Losing a tiny part

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Is that the worst or what? My leaf blower impeller broke, so ordered a new one. Of course when I took it apart I lost the F*%&ing washer (which is a special shape, rectangular in the middle). Had to order that little sunovabitch for $10 online.



Still cheaper than a brand new leaf blower but man, not by much.

 

[58Yeoman]

I know what you mean. I bought a floor model drill press at an estate sale and didn't get the chuck key. Geez...you think anyone in central IL sells the size I needed? No, it cost $5 online with $8 shipping.

Then, there's the electric chain saw trimmer where the plastic locking handle broke on the extension handle. You think Remington sells just the flip lever? No, nothing is available except a whole new saw. Screw that, I put a hose clamp on it.

 

[raddksn]

Is that the worst or what? My leaf blower impeller broke, so ordered a new one. Of course when I took it apart I lost the F*%&ing washer (which is a special shape, rectangular in the middle). Had to order that little sunovabitch for $10 online.



Still cheaper than a brand new leaf blower but man, not by much.

the bad part is you'll find that washer right AFTER you install the replacement!

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I know what you mean. I bought a floor model drill press at an estate sale and didn't get the chuck key. Geez...you think anyone in central IL sells the size I needed? No, it cost $5 online with $8 shipping.

Then, there's the electric chain saw trimmer where the plastic locking handle broke on the extension handle. You think Remington sells just the flip lever? No, nothing is available except a whole new saw. Screw that, I put a hose clamp on it.

I was thinking about some sort of hack replacement washer glued or soldered on, but I didn't trust it as the part abuts the impeller which runs at an extremely high rate of speed. My instinct is that ordered the correct part will save me frustration later.

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

the bad part is you'll find that washer right AFTER you install the replacement!

Of course!

 

[James-W]

Talking about losing things, my two young grandchildren lost my fob with keys. It was on the counter and apparently they found it and played with it. Of course they left it, or put it, somewhere else and I could not find it. That cost me a little over $100 with tax to get a new one. Needless to say I was not a happy camper. That was a little over a year ago and to this day I still haven't found it. I figure some day I will find it after I have gotten rid of the car.

 

[mikegt4]

Talking about losing things, my two young grandchildren lost my fob with keys. It was on the counter and apparently they found it and played with it. Of course they left it, or put it, somewhere else and I could not find it. That cost me a little over $100 with tax to get a new one. Needless to say I was not a happy camper. That was a little over a year ago and to this day I still haven't found it. I figure some day I will find it after I have gotten rid of the car.

If your grand children are like my great grand children it went down the toilet.

 

[NUTTSGT]

There are times that I have dropped a small part and can't find it too. I'll drop another small piece of whatever and watch where it goes. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn't.

 

[coljar]

And then there's that tiny spring. You hear it quietly hit somewhere as it goes flying, but you can't quite figure out which direction.

 

[Outlander]

I drop everything

 

[Katodog]

The worst thing about dropping small parts is the mental quandary you go through trying to decide "Should I move all of this **** to look for it, or go to the parts bin for a different one???". Worst part is when you really need the part so you spend a shitload of time looking for it, only to find that it fell into the laces of your shoe.

I've tried the "drop something else" trick...it only causes me to lose two parts instead of one.

Springs?? Holy ****, forget about that, the spring is gone brother, you stand better odds jumping into a volcano and coming out alive before you'll find that spring.


My boss has a phrase that I've adopted, and I find myself saying it a lot..."Damned gravity".

 

[wrench409]

I thought everybody knew what a Jesus Clip was.....

 

[FullRaceMerc]

My brother refers to "All the little green men came running out" when you open stuff up & parts get away.

All too familiar with the situation. I actually have a piece of plywood at home & another at work with a little "fence" around the perimeter for those occasions when it's likely to happen. I call it the "little green men" fence.

 

[Corndoggeh]

When I first started getting into fixing my truck I only had a metric set to begin with for sockets. I lost the 19mm socket that was for my lug nuts on the wheels which I had already taken off. I spent over an hour looking for it and couldn't find it and ended up having to wait 3 hours for my girlfriend to come back from work so I could go get another one being that the closest store was 4 miles away and it was 95 F out. I got back with the new one and once everything was done and put away I found the old one on a spare ratchet on the back of my workbench.

 

[Farmall 1066]

Several years ago, my 3 year old son ran off with a special $28 jam nut while I was working on my swather. Had to have one, had to order it and lost 2 days good haying weather.
Few days later, wife tells me washing machine is making a clunking sound. Found the damn thing in his pants pocket!

 

[WVBrady]

Is that the worst or what? My leaf blower impeller broke, so ordered a new one. Of course when I took it apart I lost the F*%&ing washer (which is a special shape, rectangular in the middle). Had to order that little sunovabitch for $10 online.



Still cheaper than a brand new leaf blower but man, not by much.

Was it ferro-magnetic? I have trolled with a magnet on a stick and found many things.

 

[Flail]

Keep a swarf magnet in the shop for these occassions. Ive been fairly succcessful walking a grid pattern swing the magnet back and forth over the gravel. Often come up with all sorts of **** that dangerous to the tires and frequently find the lost part.

 

[Pathfinders]

I thought everybody knew what a Jesus Clip was.....

Learned what a Jesus ring was almost 40 years ago from my father.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

You don't even know how many miniscule black machine screws I've lost over the years building radio control models. Helicopters have some REALLY thiny set screws...

Tommy

 

[Mechtech]

The best method I use to find small parts is a strong flashlight. Start about twice as far away as you think it bounced then hold the light next to the floor and sweep the beam. ANY object on the floor will cast a shadow and small metal parts will reflect as well. Works really well for finding 0-80 1/8 in machine screws. This let's you cover large areas quickly with little movement.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

The best method I use to find small parts is a strong flashlight. Start about twice as far away as you think it bounced then hold the light next to the floor and sweep the beam. ANY object on the floor will cast a shadow and small metal parts will reflect as well. Works really well for finding 0-80 1/8 in machine screws. This let's you cover large areas quickly with little movement.

I used to do that until I bought a magnetic floor sweeper...

Tommy

 

[Mechtech]

I used to do that until I bought a magnetic floor sweeper...

Tommy

Unfortunately most of the stuff I work with is small, expensive, and non magnetic.

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Well who called it? I was leaving to go get coffee looked down on the ground and there it was.

 

[Slycox]

Well who called it? I was leaving to go get coffee looked down on the ground and there it was.

Now you have a spare!

Worst part I ever lost was a needle for the carbs on my bike, soaked them and then stepped outside to blow them off with the air compressor, shot that thing out of my fingers and it went flying into the grass. Spent an hour on crawling through and nothing rented a metal detector and found out just how much metal is buried in the yard, finally found the damn thing after about 3 hours of crawling through the grass.

 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Luckily I sent a cancellation notice to Amazon, hopefully it goes through.

Leaf blower works great now, without that washer the impeller just sat on the housing and was wearing down.

 

[Lee Celtic]

This is why my uncle says "never paint a garage floor grey, you'll never find a screw or nut on a grey floor." He also says British and American nuts and bolts bounce less than the Japanese stuff.

I'll do a drop test tomorrow..

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Always keep a strong magnet with a long handle in the shop. I've recovered many tiny parts I thought were gone, even stuff that fell in the cracks in the floor.

 

[jwh]

This is why my uncle says "never paint a garage floor grey, you'll never find a screw or nut on a grey floor." He also says British and American nuts and bolts bounce less than the Japanese stuff.

I'll do a drop test tomorrow..

I had a chance to help design a shop many years ago. I suggested a solid color tile floor so dropped parts would be easy to find. Boss agreed. Engineer agreed.

Guess what - They couldn't find anyone who made solid color floor tiles.

Dang.

John

 

[jhelrey]

I lost a float needle for a carb for a chainsaw. Looked all over the garage floor and could not find it. A friend also looked. I walked something to the opposite side of the garage and there it was on the floor in front of my truck. No clue how in the hell it got that far, but it did. I'm sure using compressed air didn't help.

 

[DIC]

I hate looking for something I lost.... Its usually found the last place you look

 

[srr]

Magnet trays and a pre-cleaned work area are your friends! I was putting together a timing belt job on my sons Honda Civic and lost the key to the crank pulley into the kitty litter under the car, a few sweeps with one of the "Magnet brooms" with wheels and there it was! Can't believe I found it.

 

[KDXSR5]

The worst for me is when I think I have dropped/lost/knocked off the bench a part/tool and end up searching the whole garage and house for said piece only to find that I stuck it in my pocket to keep it safe.

 

[mikeceli]

I thought everybody knew what a Jesus Clip was.....

You and I do.

(Why I advocate against other than light , solid colored flooring in work areas. IE NO Decorative Chips)

 

[bwringer]

Worst part I ever lost was a needle for the carbs on my bike, soaked them and then stepped outside to blow them off with the air compressor, shot that thing out of my fingers and it went flying into the grass. Spent an hour on crawling through and nothing rented a metal detector and found out just how much metal is buried in the yard, finally found the damn thing after about 3 hours of crawling through the grass.

I did the same with carbs from a friend's bike. Blowing out a pilot jet and "fwip" -- it sailed off into a very busy corner of my garage.

Luckily, we have an awesome vintage motorcycle parts shop nearby, so I replaced the part for a couple of bucks the next day and life went on.

About five years later, I was sweeping up and guess what finally rolled out of hiding?

 

[gungatim]

Did something similar.

first time I did an opti-spark on an Lt-1 vette. lost the coupler for the water pump to opti drive shaft. it's just a little 1" long splined tube...had to order from the dealer and was down for a week waiting (there are 2 styles, they got the wrong one). got it back together and found it 6 mths. later while sweeping up....

 

[blacksporty]

Little C-clip while re-jetting a motorcycle carb, the night before the ride. Ride over befoe it started.


Yes, I bought 3 new ones. One for the carb, one for the tool box (taped to the side) and one for the gearbag.

 

[jumbojak]

Ah yes, Jesus clips... anybody know where to order the tabbed type? Like on an SK ratchet? The bane of my existence.

 

[ChaseDE]

losing or breaking a small part is the worst. when i did the heater core on my mercedes i had to take out a million screws, bolts, steering wheel, airbags, plugs, etc to get the core out. i am almost done demo and im not sure if it was already broke or i broke it but the tiny spring that puts tension on the outside air circ door was broken.

i could not after many hours online find it for sale single. i didnt want to call the dealer because i hate the dealer and its an old part, im sure they dont have them. so i went to HD and bought on that "looked" right for the job. it works but now when i turn the recirc off i get a decently loud THUD because the door has just a touch more spring then it used to haha.

 

[egnorant]

I have learned! I fix stuff (or fail sometimes), but a lot is really small. Last week it was a horn button for a 91 Mustang. I could have paid $35.00 and waited 2 days, but I was going to try fixing it first. Got out my 8 by 11 pan and went at it! Cut the spring in the pan wrapped in a towel, use tiny files rather than the Dremel, little plastic parts stuck to a piece of scotch tape (NOT Duct Tape). Bout an hour, works great, only dropped 1 plastic part and just made another!

Bruce

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I thought everybody knew what a Jesus Clip was.....

Learned what a Jesus ring was almost 40 years ago from my father.

You and I do.

(Why I advocate against other than light , solid colored flooring in work areas. IE NO Decorative Chips)

And me. That's the clip for the castellated nut on the rear axle of just about any motorcycle. If you lose it or forget to put it back, you may just end up yelling "Jeeeeezus!!" inside your helmet.

Tommy