Hwy 6 Screwdriver

I started out the new year with a tool find. It was a small 5 inch screwdriver with a plastic sleeve. I found it about 100 yards south of the Dulles & Hwy 6 intersection on the right hand shoulder. This was my first find for the year 2012. Pictures and links later.

South Main - Scissor Jack

Okay,  sometimes I involve others in my madness.  Case in point.  Yesterday while driving to work my carpool buddy and I were caught in stop and go traffic on South Main Street.  Traffic was really slow.  I was driving and was in the right outside lane next to the retaining wall when I spotted this scissor jack.  I threw the car into park and excitedly asked my buddy to hop out and grab the jack.  Being a good sport he quickly jumped out of the car and was back in with the jack in less than 10 seconds. Traffic was not slowed or stopped due to our brief stoppage and there was no danger of being run over due to the stop and go traffic.

This is a really nice jack.  It looks new.  With the exception of a few scraped spots there is nothing wrong with this jack.  I cranked it up and down with no problems.  At the moment I am unable to determine the brand.  I suspect the jack is from an Asian manufacturing plant, but until I have more time to examine it the mystery will remain.

Hwy 59 - 8 Foot Aluminum Ladder Sighting

It's rare when a ladder is found on the side of the interstate Houston any any usable shape, but today that string of disappointment could have been broken.  On the way home from picking blueberries at Oakview Orchard near Cold Springs/Cleveland, Texas, I spotted a 6 to 8 foot aluminum ladder lying by the side of the road.  It appeared to be in great shape.  Traffic was light, but I was in the RAV4 and didn't want to tie it to the roof.  Besides, a strict interpretation of the rules and an inventory of my garage shows I have three ladders including a 6 foot aluminum ladder.  Someone else will get the opportunity to pick up this treasure.

The ladder was lying on the inside shoulder of the interstate around 10 miles outside of Beltway 8.

Pierce Elevated Claw Hammer Sighting.

I spotted a claw hammer head on the way home from work.  It was a notable day.  I was giving a ride to a coworker.  He was riding home with me because he was buying my wife's car.  The 1994 Mazda 626 was a great car, but it had over 100,000 miles on it and it was rarely driven so it was time to get it off the insurance and let it go. 

The claw hammer head was lying on the inside shoulder (if you can call 6 inches a shoulder) on the south bound lanes of the Pierce Elevated section of I45 abount 400 feet north of the off ramp to Hwy 59 south.  The handle was nowhere to be seen, but at over 60 MPH the chances of spotting the handle separately we small.  This is one of the busiest sections of freeway in Houston.  Good luck to anyone stopping to pick up this tool head.

South Post Oak Scoop Shovel Sighting

Today on my way home from work I spotted a scoop shovel (aka barn shovel or grain shovel) on the side of the road. I was riding in my car pool and happened to see it lying on the side of the road.  My carpool buddy was driving.  We were in the center lane and the shovel was on the inside shoulder one lane over.  My buddy tried everything possible to find a way over, but traffic was too heavy and the light changed preventing any opportunity to pick up the shovel safely.

The shovel was located about 500 feet north of the South Post Oak Willowbend intersection on the southbound inner shoulder.  The shovel appeared to be in good shape.  The shovel had yellow fiberglass  handle with a D style grip.  The pan of the shovel appeared to be gray metal and had little or no rust.  Someone delivering compost or gardening soil probably lost this shovel. 

My buddy really wanted to stop and pick up this shovel.  Maybe next time...

610 South/288 North Ball-Pien Hammer Sighting

I car pool 4 days each week. I drive on Monday and Tuesdays. My buddy drives on Wednesday and Thursday. I enjoy car pooling with my buddy, we solve the worlds problems, a few work problems and generally have a good time going back and forth to work. It makes the ride more bearable.

Today I saw a ball-pien hammer lying on the shoulder (if you can really call it that) of the on ramp from 610 Loop south to Hwy 288 North. Traffic was flowing nicely.  We have been fortunate.  Traffic has been light since school stopped two weeks ago.

The hammer had a wooden handle and appeared to be in good shape.  The head of the hammer was used but appeared to be in serviceable condition.  The handle was at least 12 inches long and appeared to be unbroken.  I have several ball-pien hammers and at least one ballpien- hammer head.  Stopping was not an option.  Someone else will need to claim this tool.

Main Street Screw Driver Sighting

I spotted a screwdriver on the way to work yesterday and again today.  The screw driver is lying on the inside shoulder of the east bound lane of Main Street about 2 tenths of a mile from the Holmes Road off ramp.

The screwdriver appears to be a six  inch Phillips head screwdriver with a black plastic handle.   Both times I've seen it I was passing by at around 55 MPH so I didn't get a good look, but I'm left with the distinct impression that the handle is in rough shape. I won't be stopping for this due to the inaccessible location and the rules.

Miracle Pickaxe

It's not often I hear about other people finding tools.  When I do hear a story it is usually as dull or even more mundane than my personal "adventures" in tool discovery. That has always been true until today. I saw this story on the morning news.  Recently Pete Henning and his wife were traveling on I-405 in or near Seattle when they "found" a pickaxe.  The "discovery" occurred at over 60 mph and came flying through their windshield!  Fortunately no one was injured and the Hennings have a nice souvenir and an auto repair bill to remember the experience.

See more click here: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/html5/video?id=7458961&pid=null&section=null

59 South Tire Iron Sighting

On the way to Central Market today, I spotted a tire iron lying on the side of the interstate just past the Chimney Rock overpass on Hwy 59 South.  The tire iron was the standard black tire iron.  It was lying on the inside north-bound shoulder of the road.  There is probably enough room at that spot to pull over and pick up this tool, but I have a lug wrench and a 4 way lug wrench so I have no need to stop and the rules also prevent it.  I'm sure some one will pick it up or it will become fodder for the shoulder sweepers.

HWY 288 Wire Cutters Revisited

If there is one tool I don't need it's a diagonal wire cutter.  I have at least 6 or more, I've found at least 3 in the past 5 years and like screwdrivers I don't bother picking them up unless I'm really bored or the opportunity is too easy to ignore.  Such was the case when I picked up this wire cutter.  I reported my find in an earlier post, but I had no real desire to stop and pick it up on a dangerous piece of Hwy 288.  As luck would have it traffic was really bad for almost a week and I picked up several tools in a weeks time including this wire cutter.

There are no markings on this tool, but it was probably used by an electrician or apprentice at one time since the handles were double insulated.  The blades are in excellent condition.  There was a little surface rust on the handle due to recent rain, but I cleaned and oiled the metal so the rust seems to have abated.  Hopefully I won't find another wire cutter any time soon.  I'll count and report the true total some time in the not too distant future.

Hwy 280 Socket Sightings

On the way home from work, I spotted several loose sockets on the side of  Highway 288.  I don't usually go home this way, but I use this route for three weeks every year in March due to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. While the rodeo is in town my usual route home becomes too congested and adds too much time to my commute.  Since I have a  full socket set and lots of extras I probably won't stop to pick them up even though they could be obtained with little exposure to danger.

The sockets are located beneath the Yellowstone overpass on outside shoulder of HWY 288 South.  There were as many as 7 sockets lying across a 40 foot expanse.  Someone will be unhappy with this loss. If I do stop and pick them up I'm hoping they are Snap-on sockets.  I've never found any Snap-on tools (because they are expensive so people really take great pains to protect them).

Pierce Elevated Screwdriver Sighting

I spotted this screwdriver while driving home from work.  The screwdriver was located on Interstate 45 just past the end of the Allen Parkway on ramp and underneath the West Dallas overpass. The screwdriver appeared to be a Phillips head screw driver with a black plastic handle about 6 inches in length.  It was lying on the inside shoulder and would have been impossible to stop for even if the rules didn't forbid it.

Long Handled Diagonal Wire Cutters - Glenn Lakes Lane

On the way home from church I spotted these long handled Diagonal Wire Cutters.  The cutters where  lying on the right side of the north bound lane, 75 yards south of the intersection of Mission Valley Drive and Glenn Lakes Lane.

This tool has been well used.  The blades have significant gaps and very little cutting area left to use.  In addition there is significant surface rust even after cleaning and oiling this tool. Until now I have not found a long handled wire cutter.  This is a unique find even though the tool is practically useless.  I'll keep these around because they will be usefull in cutting corroded wires etc..,

Fort Bend Tollway - Hand Held Sledge Hammer

Scoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooore!!! I saw this drilling sledge hammer lying on the inside lane of the Fort Bend Tollway about 200 yards north of the Beltway 8 exit toll booths and one half mile south of the Main Street flyover. The rubber covering on the hammer handle is split, but it has no impact on the the hammer's usefulness. This hammer appears to be one of the inexpensive type fiberglass handle hammers that can be purchased at almost any discount tool store for under $10.00. 

This was one of the tools on my list of tools I want to find on the side of the road.  I have replaced this on my list with Hooke'n Crooke Heron Weeder. I spotted the hammer as I was driving south on my way home from work.  I exited (paying a toll), turned around, reentered the tollway, turned around again at Main Street and then drove down and picked up the hammer, paying the additional toll as I went through the toll booth a second time.  The hammer cost me approximately $2.50 in tolls. The hammer is well worth the price for the story and to own the tool.

Main Street - 4 Ounce Ball Pien Hammer

I found this ball pien hammer on Main Street.  I had seen it for several weeks, but the opportunity never presented itself to stop and pick it up.  The one thing that can always be counted on when it comes to main street is bad traffic,  Eventually the back up hits everyone. On August 19th., the inevitable happened and I was able to stop and pick up the hammer without stopping traffic or getting myself killed.

The ball pien hammer was located on the inside shoulder of the north bound side of Main street about 2 miles from the 610/Main Street intersection.  Without the traffic back up I would have never even considered trying to obtain this tool.

Although not obvious from the photo the hammer is small.  The head is 3 or 4 ounces and the handle is roughly 8 inches long.  There are no obvious markings on the hammer so I conclude it is a generic mass produced hammer. The hammer head is in great shape.  There are no real nicks or cuts.  The handle, as is obvious from the photo, is broken.  I will eventually replace the handle, but I am in no hurry since I have little need for a ball pien hammer at this time.

Tools Galore!

Last Tuesday, my wife and I heard a loud crash in front of the house. Thinking someone had hit the light pole in front of my neighbor's house I walked outside to see the damage.

(The light pole is a popular target. The pole has been replaced at least once a year and usually twice a year for the past 10 years. In addition, the couple living in the house with the light pole in their yard have had the tree in their yard hit by a car and last year their house was hit by a car that somehow missed the light pole and the tree.)

As I walked outside I noticed a truck had stopped down the street. I also noted the light pole was intact, but there appeared to be debris underneath it. A closer inspection noted a toolbox and dozens of tools lying in the street. The owner of the truck down the street had not put his tool box away and when he hit the curve centrifugal force dumped the tool box in the street. It probably took him 30 minutes to pick up the tools. I went back inside (the temperature was still over 95 degrees) and left him to work in peace.

This is another cautionary tale. Always tie down your tools and other belongings when they are in the back of an open truck bed.

Beltway 8 - Needle Nose Pliers Sighting

I spotted this tool on the way back from a visit to my opthamologist.  I've had recurrent episodes of iritis.  It was midafternoon around 4:00 CST.  The needle nose pliers were lying on the inside shoulder next to the lane divider about two miles west of the Fort Bend Tollway exit on eastbound side of the road.

The pliers had blue plastic handle covers and appeared to be in good shape from my 60 MPH drive by observation. There was no opportunity to pick these up and since I have numerous pairs already there was no need to consider the option of stopping.

59 South- Lug Wrench Sighting

I spotted this lug wrench or tire iron on 59 South on my way to work after a morning doctor appointment.  The tire iron was lying on the inside shoulder on the north bound side of the road underneath the overpass at the intersection of Beltway 8 and Hwy 59 south.  It was lying under trash so all I saw was the top half of the tool, but it was easily recognizable.

The lug wrench was the usual black color.  Two days later when I went back through it was gone.  Lug wrenches are always useful.  I have several besides the wrenches in the car. I also found while researching this article that lug wrenches are the weapon of choice for many road rage incidents due to the proximity of the tool during auto related incidents.  I've found one so there was no need to pick up this one.

59 South On Ramp - Screwdriver Sighting

I spotted a 8 inch flat head (it appeared) screwdriver on my way to lunch with my coworker Jeff. The screwdriver was lying at the end of the on ramp to 59 south just south of Greenbriar.

The screwdriver appeared to be relatively new with a red and blue handle reminiscent of Craftsman screwdrivers. Jeff swears I have radar for such things. I believe its easy to see these things when you aren't driving.

Main Street - Combination Wrench Sighting

I spotted a small combination wrench on the north bound sidewalk on Main Street on the north side of the Holcombe underpass on my way to work.

The wrench was approximately 5 to 7 millimeter wrench with the high gloss look. Not disimilar to the 7mm ratcheting wrench I picked up after Ike visited last year, this wrench lay there for several months before someone finally picked it up. Touche'