Best way to mark or engrave tools so they don't wander off?

[magicsmoke]

I need to mark some tools in my lab so that they don't wander off to other labs.

How do you mark your tools?

Is there a recommended way to mark tools or perhaps engrave them?

[lapm]

Theres no such way that would prevent wondering of tools... Best practise, clearly market place for everything... and quick daily sweep if something is missing..

[Richard Crowley]

For tools as well as for home-made cables, connector adapters, etc. I commonly use a distinctive color of heat-shrink tubing (yellow is MY color). And then I use a "Sharpie" indelible marker pen to put my name on it.  The bright color makes it easy for me to identify MY stuff, and the writing on the tubing lets other people know whose it is.

[gilbenl]

How do you mark your tools?

With the blood of the last guy who took them without asking.


Paint pens are also good. Same logic as above poster as far as color choice. "Girly" colors work well. My 2mL and 1uL micropipetters are hot pink and they've never wandered off.

[TheEPROM9]

Scoring or melting initials in might be handy.

Also people hate using chewed pens, so chewing the screwdrivers might deswade anyone from touching them.

[PeterFW]

Same logic as above poster as far as color choice. "Girly" colors work well.

That worked nicely for me in the past.
Not one of my neon green or slightly pink cables ever vanished.

Greetings,
Peter

[ivan747]

How do you mark your tools?

With the blood of the last guy who took them without asking.


Paint pens are also good. Same logic as above poster as far as color choice. "Girly" colors work well. My 2mL and 1uL micropipetters are hot pink and they've never wandered off.

Liiiiiiike soooo:



It is actually a good idea.

I personally do not like permanent marks on my test equipment, it decreases their value, but for something like a screw driver or a trusty multimeter, yes, I would probably mark them because I won't ever sell them. I don't usually loan my valuable stuff to people without my supervision. If someone "borrows" my oscilloscope, it's because I must be drunk and high (which I never am!).

 And if someone takes my scope without permission, it's almost stealing, okay? One does not simply "borrow" or messes with expensive things like that without asking. One of the basic things you learn at home and/or preschool is not to take other peoples stuff without asking. Stay away from people who do that.

[tautech]

Take your pick:
Engraver, number & letter stamps, paint, stickers, cable identifiers, coloured shink sleeve, grinder marks, file marks, hot poker marks and permanent sharpie.
And any combination of the above.

Add threats of bodily harm and you should be OK. 

[magicsmoke]

Any particular recommendations for engravers?

[GreyWoolfe]

Tautech, red hot poker?  Where, the tools or past thieves?   I don't mark my stuff as I do not lend my tools. 

[tautech]

Any particular recommendations for engravers?

Depends on what finish you want.
A rotary engraver has the benefit of removing material for a well defined mark.
A reciprocating engraver is my prefence for chrome tools, spanners etc.

Tautech, red hot poker?  Where, the tools or past thieves?   I don't mark my stuff as I do not lend my tools. 

In the absence of a rotary engraver a hot poker machine leaves a good mark on plastics.
Easily made with some stiff Nichrome or Constantan wire, a suitable handle and a PSU.

[Smith]

We use a lot of Dymo labels (visible and invisible!). Electronic stuff is labelled with labels that are a pain te remove. Most expensive stuff is stored in drawers / closets. Not only to lock it, but also so not everyone can see what "potentially nice to have/use" stuff we have.

Besides that if ANYONE touches my or my colegues tools without asking be warned! The last one who did had a lot of angry phone calls afterwards. Needles to say he will NEVER do it again. Its to bad it works like this, but some people are just to lazy/stuck up to ask  or will probably never return what you lend.

[Neganur]

Locking them away after use. Never lend them out, never leave them unattended.
As for bigger tools like bench meters, bolt them down

I use a pink usb cable at work to charge my phone...I've been asked if I have an identity crisis but the cable never disappears.

But in my experience, if you have to go around and search other peoples toolboxes or the downstairs lab, heat shrink etc does not cut it. Use engraving tools (dremel if you must) to write some letters, use this anti-theft paint that can't be removed or physically damage plastic parts etc. At least you will be able to find (and be able tp prove) that the tools don't belong there.

And in reality, it won't stop the tools from walking away anyway. It's a matter of ethics, just like there's always that someone who doesn't know what a toilet brush is used for.
If you don't own the tool you can't claim it (who paid for it? why do you bring your own tools?) It's unbelievable how damaging this is for work relationships.
Even when I had to explain my boss that yes, it is a big deal if I have to go for half an hour to gather the tools I need to do a 10 min thing.

It's not worth the trouble. If it isn't a company rule already, be very careful with what you try to accomplish.

[CosPhi]

First mark ALL things with your (shiny) color. I use shrink tube and for everything else color spray. My experience say, the people are to lazy to remove things like shrink tube or insulation tape. A soldering iron works also well to engrave ... The thing with "girly color" works because it's shiny and everybody know who is the owner. I work since years on different places and there has been at least one women in my team.


Second, don't let your tools lie around, even if it's late in the evening. That's an invitation for everyone.


Third, allways check before you leave all your tools and when you are comming. If every tools has it's place it's done in seconds.


Since I work since over 1,5 years in my actual company now, I lost nothing, even I work sometimes on the bench in the workshop and sometimes outside in the factory. But everybody know, if (s)he take my tools I'll cut there hands. But most others don't care, also the company not ... just write what you need on a paper and you'll get it on Wednesday. But even that's to much work for some ... so they work (more or less) well with 50% of the tools.

On my old company I lost a more tools, but  I worked with much more people. I know working with some people .. you can't even look so fast all things ... don't wander off , just RUN away.

[kolonelkadat]

Im partial to using a dremel with a flex shaft and an engraving bit. (if for no other reason than it's what I have) A lot of times, I will engrave the inside of the case as well as the outside. That way even if they remove the outer engraving with abrasives, I still have a good chance to prove it's mine when I call the cops.

If the item is one of something everyone has,(eg a ti graphing calculator in an american highschool), it gets a couple of coats of Lamborghini yellow.

Im not a fan of pink as pink opens the door for a flood of sexual harassment horseshit. It's not that I mind being called "queer" or whatever, but that a third party might overhear it and complain that they were offended. Next thing you know, you've been fired and put on trial for committing a hate crime.   

[Pjotr]

Theres no such way that would prevent wondering of tools...

Arrange that everybody around you has enough tools for their own use and paint your own ones pink helps a lot 

I have once visited a lab where everybody had to buy their own basic tools at their own cost. It's not my way of managing but it helped a lot. Fluke multi meters didn't vanish without notice any more.

m not a fan of pink as pink opens the door for a flood of sexual harassment horseshit. It's not that I mind being called "queer" or whatever, but that a third party might overhear it and complain that they were offended. Next thing you know, you've been fired and put on trial for committing a hate crime.

In that case use dark brown with white stripes over it

[funkyant]

This really annoys me that we need to do this.

I recently found a maintenance guy opening paint tins with my marked 'favourite electrical screwdriver', which he just helped himself to out of my toolbox.

Then there was the incident where a gardener cut my $1000 static climbing rope into 2 meter pieces and used it to tie back tree branches...

There was a lot of yelling.

[GreyWoolfe]

Thank God I am a remote field technician.  No sharing of tools going on. Well, except with SWMBO    She will raid the toolbox in the office.  At least she knows not to touch my tool bag if I bring it in from my company van to work on company equipment.