Glenn Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Wayne Coe suggested that the price he paid for an item and the price he told his wife he paid MIGHT be two different things. When was the last time you really took an inventory of the blacksmithing tools and equipment you have? How much did you pay for that anvil? What is its current replacement value for insurance purposes or if you decide to sell it, or your wife or relatives want to sell it when you are gone? What about the vise, swage block, welder, or power hammer? For some of us it is easy to start an inventory. Just select a tool, put a tarp or piece of cardboard behind it and take a photo. Be sure to put a piece of wide masking tape on the tool showing any serial number, or other identifying information with a BOLD marker so it becomes part of the photo. Do not forget the small tools like chisels, drifts, eye punches, files, etc. Take a photo of the tool when it is used or is available and add all the information you know about that tool to the back of the photo. We are always impressed when you find a fully documented collection of tools and the history, purchase price etc. Now is the time to start documenting your collection of tools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I did do a spreadsheet list, without photos, years ago for insurance purposes. It was terrifying how it all added up. Just the twist drill bit drawer would cost a couple of thousand pounds to replace! The photo documentation would be good. What I could really do with though would be an idiot proof way of indexing them for efficient retrieval Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 If you have any ideas on that, please let me know. (grin) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 This can be really important should you have to make an insurance claim for fire or theft. Just make sure the records are stored some place safe. I've seen a lot of guys get burned this way, They thought they were covered only to find out after the loss that none of their stuff was covered and they are out of luck getting anything replaced. This can really destroy a small business that relies on it's tools and can be just as devastating to someone who has worked for years and years to acquire a nice collection for their hobby only to end up back at square one. A note for many on insurance. Not all policies cover tools, especially if you use them to make money. You may need to add an Inland Marine policy rider to your insurance to specifically cover tools and materials. Also most policies exclude items over a certain value unless they are itemized and listed. Many of us who work in metal often use tools most insurance companies would list as "commercial" or "industrial" as opposed to "hobby" grade tools. That's often true of more expensive items like tig welders, metal cutting band saws, mills or lathes just to name a few. I know talking to my insurance agent, most of my tools for metal working wouldn't be easily covered under my normal home owners policy as they'd rate them as "business" tools even though I don't use any of them to make money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibrariaNPC Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 So far I've kept every receipt for every purchase I've made for my blacksmithing tools (only thing without it is my anvil, which was purchased from a member here). I've been meaning to put it all into an excel document just to keep a running tally (a friend is doing a blog and we're comparing notes on "getting started"). Photos are on the back burner due to to the constant shuffling of location and new acquisitions, but I'll keep that in mind! As for indexing photos, there's no CLEAN way of doing that unless you make your own indexing system using folders. For example, in my case, I'd have a folder for anvils, tongs, hammers, stock, forges/burners, etc. You could store them on your computer, but you may want to consider a cloud based option like Dropbox or even Google Drive (as a fire or theft will remove that option from you). Alternatively, if you are really into making sure you have it all covered, you could take an approach some libraries utilize with digital photos: set up an digital archive through a service and give each photo a name and a few tags (like we have for our threads here). This might end up costing money (library school already had it paid for me, so. . .), but if you REALLY want everything easy to access with a quick search, this might be a functional approach. Personally, I'd rather the photos in folders and saving them to the cloud to save money and sanity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notownkid Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I've had insurance people tell me that for any items you own of value, including guns, tools, equipment, household items and be sure to have dates on them with values. Have multiple copies at least two off sight, bank or family members safe. Have I done it yet? Maybe tomorrow if I get a chance, that's except for the guns they are done every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeddly Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Here's a tip for those that keep receipts. Most receipt paper nowadays is made of thermal paper. Over time, the ink will fade, and you'll be left with a handy sized piece of scratch paper for starting the forge. A good idea is to scan the receipt before this fade happens. I have a friend that bought some high dollar part for his truck, and six months later it broke. Part had a lifetime warranty. The receipt in the glove box was blank. Hence, unhappy camper with a busted truck. Food for thought.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I make it a habit to photograph the interior and exterior of my home, including my workshop and yard shed, every year. I stick the photos on a thumb drive and that goes in a safe deposit box. It's cheap and easy insurance in case something terrible ever happened and I needed to replace items, wouldn't have to depend on my memory to know what I had, what needed to be replaced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcyOHH Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 This sounds like a great idea because Nick and I can be pretty disorganized at times and if we keep photographic record it should be able to keep better track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Keeping track of the photos is my problem. Putting them on an individual drive or disk sounds the best. But even that is problematic after few years of collecting and changes of technology. For instance I have a my portfolio on cd and the most recent computer does not have an optical drive :( my Zip drive archive is a decade out of time, and as for my floppy disc collection... Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 But Alan , having a floppy disk ''proves that you had a valuable antique computer" doesn't it? :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 There are companies that specilise in data recovery. So out of date data storage devices and protacalls realy isn't an issue. Using cloud severs for important, but not nessisaraly sensitive documents provide one of your off site requrements, but as the rule of redundancy goes, "two is one, one is none". Two untelated off site copies and one at home fits that bill. Sensitive documents are another deal all together, as even your diary can be used against you in court. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basher Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I couldn't hazard a guess at the value of my tools... mostly bargains I have a good nose for Power hammers anvils etc,new for old would run many hundred K. always had public liability (an obligation) never contents(a choice) as my quotes were too expensive for my income. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Ian, I was not even referring or confessing to the really floppy 5 1/4" floppies that my first computer, a Sanyo MBC 555(?) used... Charles, fortunately I still have my entire archive of computers as well as the old floppies. One way or another I have brought the info forward to the current machines. I have just had to try and transfer all my domestic partners information across to her new macBook pro which does not even have a firewire connection anymore :( I had to go via a thunderbolt to firewire adapter and an external disk which had an intermediate system generation on it... Owen, I had a period of a few years when I was able to afford to insure all my kit. I was always miffed that they would not do me a deal to cover just a list of portable power and hand tools, the things most likely to be stolen, but they would only do it if I included all of the immoveable objects like power hammers lathes and presses. You would have thought someone would take it on….it is just another bet after all. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caladin Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 keep a duplicate if your photos on a cloud server, google drive has a free one "Google Drive", it was stupid easy to use, until i started organizing things in folders... or upload them to PIcasa or another photo sharing site, then when you want to look at them they are right at hand... we took pics of the houses framing before the sheetrock went up, and refer to them whenever we drill into the walls. Cal- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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