At the US Army base i lived on, there was a shop very similar to a lot of our community bike shops, but it was for working on cars. They didn't have parts bins to choose from, but they had just about every tool you could imagine. Even manufacturer specialized one-job only tools which ran into the thousands of dollars. The setup there was you checked in, signed for a work-bay, and in exchange for some kind of photo id or other valuable (keys, etc) you got a small tackle box with basic hand tools (you chose between metric and SAE when you signed them out) and inside each toolbox was a metal shower curtain ring with 20 chits on it. The chits were simply blank dog tags, each stamped with one number between 1 and 20. 
 If you got to a point working on your car where you needed the DeLorean Flux Capacitor wrench and repair manual, you went to the clerk and exchanged one chit for each of those. At then end of your time in the shop, you turned in your tool box and shower curtain ring with chits. Once the tools and chits were all counted and accounted for, then you were good to check out. 

I only visited that shop a few times, and always as someone borrowing tools/using the space, and never as an organizer/facilitator and i'm certain they faced the same tool "walkage", but I do remember being impressed at the efficiency with which that system seemed to work. 



On Sun, Apr 8, 2012 at 8:22 PM, Graham Stewart <grhmstwrt@gmail.com> wrote:
We figure the occasional missing hand tool is just the way it goes.  Sometimes they stay in a pocket, sometimes fall into the garbage, or a parts bin...  The few times where we've had lots go missing at once - it has been because volunteers "borrow" tools then forget to return them.  

Something expensive like a truing stand - could be bolted to the table.  

Graham at the Bike Dump

On Sat, Apr 7, 2012 at 9:25 AM, MoBo Bicycle Co-op <mobobicyclecoop@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Collective Brilliance! 

At MoBo, we were wondering how other bike co-ops cut down on tool theft. We check out a collection of tools to members which they sign in and out. These tools are reviewed at check in and out but that hasn't seemed to prevent tool theft. We aren't talking tire levers here; we are talking wheel dishing tools, truing stand and cone wrenches. We have turned the place upside down thinking they were misplaced but in most cases, they are gone. (Yes, even the truing stand). 

What have other bike co-ops done when they've encountered potential tool theft? What measures have you taken to stop it? 

Thanks in advance! 

Ellie Nava-Jones

--
MoBo Bicycle Cooperative
a project of The Village Green Foundation
1415 Knowlton St.
Cincinnati, OH
www.mobobicyclecoop.org

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