Ask Adam Savage: Shop Power Distribution and How NOT to Lose Tools

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[doseven]

I kept opening the wrong drawer looking for my multi-meter, so I changed what lives in that drawer so that the meter was in there. If I cannot condition myself to look in the right place, I will make the place I look the right place!

[billbucktube]

Most of what I lose are hand tools. It happens when I have something in my hand and lay it down to pick another item up. As a result, car keys have been an issue. To combat it I intentionally place keys on the corner of a workbench or table.
One day in my shop I had placed the keys, gotten out some boxes, found what I needed and reached for my keys. THEY WERE GONE!
I looked under the bench and all around every corner of everything I was near, no keys. Doubting myself I stopped and visualized what I did. Yes, I did place it on THAT corner. So I sat down to get this conundrum solved and crunch, I felt the large key ring under my gluteus. Standing, I looked at the chair seat, no keys! WHAT!!!
As I turned to look under the chair I felt something swinging from my backside. There they were hanging from my back pocket supported by the N52 super magnet I had slipped into my back pocket. It is difficult to describe how disorienting it was to lose something that was intentionally placed…

[markday]

Early in my career, we worked in cubicles. Power distribution was a daisy chain of power strips (typically 4-6 cubicles per chain). Because of the kind of work we did, everyone had a minimum of 3 computers, with monitors, hard disks, etc. The group's laser printer (one of the early, power hungry ones) was in my cubicle, plugged into the first power strip in the chain. When someone would print something, you'd hear the printer's fan come on, then it would start heating the fuser wire (which literally melts the toner to the paper). That's when the circuit breaker in the power strip would trip, and the swearing began. We quickly developed a policy that whenever you wanted to print something, you had to announce to the whole group that you were about to print, and remind people to save their work. Ah, those were the days.

[lonerider]

Listening while sorting out roughly 150 sockets from 10 years of being a mobile mechanic, currently have about 16, 10mm sockets. THEY DONT DISAPPEAR AFTER ALL

[dthinker]

The shop "Law of Tool Migration" was what I taught my college furniture design students. It states that the farther a tool/clamp/whatever is from the place it was stored the less likely it would ever be found again. The farther from the expected place to find a tool meant spending exponentially more time finding it. To minimize this natural migration of tools we encourage anyone that came across a misplaced tool to move it closer to if not all the way back to its official storage spot.

[Hockeyguy]

You talking about losing conduit benders is really funny because I'm a commercial electrician, I deal with 3-phase power all day every day and mostly what I'm good at is running conduit. The other electricians I work with I tell them, "Always put the bender back on the cart (We have carts we roll around with us to carry all our stuff) because if you don't you'll never find it again." I have gotten in a rush sometimes and I'll bend a piece, lay the bender in a corner against a stud or something, go install that piece, and then when I need it again I'll spend 20 minutes trying to remember where I put the damn thing.

[blakejohnson]

Love love love, Adam saying hire the expert when it comes to electrical work!!!!

[heavymetalweld]

Tool tip. If you have a one off and need a place to store it for the once in a while use go with the category it is. For example multimeter, OBD2 scanner and other electronic testing equipment gets the same drawer.

[aaronlandry]

Extension cords are fine... if you buy one designed for the purpose you are using it for. The problem is people tend to buy the cheapest one which also has the cheapest materials and smaller gauge wire than what they need for the persons desired use case. Tip: Buy one size larger than the circuit you are plugging it into. 15 amp wall circuit? Buy a 12 gauge/20 amp extension cord. 20 amp wall circuit? Buy a 10 gauge/30 amp ext cord.

[drfrankensteinscreations]

We save a little when it comes to electrical because I know what needs to be done to run the wiring and install the boxes. Then we have an electrician that we use regularly that will come in and double check me before doing the hook-ups.

[davisdiercks]

"The answer is no, I wasn't clever. BUT NOW I AM" I need that soundbyte 😂😂😂

[joermnyc]

Yes, as a repair/builder of electric guitars (and sometimes bass) someone bought me a StewMac screwdriver set for guitars/basses, has like every flat/phillips/hex bit relevant to imperial/metric parts for guitars/basses, plus a really compact ratcheting handle with an extension. All fits in what looks like a dark red sunglasses case… and I have no idea where it went. It was on top of my tool storage, then I put a set of locking tuning machines in a box up there, and somehow that little case went *poof* then next time I went to look for it! I have other tools I can use, but they aren’t all in that one convenient little case.

[martinj.]

When we moved into our new house I used this philosophy to organize our kitchen cabinets! Open a drawer expecting cutlery, in it goes. Are the plates in this cabinet? They are now!
It worked beautifully! It is so easy for me to find everything I need to cook and serve a meal.

[gsdtdeaux]

First thought, best thought has been ABSOLUTELY PARAMOUNT in putting together my fabshop over the past few years and people ask ALL THE TIME how i find things so fast and i tell them this. First time i heard Adam say this was a game changer. In fact i think my girlfriend moves things as a sport to watch me think im loosing my mind lol

[dpsamu]

You would do well with a couple of rolls of ceramic wool. Just lay a mat under your welding, and a shower curtain around you. Roll it back up when you're done. It feels like cotton comes in rols like fiberglass insulation, and insulates like space shuttle tiles. You can heat it white hot, and hold it in your hand a second later. I can't believe you don't do more welding.

[mike-driftwoodfolk]

Hi Adam I was asking the same question when it comes to power in your shop haha appreciate the answer. I've recently found a maker's space (space is a premium in the UK) & have begun to build my shop infrastructure. The problem I've had is that I have no power So I've gone completely solar. Using batteries that have come out of my old vehicles as storage for my power... Inverters & led lights..including many battery tools... . What a mission. But the feeling you get from having your own space to make is worth it. I watch many of your videos that give me the push to start or change projects. Please keep them coming. 💪🏽💪🏽

[carportchronicles]

Just the other day I couldn't find my wire cutters. I searched for a few minutes and eventually decided it would take less time to go buy another pair than to keep looking. I found the missing pair a day or two later and they are now stored safely in the drawer where they belong, at least until the next time I use them and forget to put them back.

[MysticalDork]

For anyone needing just one or two things to run on 3-phase power, one of the easier methods is to buy or build a rotary phase converter. The only hard-to-get component is a large 3-phase motor, the rest is just some relays/contactors and a bunch of capacitors. When tuned properly it will do a decent approximation of real 3-phase, without overheating after 6 minutes like Adam's (I assume) static phase converter. There is a small derating factor, but it's not huge and you won't notice it unless you're running whatever 3-phase machine pretty hard.
I use one for my mill, and it works great. Running actual 3-phase into the garage would have been several thousand dollars minimum.

[DividedWeFall]

I recently tested positive as a Adam Savage fan... Just kidding I've been a fan for what feels like decades.
I did however recently return to the channel... Why you ask... Well let me tell you.
Once upon a time on an Internet not so far away this channel was 90% Norm and 10% Adam. Thankfully that changed.
Bravo Adam and thank you for taking the time to share with us all.