Folks,
How do you hang on to your tools while working at the top of the ladder? Drills are a real bother as they tend to fall out of bags on the ground. 25′ up – how can they resist?
I hang a 5g bucket from the ladder. Boss uses lanyards – lets the drill dangle when not in use.
Have the old Prazzi Big Lug – but the drill is likely to get pushed out. Those bungi cord thingies work?
The ToolBear
“Never met a man who couldn’t teach me something.” Anon.
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Replies
I use a 5 gal. bucket, too. At least when I'm on a ladder long enough to make it worthwhile.
Its big enough to hold the drill, as well as fasteners and whatever else I need. I use a wire hook to hang it on a rung.
I was about to snag a piece of the tinned 2/0 copper ground wire we use for a set of ladder hooks for buckets, etc., but by the time I returned with my cable cutters, the fag end reel had gone onto some work truck. :(
Some guy had a widget that used the side holes of the ladder rungs, but I can't recall the idea.
The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
>Some guy had a widget that used the side holes of the ladder rungs, but I can't recall the idea. <I made about 10 of 'em about 10 years ago. I've still got one I use occasionally. Take a scrap piece of 5/4 ( about 24") and cut it so it fits the profile of the inside of a ladder rung, but slightly smaller. Screw a 12"x12" piece of plywood to the top of the 5/4 and wrap a sheet metal "L" around the perimeter. If I have time later, I'll take a picture of mine and I'll post it.Birth, school, work, death.....................
http://grantlogan.net/
Duluth Trading has a ladder saddle thingy for step ladders:http://www.duluthtrading.com/search/searchresults/99555.aspxI bought one, but haven't put the thing on yet.
Why aren't "hemorrhoids" called "asteroids"?
Ladder caddy -
Yes! Have one. Used it all last season atop my Werner knockoff of the Little Giant ladder system (great value for $100).
The caddy worked very well. Recommend them. Of course, they take a step ladder and this was a 32' extension ladder. What would be nice is the little giant work platform up there.
Supposed to bring in the bucket truck to finish the run up the wall.
The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
I have a holster for my drill on my belt with a snap that keeps it in place. I need to get a second for my caulking gun on the instances I need both.
Its keeping the screws/nails organized that I have trouble with up there.
Edited 12/7/2005 9:45 pm ET by BobS
Screws and nails I have a solution for.
I wear Oxy bags with the padded harness. I have a set of round pot magnets bolted to the front harness straps. They have proved very useful in a lot of ways, including holding a half length pencil with a washer taped to the end. No more time to find the hole in the bags. Just slap it onto the magnet.
On this cable tray job I had the connector plate nuts on one side magnet and the bolts on the other. Didn't lose a one. Easy to reach
For screwing - use nothing but square drive.
The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
In 6 years I've only had a cordless drill come out of a belt hook a couple of times, and then only because I didn't adjust it (bend curve tighter) after using it for framing guns.
:-)
One thing that works a little better than a 5 gal bucket is using one of those canvas type bags that are about the same as a paper supermarket bag. I have a few grace ice and water promotional bags from the last JLC show.
A lineman's canvas tool bucket, about 12" by 14" or so, works better than a five gallon plastic version. When given a chance I tie off a line to the bucket and climb the ladder. Pulling the bucket up after I get up there.
Between the bucket and any tool belt I may wear it works out pretty well. Maximum efficiency seems to be a small tool pouch for a couple of drivers and pliers and the canvas bucket for materials and larger tools.
A trick to make it work well is to fix a small loop of rope on the ladder and, once you pull it up, use a snap link or carabiner, already hooked onto the buckets handle rope, to hang the bucket in place.
Makes hanging and uhooking quick. Just keep the lift rope end snapped onto your belt. A safety trick is to bend and eye into the lift rope end and tie a snap hook to this with a single wrap of cotton string. It only needs to be strong enough to carry the weight of the lift rope so don't make it too strong. If your up the ladder and someone grabs the bucket and walks off the cotton string parts before it pulls you off the ladder.
I use 5 gal buckets with big "S" hooks. They just hook over the rungs. Pretty much adequate, nothing particularly clever or good about them.
-- J.S.
Re: "I use 5 gal buckets with big "S" hooks."Just came to mind, after reading your post, but I used to work with a guy who used those five gallon buckets. Problems with those buckets are that the handles are pretty poor, cutting the hand after the cheap plastic bit falls off and they are too deep to easily get to the stuff in the bottom.A guy I worked with used to modify some of his. He would remove the factory handle and install a piece of 1/2" nylon line he runs it through a couple of large fender washers and tie figure eights inside them. On some of them he cut the bottoms off and installs a wood one. Running drywall screws from outside to secure it.He had a variety of buckets made up. Shallow for short tools and small parts and deep ones for longer tools. He even had two which he fastened a discount store nylon ditty bag to the bottom. This made a really deep, about 3'+ buckets. He dropped the plastic bottom he had sawed off into the bottom of the nylon bag. These he used to tote fluorescent tubes something over a dozen at a time. New tubes up and old ones down. Wouldn't work as well with 8' ones.I thought his buckets were pretty cool. Saved time and effort.