# "That's not a real tool!"



## chrislovo (Feb 23, 2009)

What items do you have in your bag/truck that you might not ordinarily find in a bag? Things that have been re-purposed to get the job done?

I have a few... 

Tennis ball with a zip-tie through it, to toss string through ceilings. Its a conversation starter every time that I use it. 

Dog nail clippers (the scissor kind).... they rip through CAT 5, and the point doesn't break or dull when I drop them on a concrete floor. 

2 lb hammer, the handle is shaved off half-way down and I screwed a hook in there for hanging it. Its heavy enough to get a good whack at walls, J-hooks, etc, small enough to stuff in my bag or back pocket.


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## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

I have some pencil rods that are used for hanging hat track for ceilings....I cut them down to about a foot long, penciled the ends and they work great lining up bus of switchgear.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Half a basketball with a small hole in the middle........Dust collector for drilling recess light holes in ceilingsl. ....... And I use cat5E cutters to cut my dogs nails.....


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## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

I also hang onto a shaft from a discarded Klein 10-in-1 driver....makes a neat "extension" w/a wrap of tape on another Klein 10-in-1 driver.


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

White out, for re-labeling old panels.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I welded a hole saw mandrel on a 1/2" RMC coupling and welded a 7/16" hex bar on another 1/2" RMC coupling. I can screw whatever size RMC/IMC pipe in between to make a really long hole saw extension whatever length it needs to be. Sorry, no pictures tonight.


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## electricista (Jan 11, 2009)

A swivel mirror with a handle to see around corners or up inside a wall. Used it today to attach a cable to a hydromassage tub. The control cable was on the far side of the motor. It worked great.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

Speedy Petey said:


> White out, for re-labeling old panels.


 
Good one, beats tape like I do.


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## electro916 (Jan 16, 2009)

Bkessler said:


> Half a basketball with a small hole in the middle........Dust collector for drilling recess light holes in ceilingsl.



I used a empty jet line bucket and did the same thing, woks great especially when cutting recessed lights in from above the ceiling in a church with a 50ft ceiling. 

I also have some mason string with 2' of jack chain on the end and made a wall-walker.


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## Minuteman (Dec 29, 2007)

Bkessler said:


> Half a basketball with a small hole in the middle........Dust collector for drilling recess light holes in ceilingsl. ....... And I use cat5E cutters to cut my dogs nails.....


And all I have is the Elco EL6000 Adjustable Hole Saw.

Cuts 2" to 8 1/4" hole

Accylic dust bowl.

Can cut drywall, Plywood,Plaster and acrylic sheeting up to 7/8" thick (1 3/4" thick if opposite side can also be drilled)

For cutting aluminum, brass and metal sheet up to 1/16" thick.

Minimum cutting diameter 2"

Maximun Cutting diameter 8 1/4"


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Big honkin' speaker magnet.

Place in a paper bag, and stick it on the inside of a panelboard I'm drilling a hole in. Magnet catches all the filings, then I just pull the magnet out of the bag and let all the little pieces fall away.


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

480sparky said:


> Big honkin' speaker magnet.
> 
> Place in a paper bag, and stick it on the inside of a panelboard I'm drilling a hole in. Magnet catches all the filings, then I just pull the magnet out of the bag and let all the little pieces fall away.


ive seen a product called the funky bag. i tried to order one but i cant figure out how. it does the same thing as that


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

here it is http://www.thefunkybag.com/index.php


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## Yillis (Apr 21, 2008)

Hey, she works with us... >.<


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## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

Yillis said:


> Hey, she works with us... >.<


LOL

:laughing:


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

With or For?


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## slowforthecones (Sep 13, 2008)

that funky bag is a laugh. I don't like buying expensive tools that are toys. I'm happy with a shopvac while drilling or a salad bowl.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

electricalperson said:


> ive seen a product called the funky bag. i tried to order one but i cant figure out how. it does the same thing as that


Wierd. They call them funky bags. I call them paper sacks.







 
Left-over Mickey-Ds bags from lunch yesterday, newspapers, even 8½x11 sheets of paper suffice.

Best of all, they're free.


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

A good piece of cardboard,trimmed to fit. Snaps right in and frees up both hands.:thumbsup:


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## paul d. (Jul 13, 2008)

what leland said


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

Speedy Petey said:


> White out, for re-labeling old panels.


I carry that as well.


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## KayJay (Jan 20, 2008)

16” and 24” Simpson insulation support wires, for feeler bits and
Liquid Paper brand white out tape, for the same purpose as mentioned by others.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

Rare earth magnets........make great stud finders. I bought 40 of em of ebay for 20 bucks and you just slide em around till you find the screw and leave it their. You can put 3-4 on each joists and it makes laying out recess lights real easy. As long as it's not plaster. 

Had some home owner believe they werr wood magnets.


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## tkb (Jan 21, 2009)

I have a strong magnet about 1" square.
Hold it in your palm and move your hand across a wall with metal studs and the magnet will stick to the wall where the stud is.
Best stud finder there is for metal studs.

edit: not quick enough I see.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

tkb said:


> I have a strong magnet about 1" square.
> Hold it in your palm and move your hand across a wall with metal studs and the magnet will stick to the wall where the stud is.
> Best stud finder there is for metal studs.



And wood studs too! I put a tad of blue tape on my so not to mark up the walls and ceilings.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

this is a tool, but i dont use it for what its made for. autozone carries a multi star socket tool. little known, this thing also works very well for security screws. not sure how much you guys deal with that. 

also, a piece of garden hose for preventing wire burn when pulling through drop ceiling. just cut the on one side, and slide it over the metal


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## iaov (Apr 14, 2008)

I carry several hunks of coat hanger that I use as drill bits for locating walls,etc.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

mikeh32 said:


> this is a tool, but i dont use it for what its made for. autozone carries a multi star socket tool. little known, this thing also works very well for security screws. not sure how much you guys deal with that.
> 
> also, a piece of garden hose for preventing wire burn when pulling through drop ceiling. just cut the on one side, and slide it over the metal


I have done the same thing for junction boxes, but I used some carflex... I think thats about all its good for.

~Matt


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## Mike_586 (Mar 24, 2009)

I have about 20' of a fine chain that I use whenever doing drops in uninsulated walls with a lead weight. I find that in most situations it works far better than a fish tape.

I also carry a small, but really strong magnet that I use for a bunch of different things i.e. finding studs, catching metal shavings when drilling, etc. 

Another I keep in my tool box is a small piece of ceiling tile. It works as great eraser for getting sharpie writing off boxes that need to be re-labeled/corrected.


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## redbeard43 (Mar 20, 2009)

i use a dental mirror for looking inside light poles (up or down), a visor mirror to work on furdown fixtures that you cant get your head in close enough, jack chain to drop down block walls, mason blades for jig or sawzall, mason string, i dont have one all the time is an empty bucket with a rope to bring materials to the roof if needed. just to name a few.


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## Mastertorturer (Jan 28, 2009)

Coiled #18 that's taped which I use as an electromagnet for my flat screw driver. Just something I threw together in my truck.


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## Jeff000 (Jun 18, 2008)

Mike_586 said:


> I also carry a small, but really strong magnet that I use for a bunch of different things i.e. finding studs, catching metal shavings when drilling, etc.


If its strong enough magnet you can use it to pull a washer on a string down an insulated wall too :thumbsup:


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## GEORGE D (Apr 2, 2009)

a clear bag with some thumb tacks for cutting out holes in popcorn ceilings for light boxes, can lights, etc... just tack the bag up around the soon to be hole,leaving your saw inside. Then grag your saw from the outside of the bag and cut away dust free. sure beats bringing a vacuum or asking customer for one.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

GEORGE D said:


> a clear bag with some thumb tacks for cutting out holes in popcorn ceilings for light boxes, can lights, etc... just tack the bag up around the soon to be hole,leaving your saw inside. Then grag your saw from the outside of the bag and cut away dust free. sure beats bringing a vacuum or asking customer for one.


 
:thumbsup: I like that one.


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