So This Just Happened...

[Kiwi cop]

A few weeks ago I stripped down one of my 1911's right down for a good clean. When putting it back together I couldn't find the mainspring housing pin. I knew I had put it in a plastic dish along with all the other small parts on my bench, but it was not there.

I spent an hour on hands and knees but couldn't find it. Luckily I had a spare one in my box of range parts. But darn..... I am still looking for it.

I guess it'll turn up one day, when I'm looking for something else.

 

[Krogen]

Thanks for the thread, OP; and all of you follow-uppers! I appreciate being reminded that I haven't cornered the market on dropping things, tiny bouncy things.

Perhaps my most aggravating example is the time my Ruger Bisley came apart at the range. Sproinnngggg!!! It launched the ejector guts out in the dirt forward of the line. After a bit of scouring, I found the housing, rod and spring in the gravel. But that dang screw didn't materialize. The gravel seemed to have swallowed it right up. I had given up and was packing up my stuff when I spotted it >behind< the firing line. It must have sailed past my right ear as the other stuff flew in the opposite direction.

Yeah.... Loctite, baby!

 

[steelslaver]

Maybe on of these would help.

When your shop includes a mill and a lathe, no mater how often you sweep up, a using a magnet on the floor, results in a bunch of metal slivers

 

[kozmic]

I find that setting aside an hour for a 10 minute project is usually just about right for my clumsy butt.

 

[JcMack]

I remember cuffed pants stealing my parts.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Lost a recoil spring guide out of a .45 auto once.
Looked all over, finally just ordered a new one.
A few months later noticed it wedged between two slats of the venetian blinds near the top about 8 feet away from the bench.
Those things have a mind of their own.

Ya will shoot yer eye out kid........

 

[ACORN]

When your shop includes a mill and a lathe, no mater how often you sweep up, a using a magnet on the floor, results in a bunch of metal slivers

Of course “one size doesn’t fit all”.
But not everyone has a lathe and or a mill, but everyone I know drops stuff.

 

[Krogen]

When your shop includes a mill and a lathe, no mater how often you sweep up, a using a magnet on the floor, results in a bunch of metal slivers

It can be quite an irritation to remove those slivers off the magnet. I just slip a plastic bag or piece of Saranwrap over the magnet. Pull the plastic loose and voila! the slivers drop off.

 

[Krogen]

I had a spring cap from a 1911 launch into orbit and off the walls, ceiling and wherever. It showed up almost a year later in a coffee can full of screws.

Those pesky things will take out the fluorescent lights over a bench. Uh huh, yeah . . . .

 

[tops]

It can be quite an irritation to remove those slivers off the magnet. I just slip a plastic bag or piece of Saranwrap over the magnet. Pull the plastic loose and voila! the slivers drop off.

Thank you! I didn't know that but I'll remember it. Larry

 

[wood714]

Back in December I was taking a AR apart to send the lower off to get engraved. I'm always most careful about the take down pin and safety detent and spring, but a lot of times I forget about the buffer detent and spring. It launched out with the power of a rocket engine and hit my tool box. After 5 minutes in the dreaded prayer position, I found both the spring and detent.

While I had all my tools out I thought I might as well swap out a stock and pistol grip on another AR. Same exact thing happened, but this time it rocketed into my garage door. I thought all was lost this time, but after praying a lot I found the spring behind my bike, and the detent in the bottom channel of my garage door.

I've always kept spare safety and take down springs, detents, roll pins, and trigger pins, but never had spares for the buffer. I do now!

 

[steelslaver]

I have used the plastic over the magnet trick and it works pretty good. Only mentioned the metal slivers and magnet deal because it sucks. Even once you peel off the plastic going through them to find a tiny screw or spring sucks as does getting some of them out once they are stuck in you

 

[tinkerer]

Where does one find the magical magnetic tape?

 

[LarryMNH]

Great story

I do know the prayer position.
I was installing a new trigger on one of my Tanfoglio pistols when I dropped a screw onto the filthy floor of my workbench.
I found it quickly but dropped it 5 more times ugghhh and found it every time. I guess fate didn't want me to lose this screw and let it reside with all the screws and springs I have dropped through the years.

 

[OutAtTheEdge]

Where does one find the magical magnetic tape?

Amazon, Ace Hardware...it's not hard to find

 

[Golddollar]

Now my Ludditeness is probably going to show, but for a supply of table magnets I've found that the new phone books usually have flat advertising magnets attached to them. Over the years I've collected a bunch of them and stuck them on the refrigerator. So when I'm working on the kitchen table with small metal parts I always have one of those magnets on the table. A whole bunch of these flat magnets from the phone books can be laid out on a work surface as needed.

 

[KAC]

My favorite experience was when I launched a sear depressor spring from a Colt Gold Cup. I still had pretty good hearing at the time and heard it hit the car parked next to my workbench. Looked all over, in vain. Ordered 4 from Numrich, they arrived in a week or so. Opened the envelope at the bench, looked down, and there was the spring, in perfect condition.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Oh, the joy of crawling on the floor looking for a tiny screw and finding it with your kneecap.

 

[Golddollar]

Oh, the joy of crawling on the floor looking for a tiny screw and finding it with your kneecap.

My problem would be trying to get up after I found it.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Pain is a great motivator.