on the rare occasions I don't have the correct spanner to hand.

I am not to well up on tools, my sockets and spanners are a combination of Britool and snap on. Started my tool collection in the 70s, lots of junk in my toolbox. Really do need a clear out

 

[kendo1]

Amateurs!

 

[jonbeeza]

Amateurs!

Started work in a HGV garage way back in the 70s, wanted a career in motor engineering. Got fed up of the daily barrier cream ritual every morning, and the Swarfega de grease at 5.30pm. Only lasted a few months

 

[kendo1]

Started work in a HGV garage way back in the 70s, wanted a career in motor engineering. Got fed up of the daily barrier cream ritual every morning, and the Swarfega de grease at 5.30pm. Only lasted a few months

Part-time amateurs!

 

[ancient_mariner]

Ahh, impact driver could not recall what it was called. Would have thought it would have ripped the head off a stubborn screw, never used it so I do not know.

It used to be an essential tool for removing cross-head screws on Japanese motorcyles, because they'd noodle with almost any ordinary screwdriver (probably some kind of non-standard standard, rather than being Philips or Pozi).

 

[KIPAX]

My toolbox has an extraordinary amount of Allen keys in it.. No idea why..