The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-05-17
TOO MANY TOOLS.

There is a possibility OF owning, or
rather acquiring, too many tools. Not
withstanding the propriety of possessing
tools sufficient to do ones work properly,
it approaches absurdity when a man has
tools in triplicate.
For instance, we have In mind me-
chanic, an ordinary by.the-day man,
who had several boxes full of Junk
made and purchased at odd times.
Junk is an appropriate name, too, for
such stuff as rats, mice old files,
worn-out augers, bits, plane irons and
the like.
The man in question Is one OF the
what.you may call it kind, who never
has a place for anything and never
keeps it there. Having, as l said, sew
eral boxes, he would semi periodically
dump the whole mess into them, hit and
miss, and when wanting any particular
one would carefully lay them all out on
the floor until he came to the one he
needed. Those on the floor lay there
until one of his irregular fits of neatness
came on again, unless the mill hands
wanted some and took them.
When a man has so many tools that
he cannot take care of them properly
and do little work in between times,
he has too many. Time to dump some
into the tail race. Certain tools are
wanted about once in seventeen years
at ordinary mill work, and such ones
should not be kept to litter up shop and
chest. | want a special chisel for few
hours work on chance job, go and
make it,, must l then keep it until
needed again?
The rule answers yes, the exception
no, and dealing with the exception will
say, better work that tool over into the
next one needed.
What is the use of a man keeping 80
much trash about him? Better dispose
of it and invest in few thoroughly
good modern ones.
A man of the kind mentioned keeps
his chest in about as chaotic a condition
as possible, too. Usually two or three
boxes (they are not worthy of the name
drawers) with a heterogeneous con-
glomeration of bits, chisels, punches and
the like. No dividing partitions there
in; the tools may jumble and be jun
bled together without the least regard
for their cutting edges.
How much better it is to have chest
nicely partitioned off into compartments
for each particular tool. When one is
wanted it is right to hand, and after use
is returned to place ready for next time.
How much time is saved by exercising
little system in this direction.
True, 1t is but little matter for me
chanic to begin on; mechanics time
and pay is but little thing, yet he
wishes to increase it, for his own bene-
fit if nothing else, and this is one good
way of doing it. Do not litter up and
hamper yourself with lot of worthless
tools. You can do more work with
fewer and better ones, save more money
out of your wages and prove more val
liable to your employer,
Borrowers and other shiftless people
have no regard for an old half-worn
tool, and not much for better one, yet
they will hesitate to ask for fine tool
sometimes.
have heard orders given like the fol-
lowing: Go and get one from j; he
has half a dozen and the whole kit is
not as good as a decent oue, so no mat
ter if you spoil one of his. This is a
constant encouragement for tool bor-
rowers. 1t does not pay to have toe
many tools. They cost money to get,
time to care for and look after when the
borrower is around and are worse than
worthless to the owner. They are a
positive curse to him. Manufacturer
Gazette.