Mis-use of tools

Aside from every screwdriver in the universe, I wonder what the most creative mis-use of a tool you have encountered is.
I'm sure this example can be improved upon, but as a starter for ten....
Today I had the keys to a posh house to inspect, owner is out of the country.
There was a separate garage which had the consumer unit in and I had the front door key which also had the garage remote control on it.

So I press the garage door remote, it opens, I spend a few hours working on the consumer unit in there. (There are also several interesting looking motorbikes in there ranging from old and cute to expensive looking)
At the end of the day I pack up and press the remote again. Nothing. I try the manual "down" button inside. Nothing.
So I check the control unit is powered. It is. No error LED's on the unit, just plain refusal to co-operate.
I take the cover off and check there are no alarm contacts wired up or anything else, and I establish it's a plain vanilla install.

So then I look around in the main house and find the keys to the side garage door.
Fine, I can now lock up, but I still need to close this big garage door somehow. I look high and low and can't find the manual winding device. It's also almost impossible to turn manually.
So I start looking around for anything I can fashion into a winder. Then I finally get an idea:



So I take the nut off, pull the end off, pull the handle out (catching both springs), bash the end a bit, put the other end into a combi drill and hey presto I could slowly and carefully close the door.
( As a matter of interest it would then happily go up using it's own motor, but not down. )

Did you try using the same button to close the door than open it?

FIL has remote control garage door… remote has 4 buttons… as in up, down, left, right.

Only the up button does something. Opens if closed. Closes if open. Simples.


Back to the misuse of tools.

Using a screwdriver is chisel… standard.
Using your next to good pliers as a makeshift hammer to hit said screwdriver…. Ingenious, I think.
Good for tightening or loosening old 20mm locknuts

Old Philips driver as a drill for rawlplug in soft chocolate block.

A cutting of 4mm earthwire or cable ties when you got no ropes or strap for towing a ladder on the van

Thousand more examples

Anyone you uses brand new cable shears to cut down 3.5/4mm screws is a badger

Equally anyone who uses a new wood chisel to chop our brick or block is a badger

Few years back, installed a load of conduit, ready for wiring, then found I'd forgot or lost a draw tape. Went round the factory and found a massive coil of insulated brake cable. Tough stuff but cut about 30 yards off. A bit stiff but it did the job very well.

getting the apprentice to hand chisel chases in cement. is that a misuse of tools when he/she,/gender neutral it/ should be making the tea or fetching the beers?

I would say the most common mis-use of a tool is people standing on the top platform on a step ladder

Its plain lazy standing with both feet on the top platform rather than taking 10 minutes to actually go fetch a taller step ladder

telectrix said:

getting the apprentice to hand chisel chases in cement. is that a misuse of tools when he/she,/gender neutral it/ should be making the tea or fetching the beers?

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I did once watch a fresh apprentice go through around 10 wood spade bits trying to drill a hole through a brick wall until I felt so bad I fetched my long masonry bit set out

Using a mini digger as a cable/ water pipe detector.

I know some people that quite adept at that.

littlespark said:

I know some people that quite adept at that.

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A talented plumber I know managed this on the first experimental scoop:

Using MFT on RCD trip test to find the breaker
Using long nose pliers to open control panels instead of key
Using blow lamp on heat shrink sleave
Hammer and screwdriver for gland nuts
Using hammer drill on non rotary to get rawl bolts in all the way.
Using cutting disk, no guard, for virtually everything over 6sqmm

Wasn't me, just what i have been told by a friend

Base of the hammer drill (bottom of the battery) to knock in the red wall plugs, after you've just drilled the 6mm holes (up a ladder). Red plugs held between your lips as you climb the ladder and drill the holes, obviously.

Red plugs held between your lips.

I do that, then spit the plugs into the holes. SSSSImplesss.

Tools not fit for purpose? Are we wandering into politics here??

Dustydazzler said:

Anyone you uses brand new cable shears to cut down 3.5/4mm screws is a badger

Equally anyone who uses a new wood chisel to chop our brick or block is a badger

Click to expand...

Take it you mean BODGER as in bodge job