Since the mid 90’s I’ve worked on and off with one colleague in 3 different businesses in five locations. We have our own areas,workbenches and tools ( mostly personally owned), only sharing consumable tools - drills and taps etc.
Since I started there has been a constant lack of 4mm intermediate taps. I think I’ve been buying at least 20 a year. Its always given me the shits as I pay out of pocket and have to wait to get my money back- as well as the 20 odd times a year I am stopped in my tracks and have to go and buy yet another bloody 4mm tap to finish a job.
Today was hectic, I had to finish a job I was making as well as being on the phone buying dealing with clients and finalizing a couple of quotes, so I handed him a half finished object, I’d done all the machining it just needed a few holes drilled and tapped- yes in 4mm.
5 minutes later I hear a yell to come and look at the hole placement to check if it is correct.
I walk into his area and he has the piece lined up ready to punch for drilling hammer in one hand 4mm tap in the other, yes that’s the right position- hey what are you using for a punch?
Oh - the tap. What! Why not use a fucking centre punch? Or one of the four various automatic punches that are laying around? Oh - this is easier and quicker. So- how long have you been doing this? Always - its the way I was taught back in (comm block country), taps are really hard and they work well to mark fine holes. But…Dont you break them? Yes they break sometimes but not that often, they are cheap I just throw them away…
Faaaark all this time I assumed they were accidentally being thrown away, swept up or taken home by accident etc But no, just Tool abuse because its obliviously better to use something fragile and worth four times the price of the correct (and available) tool.
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So its not unique. Got to wonder what people are thinking. I know I’m not buying any more, next time he can go shopping, even if I have to give him a map and a note to help him. Maybe the reality of handing over the money will bring home how stupid his actions are.
I might set up a die grinder in a lathe and make some small punches out of spare tool steel pins we have laying around.
Definitely not unique, all the workshops I’ve been in over the years have always had one weird cat that likes to use tools for their untintended purpose. I’ll think it would be a cheaper option to make some punches.