# Get a tool "check-in" procedure for your shop



## BobWarfield (Feb 7, 2008)

I like new toys as well as the next guy, so I try to take reasonable care of them. Towards that end, i've adopted a standardized "check-in" procedure for my shop. When a tool arrives, it is logged into an Excel spreadsheet. I have pages for tooling, consumables (cutters, abrasives, fluids, etc.), and stock (aluminum, steel, bearings, etc.). I don't anything more than the description, date received, cost, any shipping cost, and if it's from a seller that may have more I record the seller. So, one-off eBay items I don't bother, but Enco and eBay sellers that keep selling the same item are logged in case I want to go back and buy more of something. Another thing I started doing that's useful: Every 6-12 months I scan the list and highlight items I remember using. This gives me an idea of what things I bought that I have never used.

Once the items are logged into the spreadsheet, the next step is cleaning and rust protection. I clean any cosmolene (or other gummy residue) off with kerosene. That makes the tools shinier, but it also exposes them to potential rust. So I immediately wipe them down with a rust-preventative. I like Break Free, which is used by the US military and others as a firearm protectant.







Last step is to find the tool a home. It needs to live somewhere I'll think to look for, and it needs a permanent home, not just a spot on a big pile of disimilar things. Try a check-in procedure at your shop. It'll help you to be organized and it'll help protect your tooling. In my shop, the tooling has rapidly become the lion's share of my investment. In other words, I've spent more on tooling than machines. You'd be surprised at how easy this is to do, so why not invest in a little TLC for that tooling?


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## te_gui (Feb 7, 2008)

If you use a shared computer with your spouse, you might want to give the file a very non-specific file name and hide any hard copies in a safe place. No sense giving them any more ammo


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## BobWarfield (Feb 7, 2008)

te_gui, I'm afraid it's much worse than you can imagine. I am married to an accountant. She does all the bills, sees all the credit cards, and hands me whatever little cash I have to carry around. The only "off the books" transactions are when I sell something and get a PayPal balance.

Fortunately, she's very generous in letting me play with my toys!

Best,

BW


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