My Vise-Grips are MIA

NUTTSGT · Jun 8, 2012

I think they are gone. . . . forever. As I worked on my step-dad's trailer, I needed them. I went to grab them and they are gone. I searched for 20 minutes and can't find them. The last time I used them that I can remember was taking the standing seam roof off the back of the garage. I even climbed back on the roof to see if I left them up there.

The only thing I can think of, is they were still clamped onto a piece of the roofing when I scrapped it. So I may have gotten scrap price for my made in the USA Vise-Grips. Damn, what a pisser. :sad:

They're probably on there way to china to come back as another pair of crappy vise-grips. I wanna kick myself square in the nuts if that's where they went.

FOUND ! See post #23

Trucky · Jun 9, 2012

Man that's just terrible. I HATE losing tools like that, especially if they're not widely available anymore. If you want some new ones, maybe the pics in my "old tool store" thread have the one you lost in them? I buy and ship things at-cost to folks who want something from the store, and you could do the same thing if you'd like.

battlegraduate09 · Jun 9, 2012

sorry to hear, there has been a lot of thefts at the shop lately. yes i know, totally different subject but losing tools is never a good thing.

NUTTSGT · Jun 9, 2012

Trucky said:
Man that's just terrible. I HATE losing tools like that, especially if they're not widely available anymore. If you want some new ones, maybe the pics in my "old tool store" thread have the one you lost in them? I buy and ship things at-cost to folks who want something from the store, and you could do the same thing if you'd like.

Thanks, I'm still holding out hoping (not trying to be the true pessimist the wife says I am) that they are around somewhere. It keeps going through my mind that I remember sitting them down somewhere. . . . but where ? :willy_nil

LutzTD · Jun 9, 2012

NUTTSGT said:
Thanks, I'm still holding out hoping (not trying to be the true pessimist the wife says I am) that they are around somewhere. It keeps going through my mind that I remember sitting them down somewhere. . . . but where ?

could be worse, you could hit them with the mower and shoot them through a neighbors window, hows that for pessimism

camarotoolman · Jun 9, 2012

Nieghbor kid that got a drug problem? The the one that you've been helping out and giving stuff to. He got me for a go cart, muncie 4 speed, gear wrenches, pistol, and who knows what else. Don't let kids around your garage.

FunkyfullWidth · Jun 9, 2012

I left a pair of vice grips on top of our screener once. Must have passed 600 yards through the thing, then while inspecting it one day I found them, not clamped to anything just hangin out. Brushed them off.... good as new. Cleaner, if anything...

It's a shame to lose a good pair of vice grips though...

BWS · Jun 9, 2012

Theres a really nice drill motor somewhere in our duct system here at the house.......haha.

And BTDT on the mower........dumbazz youngins were draggin car parts around the yard.You know,typical diaper wearin,snotnose and frame rail sections........Busted the hub out of a big,Woods finishing mower.

Me,trying to get answers from them was pretty entertaining to wifey?

Dakota00 · Jun 9, 2012

When I was doing my bathroom reno last year. My tape measure disappeared, I tore the house up side down at least 2-3 times. I never found it, I figure it would turn up one of these days, it never happened. The only place it might be is behind a wall I drywalled.

NUTTSGT · Jun 9, 2012

LutzTD said:
could be worse, you could hit them with the mower and shoot them through a neighbors window, hows that for pessimism

I mowed the yard the other day so I knew they weren't laying out there somewhere but I still looked. I even looked after dark with a flashlight hoping to see them shining in the dark.

73super · Jun 9, 2012

I always seem to misplace vice grips. Every once in awhile I'll take a time out for my projects to look for missing tools. Usually end up finding them and sticking them all back in a drawer until I need them again...... after which I end up losing them again.. oh a viscous cycle indeed.

NUTTSGT · Jun 9, 2012

camarotoolman said:
Nieghbor kid that got a drug problem? The the one that you've been helping out and giving stuff to. He got me for a go cart, muncie 4 speed, gear wrenches, pistol, and who knows what else. Don't let kids around your garage.

Nobody comes around my garage except a few adult neighbors older than me. My own daughters rarely come out when they are home.

I even asked Ashley (oldest daughter)if she borrowed them without asking. She laughed and said she knows better than that. . . . . . good girl. :thumbup:

allinon72 · Jun 9, 2012

I can get you a pair of 7" USA vice grips, either with cushion grip or without.

NUTTSGT · Jun 9, 2012

allinon72 said:
I can get you a pair of 7" USA vice grips, either with cushion grip or without.

Thanks for the offer, I am going to spend some time looking again today.

Kevin54 · Jun 9, 2012

Don't do like I did. I was working on the roof and had a brand new hammer. Lost it.

I looked all over for the damn thing and could not find it. The only place I didn't look was on the roof, so I started to climb the ladder. The roof was the second place I hadn't looked. I had stopped for lunch and I always had a bad habit of hanging my hammer on the ladder. Getting hit square on the head by a hammer falling about 14' up hurts like a SOB!!!!!!! :shocking:

I quit hanging the hammer on the ladder after that :spit:

kenners · Jun 9, 2012

I've got a foxtail and dustpan that I seem to have temporarily lost out in the shed.

bad_idea · Jun 9, 2012

This is a perfect reason to buy 17 more pairs of vise grips. You can never have too many pairs of vise grips! I have 5 or 6 at work and another 7 or 8 at home. Whenever I see them cheap at a flea market or yard sale I buy them up. Not that I lose them, more that I tend to use a fist full of them when fitting up steel for welding. Ask Jack Olsen, you can never have too many clamps.

I hope you find your lonely pair though, I know how frustrating it can be to be missing something.

Gary S · Jun 9, 2012

That's frustrating.

I'm the onlyperson who uses my tools, so when one is missing, I know who to blame.....ME.

Last week I needed my linemans pliers. I went to the toolbox, and it wasn't in its drawer. So, I sat down and thought about when I last used it. I remembered that I used it about a month ago putting in some new chain link fence. While I was doing that, I piled all the fence parts and tools on the floor in the garage by the door. So, I went there and moved the old oil jugs that sit there, and there was my linemans pliers. It is now back in the drawer where it belongs and I'm happy again.

brownbagg · Jun 9, 2012

i rather loose a tool that I have no idea where it went, than drop the socket someplace that it will never come out. you know where it is but all you can do it stare at the hole

Outlawmws · Jun 9, 2012

brownbagg said:
i rather loose a tool that I have no idea where it went, than drop the socket someplace that it will never come out. you know where it is but all you can do it stare at the hole

Magnet on a stick...

bgott · Jun 9, 2012

i rather loose a tool that I have no idea where it went, than drop the socket someplace that it will never come out. you know where it is but all you can do it stare at the hole

That's one of the reasons that I bought a borescope.

Charlie9000 · Jun 9, 2012

Some times it's not a good thing to find lost tools. Years ago I misplaced a rechargeable flashlight at the hanger. I looked everywhere, it was gone. About 3 months later, long after I gave up hope of finding it, the Transportation Safety Board returned it to me in person. They found it melted into the exhaust of one of the engines on an aircraft that had just crashed! Lucky for me, it was determined to not be a contributing factor in bring down the plane, just a bad coincedence.

NUTTSGT · Jun 9, 2012

kenners said:
I've got a foxtail and dustpan that I seem to have temporarily lost out in the shed.

Well talk about irony. . . . .

As a I searched this morning and asked the neighbors who had stopped by, I kept looking. I looked and looked, thinking outside the box, cabinet in teh bathroom and in the garage fridge, nothing.

Till I looked up. . . .

sitting right in the dust pan. . .

amaes · Jun 9, 2012

I gave up a set last year at the Mint 400. Our truck came in with a broken brake line so clamped it shut with my vise grips and duct taped them on the break line to the axle housing. Last time I ever saw those.

NUTTSGT · Jun 9, 2012

Charlie9000 said:
Some times it's not a good thing to find lost tools. Years ago I misplaced a rechargeable flashlight at the hanger. I looked everywhere, it was gone. About 3 months later, long after I gave up hope of finding it, the Transportation Safety Board returned it to me in person. They found it melted into the exhaust of one of the engines on an aircraft that had just crashed! Lucky for me, it was determined to not be a contributing factor in bring down the plane, just a bad coincedence.

A few years back one of the fire dept about 45 minutes from here had problems with the pump on their fire engine,it started to clang and bang, making all sorts of noise before they got it shut down. Seems that somebody at the factory was missing a pair of channellocks.

Gary S · Jun 9, 2012

Outlawmws said:
Magnet on a stick...

That's why computers have hard drives. Hard drives will die.........just be patient. When they do, they will donate the best magnets money can buy. All you have to do is take your tiny torx screwdrivers and disassemble the drive to recover those great magnets.
And, the magnets have mounting holes so you can attach them to a stick with a screw.

:drool:

NUTTSGT · Jun 9, 2012

For those of you wondering, I had the dust pan on the roof, sweeping up some of the rotted and water damaged roof decking.

Yes, I still have a smile on my face. :bounce:

truckman5000 · Jun 9, 2012

I do hvac for a living.

I lost 2 brand new 1st time used pliers. Never knew were they went.

8 years latter, got a call. No a/c, so pulled into the drive. Like oh i remember this place. Opened up the unit. Sitting inside were 2 8 year old rusty channel locks. lol :shocking:

koditten · Jun 9, 2012

I'm 2 pair to the good.

Picked up a VW Jetta sedan a few years ago, had a nasty thump from the rear when you went over moderately large bumps. Lifted it and found a pair clamped to each rear strut shaft. No more clunk and 2 pair of USA vice grips.

Lucky me.

KO

NUTTSGT · Jun 9, 2012

koditten said:
I'm 2 pair to the good.

Picked up a VW Jetta sedan a few years ago, had a nasty thump from the rear when you went over moderately large bumps. Lifted it and found a pair clamped to each rear strut shaft. No more clunk and 2 pair of USA vice grips.

Lucky me.

KO

I smell a rose. . . . :lol_hitti

bad_idea · Jun 9, 2012

Glad to hear you found them. Now go buy 16 more pairs to beef up the collection!

NUTTSGT · Jun 10, 2012

bad_idea said:
Glad to hear you found them. Now go buy 16 more pairs to beef up the collection!

I try to look for them when I go to swap meets (USA made) but what I generally find are ones that are beat on.

BD1 · Jun 10, 2012

Glad you found them. It's always the last placed you look too !
Working on farm implement in my field and lost a NEW pair of 440 channel locks. It was dark and discing . Well years later spotted them. The jaws are still NEW but have a real funny finish .

NUTTSGT · Jun 10, 2012

BD1 said:
Glad you found them. It's always the last placed you look too !
Working on farm implement in my field and lost a NEW pair of 440 channel locks. It was dark and discing . Well years later spotted them. The jaws are still NEW but have a real funny finish .

Thanks. I kept looking as I thought to myself, there's no way that I had left them clamped to a piece of roofing. . . . just a matter of looking and :headscrat

Jawn · Jun 10, 2012

I had a set of vise grips my oldest sis gave me for Christmas when I was a youngin... my youngest sis and her then-husband were working on a car at the house one time before taking off to AZ and got into my toolbox without telling me. Later I find my vise grips missing... apparently they went to AZ.

Glad you found yours.

NUTTSGT · Jun 10, 2012

Jawn said:
I had a set of vise grips my oldest sis gave me for Christmas when I was a youngin... my youngest sis and her then-husband were working on a car at the house one time before taking off to AZ and got into my toolbox without telling me. Later I find my vise grips missing... apparently they went to AZ.

Glad you found yours.

Me too, thank you. Time to vacation in AZ and get them back, along with some tool interest. :lol_hitti

Jawn · Jun 10, 2012

NUTTSGT said:
Me too, thank you. Time to vacation in AZ and get them back, along with some tool interest.

I wish. She moved back to NC (without her now-ex husband). Those vise grips are long gone... he probably kept them. I'll just make do with N.O.S. USA-made vise grips on ebay and elsewhere.

NUTTSGT · Jun 10, 2012

Jawn said:
I wish. She moved back to NC (without her now-ex husband). Those vise grips are long gone... he probably kept them. I'll just make do with N.O.S. USA-made vise grips on ebay and elsewhere.

Well how does the saying go?

"if you loan a family member a pair of Vise-Grips and never see that family member again, it was probably worth it"

Outlawmws · Jun 10, 2012

BD1 said:
Glad you found them. It's always the last placed you look too !
Working on farm implement in my field and lost a NEW pair of 440 channel locks. It was dark and discing . Well years later spotted them. The jaws are still NEW but have a real funny finish .

Glad they got found too...

I think If I were farming/ranching, the field tools would all get at least some Florescent orange, (possibly even the "glow in the dark" kind) so they wouldn't get lost as much...

Actually, come to think of it, a couple of my camp tools have the Florescent orange on them... :thumbup:

1948 · Jun 10, 2012

lost a set of bearing adapters for f100 brakes on early ford spindles...... been looking for them all week!!!!! driving me nuts i looked everywhere!

My Vise-Grips are MIA

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Banned

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

MEMBER EMERITUS

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Super Moderator

Well-known member

Well-known member