Speedo66
Member
Might be yours, those things can travel pretty far.
Kitchen Table Gunsmithing Hazards
- Thread starter wiscoaster
- Start date
- Status
I knew it!
vintovka
Member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2020
- Messages
- 902
First thing in the shops I have setup in the past are "skirts" along the bottoms edges of every bench, cabinet, machine stand or anywhere sneaky parts can run or hide. This is due to an event 4 decades ago, Was restoring a very rare, early S&W American and the hand flat "disappeared:. Being near impossible to replace, we spent better half of a week looking. When finally found It had made it under an adjacent bench right behind a leg. The skirts and judicious use of those small metal trays with the magnetic bottoms have reduced all the loss of parts (except those that fly up and land on the top of the hanging lights.)
dh1633pm
Contributing Member
The biggest hazard is making a mark on the table or getting it dirty. Raising the wrath of your spouse.
wiscoaster
Member
I put down a work surface made from a 2x4 fiberboard handi-panel cut to match the tabletop outline.
A few months back I was building two AR lowers, and when I got to the front take down pin I launched two of the detents, I made an attempt to find them but gave up after a while. I did have a few extras so I was able to finish.
I have since made up a detent installing tool and have not lost any detents again.
About two weeks ago I was loading some .45 ACP and dropped a primed case on the floor it rolled under my loading bench, when I bent down to pick it up I found both of the detents!
entropy
Member
Funny how that happens. When I'm between projects I clear out underneath my smithing bench and sweep, then run a magnet over the pile. I usually at least find one small part. +1 on making a detent install tool repurposed an old feeler gauge by bending the tip 90 deg. after shaping it. I learned how to get them in without one in Armorer school, but it's faster with the tool, and it ttok me 2 minutes to make it. You need one thin enough to work there, but thick enough to not break when bent.
tlynch
Member
If I wanted to think about spring cleaning, I wouldn't be reading the internet.
EMC45
Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2008
- Messages
- 1,941
I actually found a E-Clip from a deep sea reel I took apart last summer on the floor of the shop. No clue where it went when it jumped from the stud, but it was long gone. I was in the shop today with my son (he's the reason I tore it down) and looked down and it was right there on the floor. Strange. Same thing happened to a knife spring I lost when putting an auto knife back together. I lost that spring and made a new one. Lo and behold it showed up about 8 months later....
d2wing
Member
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2008
- Messages
- 6,419
I am lucky, I have my own room to lose parts in. I lost a retaining washer that I thought was in my hand yesterday. I found a replacement for $10. I have cabinets and junk sitting around. I don't know how it got beyond the mat on the floor but I can't find it. My wife seems to not mind me working in there as opposed to watching tv.
BLACKHAWKNJ
Member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2007
- Messages
- 1,122
That's what they make magnets for. I have several plastic plates from microwave meals that make great small parts holders, bought several packages of magnets at the hardware store. I made a work board,28"x20",heavy plywood covered by white Contact paper, made it to fit on top of my stove-which is a good work area, has an overhead light.
PonyKiller
Member
If it makes you feel any better, I overhauled an automatic transmission once and was left with a spare check ball. I pulled the valve body back out looking for where I missed it... I reread the overhaul instructions afterwards.......blablabla. Improvements blablabla check ball "4" no longer needed. Sunofagun. Was not a happy camper that day
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
