Travelling Tool Kit

  In spite of the date stamp in the corner, this is a travelling tool kit I put together on Friday and used last the weekend at my kid's place.  My shop is focused on woodworking, in fact I hate nuts,bolts,screws and all types of auto mechanic sort of stuff. Surprisingly then, there are many auto mechanic type tools close at hand in my shop. This weekend passed my son-in-law and grandchildren needed an assortment of little adjustments to their bicycles, mostly aligning and tightening sorts of tasks. Somewhere in their basement are all the tools to do the job, somewhere.  It is just easier to do a job if take the tools with me I think I will need.

 Some of the tools in the bag are clearly wood shop tools, you can see on the left a pencil, folding ruler and Warrington hammer. The 3 in 1 oil fights rust on woodworking tools as well as machines. I have a spray can of a silicon cleaner lubricant and it gets used to clean woodworking machines as well as bicycles.

 Various Pliers and vise grip style pliers are used in my shop for nail pulling and basic metal forming. Linesmen's pliers are usually the first pliers I reach for, sometimes they are overkill but usually the are just what the doctor ordered.  

  In most cases I do not like multi-tools, like most compromises they don't really satisfy anyone, but...I took a Picquic screw driver. The multi bit screw driver is like the multi bit hex keys, adequate for a quick little job but would drive me crazy if I had to work with them for any length of time.

  Adjustable wrenches are like multi-tools but carrying a set of wrenches, (in Canada metric and imperial) can be literally back breaking so I opt for a "one size fits all, mostly" pair of adjustable wrenches. Since it was bicycle repair I took small wrenches.

  Rags, a tooth brush and black tape round out the kit. On something like this I know that the kids have paper towels and old tooth brushes, it is just easier to have it at hand.  I took the black tape because sometimes bicycle cables have frayed, scratchy ends and I wanted the tape available to wrap up the nasty bits so that the little guys wouldn't get poked.

  I took a shop apron with me just in case the job was going to be really greasy. Over the years I have ruined many, many shirts do "a little" job. And will probably ruin one or two more over time.

 The little, cheap canvas tool bag, that I acquired years ago and has travelled thousands of miles was money well and wisely spent. When not in use it folds flat and is stuffed into a corner in my shop.  I have a large wooden tool tote and have made a couple of smaller totes to serve particular purposes but they do take up space.

Kieran's tool box.
The copper pipe makes for a strong but small hands.

  The other thing I like about this canvas bag is that it zips firmly shut so it can be  strapped it to the back of my motorcycle seat and I needn't worry that I am losing more than my mind as I travel.

  I know that I am preaching to the choir but...how can you live a full and fulfilled life without a workshop?

 cheers, ianw