Tool Database?

[Brian Miller]

Here is an image of the spreadsheet that I downloaded from this forum and referred to above. It is very easy to add data and to work with. But how do I share it here, other than a PM, which I will do if any here want it.

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[AHill]

Mine is in Excel. I also have an inventory of fasteners (not quantity, but type). You can put the photos in a separate directory, and include a hyperlink in Excel to open up the picture by clicking on the hyperlink.

[srv52761]

AHill said:

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Mine is in Excel. . . . . You can put the photos in a separate directory, and include a hyperlink in Excel to open up the picture by clicking on the hyperlink.

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Hyperlinking is an option, but I prefer to keep all the data in one file. I would add the pics to the spreadsheet proper, just add a column for the pic.

[Cecil]

OneNote is part of M$ Office. Find your M$ Office folder and launch it. Go to YouTube to search for some training. a 1/2 video should be all you need to get up and running. It is simple. It does not have a lot of bells and whistles. Technically it is a note taking tool and not a DB tool, but for a small personal DB it works OK. I keep my automotive maintenance log in there. I can scan any receipts right into OneNote.

[Cecil]

cputnam said:

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LIL

Some ideas:

Evernote - Free
Open Office - either the spreadsheet or dB - Free
Excel
Access

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Evernote is also a good choice. It competes with M$ OneNote. However, If you already have M$ Office, you already have OneNote.

[AHill]

Can Onenote or Evernote add up the values of all the tools in the database? From an insurance standpoint, I'd want to easily know the total value of my tools if there was a catastrophic event like a fire, flood, etc. Having to go in and individually add up each tool value is time consuming. Some insurance policies also have limits on the total value of reimbursement for hobbies. You may have to purchase a rider or additional policy if you exceed that amount. Hence the desire to have an easy way to total the value of your tools.

I would also include shop supplies, like finishes, adhesives, fasteners, hardware (drawer pulls, hinges, etc.), saw blades, etc. They add up really quickly. I think my fasteners all together are worth more than my bandsaw, and the total value of my finishes are worth more than any router I have.

[meackerman]

part of me thinks it would be awesome to have a database/list of all my tools....the other part of me thinks I'd spend the rest of the year and well into next year taking pictures and entering everything.

[Cecil]

OneNote does not do well at math. I don't know about EverNote. I loaded it onto my phone to try it, but I already have M$ Office, so I never really used it.

[Robert Adams]

Also don't forget to register your power tools on the manufacturers Web app. The milwaukee one let's you do their tools as well as any brand tools. A rep told me once that they have caught a number of stolen tools when they were brought in for repair. They contacted the owners on file and returned them.

[Brian Miller]

Meackerman - When I started my inventory, I started at my workbench, in my 12.5' x 28' basement shop. I used a quad pad and wrote down every tool stored above or under the bench. I recorded brand name and any model and serial number seen. Next I moved to the wall where many of my tools hang on 4' x 24' of pegboard. I do not remember how long it took to work my way around the shop, but I would do it in spurts of time when in the mood. At that point I entered the info to the Excel spreadsheet shown above and this was also done in bits and pieces of time. One thing I have always done is keep receipts, papers and manuals of all tools bought and they are in an old 4-drawer wood file cabinet in my shop. After I had entered the data from my pencil sheets, I took the spreadsheets to my shop, got out the file folders and looked up serial numbers, dates purchased and cost of every item. As I wrote above, I have over 400 entries and now when I buy a new tool, router bit or special drill bit , I enter the data immediately. About once every year or so, I take pictures of my shop and tools and burn them to a disc. The disc and a copy of the spreadsheet are in our safe deposit box at the bank.