I've been doing my own gunsmithing on my revolvers for about 40 years and have gotten pretty good at it. Unfortunately I'm getting old and I end up not being able to handle the small parts anymore. I shake too much do to my Parkinsons.

The last time I worked on my Model 617 I took the cylinder apart and ended up losing the extractor rod collar. I even searched my bench and floor with a magnet but couldn't find that little piece.

I needed to add a .002 head space bearing and after installing it I couldn't finish the job without ordering a new collar from Numbrich Arms.

Today I took the now completed revolver out to the range and what a joy. It fired every round I put through it. No misfires with any ammo. It had been getting picky with some ammo lately.

You can work on things inside of a 1 or 2 gallon zip lock bag to keep from losing small parts. The bag is clear so you can see through it to see what you're doing. If a part goes flying in the bag, you just pick up the top and look along the bottom for the part.

You can also use an apron that's attached to the edge of the bench and around your neck to catch anything that goes off the edge.

Putting your parts in a magnetic tray will keep them from disappearing from your workbench.

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NRA Benefactor

I use one of these 4" Magnetic Parts Tray. They have several sizes.

Anyone who uses a sonic toothbrush (Phillips Sonicare, etc.) - when the brush needs changing, keep it for cleaning tight spots. More importantly, there are two small but very powerful magnets in there that can be removed. Every time I disassemble a firearm, i stick the small parts to one or two of them and they're so strong, the parts will stick to the other parts already on. Very handy & free. The one gallon bag trick works great, especially for Ruger DA trigger groups. There are a couple little bottle rockets in those.

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Jeb

I have the same issues, but it seems to me its more of a thing with the floor of my garage. I believe it eats anything I drop on it. it has to. I have dropped things, saw where they fell or bounced to and then when I went to get it, its gone! Its getting to the point now that anything small that falls I dont look for anymore because its a waste of time! lol A few weeks ago I was cleaning my Glock G-19 and decided to take the slide apart to get in all the little nooks and crannies but when I removed the back plate I forgot to put my finger over it to catch the little spring loaded bearing... lol I heard it hit something on the other side of the garage so I knew which way it flew but after about 30 minutes of searching, sweeping, moving stuff... I gave up and went on Ebay and ordered a new one.. lol

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my short signature.

It's a law of the Universe that any small parts that get away must get as far back as possible under the most immovable object in the room.

This reminds me of my late Dad's "Theory of Expanding Matter". He believed (and there is plentiful evidence he was correct) that matter expands to fill all available space.

He would demonstrate this by asking, "Do you have, or know anyone else who has, closet space this isn't full?".

I keep a large stash of small springs and detents on hand for several common firearms. Honestly, I've ever had one go flying or get lost. Maybe I'm just that good or maybe I just have good luck. Either way, they're there if I need them. I mostly give them out to friends and relatives when they call me up after they've lost something.

I did lose a tiny spring from my airbrush in the garage once. It didn't go flying but simply fell off the work bench right at my feet. Searched for that thing for about an hour and never found it. Ran a magnet everywhere, placed my face flat against the garage floor with a flashlight, even tried using the shop vac in the cracks between the concrete sections. No luck. I'm pretty sure that spring just vaporized when it hit the floor.

lol the spring could have bounced up and into your shoe...lol check your house where you take your shoes off next time... hey, you never know!

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my short signature.

Yep: IMO: Every house has a hidden parts location known only to the Gun God where small parts go to fine peace and quiet! The only time these parts can be found is long after you've sold or traded the gun!
Jim

I recently discovered, in my scientific readings, that under any surface used as a work area, there exists, at about 1mm off the floor, a webwork of randomly distributed, planar gateways to the 8th dimension. If one loses sight of any flying part, even for as little as 27 microseconds, it's sufficient time for the part to transition to the 8th. May Heaven, Albert Einstein, and John M. Browning protect us !

Larry

I have always used two magnets. One a larger round magnet that works well as a paper weight for the very smallest parts. The second a magnetic tape strip about 18" long by 2" wide. They both keep parts from disappearing.

One of the best tools I ever bought was a 3 inch diameter magnet with a handle. It's saved me a lot of time, sweat & tears as well as money.

That said, much of the stainless used in firearms isn't magnetic, so the magnet is useless. A clean floor and bench (don't look at either of mine) and bright lights are the best solution there. The itty bitty parts do tend to land on top. Last week I was making base plate latches for magazines and lost two of the brass studs I was making to lock the base plate to the latch. Maybe someday whoever buys my house will find them and wonder what they are.

I have used carpet to cover my bench for years, so any parts don't bounce when dropped or roll away. Still doesn't help with the occasional spring the seems to have a mind of it's own and fly's off to places unknown to man.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I was tinkering with my first GP 100, using a TV tray covered with a white towel o Dr it as my bench. I was in the living room with the wife while she watched TV. I became aware of the Ruger having a pawl spring and detent, only as I was reassembling it.

Yep, apparently it launched as I was removing the pawl, without me noticing. The wife was kind enough to help me search for it, even with us flipping the couch over we couldn't find it. She grumbled a little when she learned that it was $10 to correct my stupidity.

Well about 3 weeks later (gun is fixed), she approached me with her right hand closed around something, and said "Here, you owe me $10 bucks." She had found them, both still together, about 12' from where I was working. I told her I didn't need it but would store it for her in case I ever did that again.

Keep looking, it will show up as soon as you replace it. LOL!

Invisible aliens lurk around work benches. When small parts fall off or springs take wings, they snatch them up. The ingenious part is they sell them back to us on e-bay. Sorry, it's the best I got. Hardcase60

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You want me to do what?

At 70, I know of your experience I love working on my revolvers but share your problems. So I've set up my little "gun smithing" area in our utility room. I've set up good lighting over our large and deep utility sink, which is surrounded by a nice sized working counter. I swing the tap out of the way, plug and cover the drain, and do all the dis-assembly and re-assembly in the sink, sometimes using a freezer bag for catching springs. I put all the small parts in separate containers in a "pill tray" with snap lids . Now what were we discussing ??

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John

One thing I came up with- Use one of those large clear dry cleaning garment covers you get when you pick up your dry cleaning. Much larger to see through and work in than a Ziploc. Don't ask me how I know this......

I always believed that left over parts was a sign of efficiency.

Years ago , one of the newer armorers was assembling a 4506, and the guide rod and spring (full length spring)went flying, we found the spring it hadn't gone far but couldn't find the rod.
As I was the night guy, one of my jobs was to empty out the trash cans at EOW. When I dumped a can in the front office, I heard a clunk, there was the rod . It had flown through the door from the shop room , into the front office, hit the wall , and bounced back, into a small office garbage can placed in the middle of the front office. If you tried for months you couldnt do it again.
I finally decided small gun parts are like little animals, they find a way to go to the most secluded, hidden,out of the way habitat that they can find. They just don't want to be trapped back in that gun.