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c/cable-installerscole_murphycole_murphy7d agoProlific Poster

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?
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3 Comments
evan_davis
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.
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jordan_henderson13
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.
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wells.christopher
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.
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