Why is it the tool you need is the only one you can't find?

Is there anyone else? Sure I am not the most organised, sure I see my 4 different oil wrenches hanging neatly, but need a caulk gun today, what is the name for that evil god that hides whatever it is you are looking for?

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Because you are your own worst enemy ? There are no lengths some will go to in the name of self sabotage.

I suffer from this phenomenon, there is no denying it.

I’ve always suspected Gremlins…but my first comment always seems to bubble up to the top and seem correct.

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Usually you just sit around for a while, place a tool somewhere, come back to find it’s gone, then you find it back in your toolbox.

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If I am lying down and using tools… Invariably the tool causing me to weave a tapestry of obscenities is almost ALWAYS… Under me…

If I am walking and talking using tools… they could disappear and reappear absolutely ANYWHERE… the medicine cabinet, under my pillows, stuck on the sub frame…you name it…the tool could reappear absolutely anywhere.

Its honestly comical in a dark sort of way…and as much as I want to accuse and blame someone (and believe me I do try), I know its just me doing what I do and I will do it again haha

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My teenage son

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It is called a mischievous lepreachun AKA the Irish trixter.

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That one is called Murphy in my house.

Murphy’s Law, subsection 2; Your ability to find the tool you need is in inverse proportion to how badly you need that ONE tool.

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In my house it was always the kid you never saw (whose name was not me) whenever you ask the kid’s who used or saw whatever you are looking for they always say not me.

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I don’t know about your family tree but there is defintily a Murphy in mine.

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Sometime long ago I found that it is a useless waste of time to desperately search for a tool. It is far better to just jump in on a complete clean up of the shop putting everything where it belongs. When the tool you need is located get back to the job in progress and realize all the future frustrations from missing tools that were avoided with each tool that was properly put away instead of kicking it out of the way on a dedicated search.

But I’ll throw this in. The missing tool was usually one that had no designated place to store it. Chisels, picks, punches, drifts, etc were my most common missing tools. And when you need a tapered brass drift and nothing else will do there’s just no guessing where it might be.

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I have had missing tools return to me a year or more later. It was right where I left it, under the hood of someone else’s vehicle.

Sure I tried to blame someone, anyone else… But again… I knew who it was.

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Next time you try to blame someone look in a mirrow.

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I only recall losing one tool under a customers hood. It was a very long screw driver that I had used to pick the hood latch open due to a broken release cable and months later when the car was in for maintenance my mechanic found it and held it up saying “are you still looking for this?” And vice grips of every style and size seem to have been the most common tool that I have found left under hoods and dashes and in doors.

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Your wife hid it because you didn’t buy her flowers lately.

On a serious note, that’s why you use a tool chest with shadow boxes to store your tools. That’s what we do at work. QA checks the tool boxes at the end of every shift and rats out on you if any tools are missing.

At my last job, I was the FOD Father.

I have found that the easiest place to lose a tool is at pick a part

Let’s just say some of the customers there have very low morals

I’ve lain under a car removing parts, while at the same time some scum bag ran up and stole some of my tools . . . which were right next to me. The guy took off and ran

It’s kind of hard to recognize somebody, when you’re under a vehicle. All you see are a pair of blue jeans. I crawled out from under the car as quick as possible, but I was never sure where the guy took off to, and I didn’t feel like accusing the wrong guy of being a low down dirty thief, human parasite, waste of oxygen no redeeming qualities whatsoever, etc. :rage:

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Just say the Saint Anthony prayer. Always works for
me.

I had a friend that worked on cars with me years ago, we quickly realized, that I knew more about cars than he did and worked out a system to maximize our efforts.

I did all the wrenching and he watched me like a hawk and noted where I set down every tool and handed it to me when I asked for it.

This tripled my production. I once lost a 15" Crescent wrench working in the rear of an 80 " driveway with no one else around.

Heh heh heh. Here you go. “Dear St. Anthony please come around my (blank) is lost and it cannot be found.” You can repeat it several times if you want.

I know it’s not your thing but a bunch of us Lutherans were on a trip in Europe and we had one Catholic with us. She lost her phone and taught us all the prayer. Never heard of it before. By the end of the day her phone was found. We’ve used it a number of times since then and it’s amazing that it works about 80% of the time. Who knows why?

The thing is when you get to my age I can’t remember if I found the dang thing or not though. Looking for something a couple weeks ago and I think I found it but just can’t remember. Usually after you go buy another one it shows up. I’m still looking for my brick chisel though. A new one is about $7 and use it once every couple years so I’ve held off.

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I cant prove it but i think St Tony and the Gremlins are in cahoots… Playing a version of Good Cop, Bad Cop via an alternate dimension.

Tony never returned any of my goods…Probably because I was the idiot behind the whole “losing the item”…maybe, just maybe Tony can help if there is an actual other player involved with nefarious intent? Hmmm

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The worst part is that I always find the tool I need after I have given up and gone out to buy another one. This is why I own 4 caulk guns.

… Anyone wanna buy a caulk gun? :wink:

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