Wearing Tool Belt On Job?

Bushido

Hello all. New to your site, so I guess this is as good a place to get the feet wet as any.
I build new const for a living. First thing in morning, everyone rolls out, belts go on and you go to work. someone said they fire newbies for taking off their pouch, well I do to. A man can't work without his tools, period.
I wear 2- 3 large pocket pouches on my belt along with my knife holder and tape pocket. chalk line and speed square are carried at all times.
Know what's worse than not having a pouch on though? Having a D#*n EMPTY pouch. I swear, these kids just cannot grasp the concept of filling up with nails in the morning and after breaks. Feel like nailing my balls to the floor just to ease the pain! lol.
BTW Leiffearn, I find that wearing the belt around the waist instead of down on the hips will take alot of weight off the hips and prevent those bruises. Worth a try.

Gordo

I fired a guy for not wearing his tool belt. I kept telling him it costs me money and he did not believe me. Well it ended up costing him money when he got fired because his new job paid him $4 AN HOUR LESS. Seriously, when you add up all the time lost because of inefficiency it will kill you.

__________________
Looks like some pros were here.

Steve Unkie

After my last set of bags retired I broke down and bought a Occidental Leather set and love it. It's a tool vest on suspenders. Not bulky at all and I no longer carry the 50lbs. around like I used to. It comes with clip on large bags for framing and such.

Steve Unkie.

snapper21

I believe that in the field pouches should be worn at all times. They are only an inconvenience if you haven't formed the habit of wearing them all day. Once you break the habit you forget how to do work with them on, but if you form the habit and keep them on they become one of your god given limbs and your mind adapts to working with them. As I saw stated in a previous reply, the guy without the pouch will burn hours looking for the right tool, or coming off the ladder too much as this is a trade of production in a timely manner.

dayspring

I know I post a lot, But, I couldn't resist this one. I love tools.... I do all types of work (Home Remodeling). I wear mine (tool belt) depending on what I'm doing. Framing, you need your tools all the time and they must be on your side, Trim, I only need a min. of tools at hand, guns and saws do most of the work. So if I want to tote a few hand drivers, I'll get my cheap cloth apron, throw a few nails in a nail set and put a hammer loop on my belt, tape clipped on side and it is much lighter. Cabinets.... no tool belt, no belt or buckle, caution at all levels.

__________________
"Never met a man yet that I couldn't learn something from"
http://remodelingncarolina.com

erik edlund

Ladies, Gents,

Let me take a moment...

AAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGHHH!!!!

Thank you.

Geez Louise, it's like arguing about which way the the toilet paper's rolling!!

Some jobs require you to have your bags on at all times, some don't.

When you work efficiently with 'em close by, great.

When it's costing time, PUT 'EM ON! (Duh, Looking For Your TOOLS?! Come On!!).

Side note to all: I've had people criticize me for what I've got in my bags. One sub seriously berated me for carrying too much; we compared, and I had the SAME tools in my bags HE did! (Jerk-off!)

The point? Keep your *******ed nose out of my bags! (Sorry, Nathan, it's a sore spot).

I carry what I think I need for a wide variety of circumstances, and it serves me well. If not, I've got my tool bucket on hand also. Simple. Efficient.

Carry what you need. if it's not enough, carry more. 'Nuff said.

__________________
Kind regards,

Erik D. Edlund

ncor

never wear a bag installing a marble tub or porceline sink guess thats why plumbers just pull what they need out their crack, ha! tile work everything comes out of a bucket. the only carpentry work we do without bags is wine cove installs. typically finished out rooms occupied residance high end homes. brings back memories of a past corporate life. (button down polo, loafers) paslode rechargable, screw gun, level sometimes a bit of sandpaper and shims thats it. assembly of units occures on folding tables outside cuts rips miters all out side at the compound miter.
funny how preception is influenced by casual attire and the abscence of a tool belt. just an ever so gracious change in attitude which rises in accordance with the price of the work they comission.
the gardener never seems to get the respect the guys who come to hang that 15th century tapistry.

King of Crown

I love my bags, but I worked for a company installing custom closets, good luck. we wore our bags into the house, and left them outside of the bedroom door. but there was no way for us to move, and we would as Teetor mentioned earlier damage the material.

__________________
Real nice guys

Mike Finley

I got rid of my belts with metal hammer hooks for just those reasons, now it's only belts with a soft canvas hook, no metal, no worries about damaging other surfaces.

6stringmason

Jeez guys.. dont even get me goin on tool belts

Even though as a mason you dont need alot of tools you still should have certain ones one you. I dont have a tool belt actually but I do have a belt with a hammer hoop on it. I hook my tape on my pants pocket. And I wear Lee Dungarees carpenter pants to work. I put my pencil, knife, jointer, and maybe a T bevel if were doin gable work in my pockets.

Well Im the only to ever have his tools on him. And I even buy these guys tools to carry with just so they would quit askin me. Its alwasy "got your tape on ya? Got your knife on ya? Got your pencil on ya? Mine fell. Got your hammer? I forgot mine in the trailer."

And every day I say something. "Why dont you have your tools on you? You know you need them up here. Now I have to stop and pass you MY tool that I have on ME so You can do something." All I get is a blank stare or a partial yeah you're right type of smile.

Sigh.. im glad someone started this thread. The wife doesnt seem to get it.. or she just doesnt care.

__________________
Kamps Masonry & Concrete Countertop Design Green Bay, WI
920-680-3195
Visit our website @
http://www.concretecountertopsdesign.com/

Mike Finley

Employees can be a lot like kids, you can talk till you are blue in the face and out of breath, but like kids they have a high tolerance for just tuning you out waiting for you to get done wasting your breath on them as long as they know they will end up getting their way in the end.

I'd tell the guy to get his ass down the ladder and get your tape measure. Accountability is a great motivator for those path of least resistance' type people. Once they get it in their head the outcome everytime they try to bum a tool off you is having to go fetch their own, they will start to learn.

Tscarborough

You let someone else use your tools?!

mas

i never ware a tool belt and every second word is "wheres the fing pencil" or where the hell is the ***"

i think im going to go purchase a belt after reading this thread

asbestos

Has to be the canvas Klien bolt bag. Sometimes you need to wear them sometimes you dont.

IHI

Wow, cool thread Been wearing a belt my whole life, just brought up that way with gramps-no fumbling for the commonly used tools. Definately agree they have their place though, for my finish work, the bag comes off and i have a very nice Huskey brand bucket/tool box thingey (just a fancy rectangle pail with pockets that carries everyting the pouch can and more.)

I have 2 extra regular pouches in the trucks along with hand fulls of soft 2 pouch aprons for roofing or other light duty work-or when I have alot more temp help on site. Too many new guys/kids try to line their pockets with tools and are constantly losing this or that which in turns puts me in a bad mood and I start riding their ass. Had a buddy that used to help me quite a bit, only thing his tool pouch helpd was a pack of marlboro's and a lighter LOL!!

Only thing I know is I gotta have my straps to hold it up, aint no way it'd stay on my hips like a typical belt. and the suspenders HAVE to be solid-no stretch.

__________________
Hot Rod Work Van
Car video clip
Web
The Photo Gear- Type Josh into Contact name when ordering

6stringmason

Noone, and I repeat NOONE, touches my trowel though.
They might teach it some bad habits.

__________________
Kamps Masonry & Concrete Countertop Design Green Bay, WI
920-680-3195
Visit our website @
http://www.concretecountertopsdesign.com/

wackman

It really seems like it depends on what you're doing. When I started out as a laborer and carpenters helper when I was about 14 workin for my dad he did remodels and he would have tool boxes and buckets but almost never wore bags. Then I went to work for a production outfit and if I didn't have my bags on I got ****. Then I moved to very high end remodel (a couple were 5 million dollar residential REMODELS) and that was where I met the absolute best carpenters I have ever seen, to this day. Just watching those guys taught me so much. They all seemed to prefer aprons, that way they had their tools on hand without the bulkiness and material damage. Then I moved to commercal carpentry and again you wear your bags unless you're the clean up bitch and now I build new homes and use almost all subs so I haven't worn my bags in awhile. I had a guy apply for a carpenter job once and he showed up with bags but very few tools and I asked him where all his tools were. He said that he was a "larpenter" and I said "what's that?" He said that he was half laborer and half carpenter! I laughed till break. He worked like a maniac and I regretted having to let him go for meth use but he was more of a liability than he was worth.

acme const.

i cant stand a tool belt i wear a chest pack...lol just kidding

gregg warthman

5 guys, 5 belts, same tools in every one. don't ask to use even my pencil. broken lead? where the he.. is your u knife? mine is in my belt where it belongs. time is money. taking time to look for tools drives me up the wall. that is why all my guys are equiped with belts. best thing since sliced bread. without my belt i feel naked on the job. i agree with some of the other guys, when me belt is on, it's time to get to work.

old27

ok...since this thread is back from the winter dead...let me ask this:

Would you fire a guy for taking his pouch off if he (ground guy) was carrying 3 sheets of 1/2" plywood at a time to keep the guys on crew busy? Would you fire a guy for taking off his pouch to carry 4 2x10x16kd at a time from the front of a house to the back of a walkout? Not a framer in the world would can a guy for doing such things I hope...later.

PS The above text was written for the Pre-Lull Age...lol