Keeping track

Tag time:
Before lending a tool, write your name on a stick-on label and affix it to the handle. The label will serve as a reminder to the borrower to return the tool when the job is done.

Permanent ID:
Another way to identify your tools permanently (and discourage thieves in the process) is to inscribe your name on them with an electric engraver.

Show your colours:
If you are working with a partner on a job and are using similar tools, code them with colored tape so there’ll be no mix-ups at -the end of the day. Using reflective tape provides an added advantage. A mislaid tool is easier to spot by day and, with a flashlight, by night.

Rust busting

A measure of prevention:
Moisture in the air invites rust, and if moist air gets into a tool box, it corrodes the tools. One way to keep the air in your tool box dry is to drop in some packets of silica gel, sold at craft shops, or sometimes available free in the packing of new products. Once the silica gel becomes saturated you can renew its effectiveness by placing it near a lit 60 watt light bulb for 15 minutes.

Two more measures of prevention:
Other effective moisture absorbers that keep the contents of your tool box rust-free are a handful of mothballs and a cube of camphor (sold at local pharmacies). Because camphor loses its effectiveness, after about six months, you’ll have to replace the cube twice a year.

The brush-off:
If your tools do become corroded, you’ll find that a wire brush is useful for scrubbing off the rust. To make your own sturdy brush, all you need is a strip of bronze window screening and a screw cap from a bottle of laundry detergent. First, make a fringe of wire ‘bristles’ at one edge of the screening by cutting three rows of horizontal wire strands. Then roll up the screening tightly, secure it with wire, and wedge it firmly in the cap.

Wonderful bar:
A moulded rubber and silicon carbide bar works like an eraser to clean and polish metal that’s become dirty and corroded. To clean a tool, just rub the bar over the surface and wipe off the dust. You can use it dry or wet (with water, oil or detergent). These light-weight flexible bars are sold through major tool and woodworking outlets.