Cheap lanyard

[thehomeengineer]

Hi All
I often put things down in the workshop and subsequently can’t find it. Over the years and with a bit more experience, I have learned to attach pieces when ever possible that can easily lost. Often these items are placed in that safe place and never to be found, until you have given up and no longer looking for it and there it was all the time

Chain is a favourite to secure pieces. But chain isn’t cheap and it is surprisingly how much you can get through.

So a solution to this is bicycle brake cable and electrical ring terminals. The price of a new cable is considerably cheaper than chain and ring terminals are penny’s.

Also a bike shop will happily give you old cable’s they have replaced.

The photos below show the lanyards with knurled thumb nuts.



The cable also doesn’t get tangled when rotating the thumb nut unlike some chain.

Thank you for viewing
The Home Engineer

[DIYer]

Thanks thehomeengineer! We've added your Lanyard to our Storage and Organization category,
as well as to your builder page: thehomeengineer's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Lanyard by thehomeengineer

tags: storage, fixture

[Philip Davies]

Certainly, things are lost daily, and with a bit more self-discipline, it would happen less frequently. If trained when young, it might be possible to put tools away as you go, but being so intent on the process, it’s like running a race, focusing on the finish, not noticing the surroundings. But I am not sure what you are securing, Andy, is it the knurled nut? I use a little leather cup, which is for farriers’ nails - when I remember!

[thehomeengineer]

Hi Philip
yes the two bits of angle bolt under my saw to the frame and support a coolant drip tray. The Knurled nuts simply lock the tray in position. When the tray needs cleaning the nuts are removed. I know I will put them down and lose one if not both. I will be added a post on the complete coolant system soon.

You are correct, I should be more organised and put things away as I go but bad habit’s!
It’s funny when I tidy up I can never find anything either. Can see more lanyards being needed
All the best
Andy

[katy]

Neat idea, I'll keep it in mind, if and when.

[thehomeengineer]

Thumb nut in place holding coolant drip tray in place

[clavius]

I have done this on a few things, it is particularly handy for things that get used when working away from the shop. I never thought to use old bike brake cable, that's a nice "up-cycling" idea.

Amongst other duties, I used to design and build field service tool kits for a place I worked. There was some equipment that had covers used to close off vacuum and water connection ports for shipping and storage. If those covers were not tethered to the gear, they would inevitably vanish by the time the project was done.

This reminds me that I need to add something like these to the little caps on the vents on my gas cans. I seem to always set then down while I am dispensing the fuel and either knock them under whatever I'm fueling with my foot, or I put it "right here so I'll know where it is" and then a worm hole to some other dimension opens in that precise spot, swallowing the cap.

[thehomeengineer]

Hi Clavius
Glad you found the lanyards useful.
I will be checking out for worm holes in the future

Thank you again
The Home Engineer

[Toolmaker51]

Worm holes lol; any recommendation for lanyard length?

[thehomeengineer]

Hi Toolmaker51
Depends how deep the worm hole is! I am still waiting to find one in my workshop, but once this rare hole has been located I will post the recommended length needed for the lanyards. It might even need to be come a British Standard. Thank you for your post
The Home Engineer