Engraving Your Tools

[woodman_412]

I just released a new video "Engraving Your Tools with Professional Results".  It shows how to engrave your name on your tools with a method that looks professional and is consistent from tool to tool.  I have used this method on all of my power tools, hand tools and accessories to permanently mark them. It has come in handy multiple times on site when there's a question about which tool belongs to who. Hope you find it helpful.

 

[Peter_C]

Nice way of doing it. Using your name is about all that is considered safe these days. Social security number is the only thing that stays with you for life, but with identity theft rising it should be protected. Drivers license number can change if you move out of state and ten years later the DMV "forgets" the number.

Pretty much all of my automotive tools are engraved. The shop I worked at got broken into. They killed power and waited until the battery backup was dead during a holiday. Broke in and took their time going thru everyone's tool boxes as we typically left them unlocked. They unloaded the guy next to me, and didn't touch my tools [big grin] Took the shop computer, a very expensive Porsche scanner, and an older Porsche, even though there were far nicer late models for the taking, all with the keys in them.

 

[demographic]

I work on building sites, often with a few unskilled people* I don't know kicking about on the sites so I engrave pretty much everything with my name and postcode in an area where it would never wear off naturally, generally in a recess.

Also I often put a stripe of paint on them and the box in a particular colour so it can be seen from a good distance.

*Hate to say it but I regard unskilled workers as a higher risk as skilled people often realise just how hard I've worked to afford the tools and skilled trades have more to lose if they get caught stealing.

 

[thedude306]

Thanks Dan....  Another thing my OCD now needs to get around to doing!  Love the idea. 

 

[demographic]

Oh and another thing, worth paying particular attention to engraving batteries and chargers if you work on sites a lot.
Often the only place to charge batteries up is in the site cabin (especially on UK sites where the chargers are mains voltage and site power leads are all 110) and there's a lot of people in and out of those cabins.
Sometimes the apprentice gets sent to pick up the batteries for his mentor and won't know for sure what belongs to who and just chucks whatever he can find into the van.

I don't think there are many thieves on sites, but there's a good few people who just aren't sure what belongs to who so accidents happen. Engraving all tools cuts down on almost all of those accidents and even the thieves are far less inclined to steal tools and batteries that are well marked.
Just using permanent marker isn't good enough either because that comes right off with a wipe from a Colorfill worktop solvent impregnated tissue.

 

[woodman_412]

Oh and another thing, worth paying particular attention to engraving batteries and chargers if you work on sites a lot.
Often the only place to charge batteries up is in the site cabin (especially on UK sites where the chargers are mains voltage and site power leads are all 110) and there's a lot of people in and out of those cabins.
Sometimes the apprentice gets sent to pick up the batteries for his mentor and won't know for sure what belongs to who and just chucks whatever he can find into the van.

I don't think there are many thieves on sites, but there's a good few people who just aren't sure what belongs to who so accidents happen. Engraving all tools cuts down on almost all of those accidents and even the thieves are far less inclined to steal tools and batteries that are well marked.
Just using permanent marker isn't good enough either because that comes right off with a wipe from a Colorfill worktop solvent impregnated tissue.

That's a good point about batteries and chargers.  They are definitely items that are easy to get mixed up with other peoples on site especially like you said if there is one central charging spot.  It's great when there is no question what belongs to you if everything is marked properly. I've seen a lot of people that use marker like you mentioned too and it will easily wipe off with lacquer thinner too.

 

[woodman_412]

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