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Dropped my crimper down a crawlspace vent in Louisville | Cable Installers - Vivisector

Dropped my crimper down a crawlspace vent in Louisville

I was running lines in this old house and my favorite Klein crimper slipped right out of my hand, fell through a floor register, and landed in the ductwork below. Spent 45 minutes fishing it out with a coat hanger and a magnet on a string while the homeowner watched from the kitchen. Has anyone else lost a tool in a really dumb spot and had to MacGyver it back?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_davis5mo ago

Felt that one in my bones man. That moment when you hear it clatter down into the abyss is just soul crushing. Had my good linesman pliers slide off a ladder and disappear behind a dropped ceiling tile once. Took me an hour and a half with a telescoping magnet and a lot of cussing. Those ductwork rescues are a rite of passage for anyone who works on houses, I swear.

jordan_henderson135mo ago

The worst part nobody talks about is that split second where your brain goes "maybe I don't need those back." I had a brand new set of Klein screwdrivers slide right through a floor register grate last summer. Spent a solid ten minutes convincing myself they were just gone forever and I should order new ones. Then my stubborn side kicked in and I ended up crawling through crawlspace insulation with a headlamp at 9pm just to hear them jingle when I bumped the ductwork. Found them wedged against a damn dryer vent boot. Left them there overnight and went home mad.

wells.christopher5mo ago

Oh man, I felt that clatter just reading this. Dropped my tape measure into a wall cavity once and spent 20 minutes cutting drywall to get it back, only to realize it was right behind the outlet I just pulled out. Honestly, my tool pouch should come with GPS at this point, but the coat hanger and magnet combo is a lifesaver.