A B737-700 ACFT HAD ALREADY BEEN RELEASED FOR SERVICE WHEN MECHANIC REALIZED THE HORIZONTAL STAB JACKSCREW LOCKOUT TOOL WAS STILL IN THE STAB COMPARTMENT. SUPERVISOR NOTIFIED DOWNLINE STATION; TOOL WAS REMOVED.

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FINALIZATION OF ALL PAPERWORK AND WORK WAS COMPLETE. CLOSE TO SHIFT'S END I WAS CALLED TO THE SUPVR'S OFFICE. A TOOL (HORIZ STABILIZER LOCKOUT) I CHKED OUT HAD NOT BEEN TURNED IN. I ASKED MY PARTNER I WORKED ON THE PROJECT WITH IF HE'D SEEN THE TOOL. HE ASKED ME IF I HAD LOOKED ON THE SHELF BEHIND THE JACKSCREW FOR THE TOOL. I HAD NOT. I QUICKLY WENT TO THE LINE TO SEARCH FOR THE TOOL; BUT THE ACFT WAS ALREADY GONE. WE RPTED THE SITUATION TO THE SUPVR WHO CALLED WHERE THE ACFT WAS HEADED AND LEFT SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS. UPON ARR THE TOOL WAS FOUND. 1) MY PARTNER AND I FAILED TO DO A TOOL LIST CHK-OFF. I TURNED IN SOME TOOLS AND HE TURNED IN SOME. 2) THE TOOL ROOM DISCOVERED THAT THE TOOL HAD NOT BEEN TURNED IN AT SHIFT'S END AND SAW THAT THE OTHERS WERE IN. 3) WE BOTH HAD DIFFERENT DUTIES AND DID NOT COME TOGETHER AT THE END TO DISCUSS FINALIZATION. 4) UPON CLEANING THE WORK AREA (HELL HOLE) I HAD NO IDEA THAT THE TOOL WAS PLACED ON THE SHELF BEHIND THE JACKSCREW. I DID NOT LOOK ON THE SHELF AT ALL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 759089: I WAS WORKING ON A STABILIZER JACKSCREW. ASSIGNED WITH MR X. HE WAS STARTING IN THE BACK WHILE I WAS IN THE FRONT. AFTER I WAS DONE I WENT TO THE BACK TO HELP OUT. WHEN WE WERE DONE IN THE BACK I WENT BACK TO THE FRONT TO FINISH UP WHILE MR X SAFTIED AND CLEANED UP THE BACK. AFTER WE WERE DONE THE ACFT WENT TO THE GATE. WE CLEANED UP OUR TOOLS AND WERE TURNING IN THE TOOLING WHEN WE FOUND ONE OF THE TOOLS WAS MISSING. AT THAT TIME WE WENT TO THE GATE BUT THE ACFT HAD LEFT. SO WE CALLED DOWN-LINE MAINT AND ASKED IF HE COULD LOOK FOR THE TOOL IN THE HELL HOLE. SO HE DID AND FOUND IT ON THE SHELF BEHIND THE JACKSCREW OVER THE APU. HE REMOVED IT AND SENT IT TO US. I THINK IF I WOULD HAVE CLBED IN AND LOOKED AROUND AFTER; IT MAY HAVE BEEN FOUND AND AVOIDED ALL THIS.