My Name Is Duh...
- Thread starter GitSome45
- Start date
- Status
MarineTech
Member
I once made the mistake of trying to replace the rear sight assembly on my old Dan Wesson 715-2 from the old all black rear sight to the newer ones with the white line around the rear sight notch. Bought the whole new assembly from DW including springs and pins.
Did the amatuer gunsmithing at my desk in the "den". Got the pin out of the old sight and promptly lost the original spring. No problem, got 2 more with the new one. Got the new sight all settled in with the springs in place and was just starting to tap the pin into place when I slipped. "SPROING" 2 new springs and the pin disappear. Get down on my hands and knees to look for the bits mumbling profanities all the time. Told myself "How difficult can it be to find 4 black parts on a white and tan Berber carpet?" Answer: Utterly impossible. Even went over the entire carpet with a magnet and couldn't find them. Ended up using the original roll pin and a couple similar springs from my bits box.
Did the amatuer gunsmithing at my desk in the "den". Got the pin out of the old sight and promptly lost the original spring. No problem, got 2 more with the new one. Got the new sight all settled in with the springs in place and was just starting to tap the pin into place when I slipped. "SPROING" 2 new springs and the pin disappear. Get down on my hands and knees to look for the bits mumbling profanities all the time. Told myself "How difficult can it be to find 4 black parts on a white and tan Berber carpet?" Answer: Utterly impossible. Even went over the entire carpet with a magnet and couldn't find them. Ended up using the original roll pin and a couple similar springs from my bits box.
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
MarineTech's Springs
When tiny springs take off, the invisible spring fairy
collect's all of'em and re-sells'em to the wholesaler. This
is a little-known hard fact that the professional smiths
have been aware of for years. If you lose one and find
it again, it's because the fairy was busy somewhere else,
and couldn't get right on it when she heard it "sproing".
Gunsmiths Dictum:
If a spring is too small to be clearly visible on a carpet at
a distance of 20 feet, it's best to order spares in 5-packs.
Note: Apply this dictum to pins as well.
Take heart, lad! You're in good company.
Tuner
When tiny springs take off, the invisible spring fairy
collect's all of'em and re-sells'em to the wholesaler. This
is a little-known hard fact that the professional smiths
have been aware of for years. If you lose one and find
it again, it's because the fairy was busy somewhere else,
and couldn't get right on it when she heard it "sproing".
Gunsmiths Dictum:
If a spring is too small to be clearly visible on a carpet at
a distance of 20 feet, it's best to order spares in 5-packs.
Note: Apply this dictum to pins as well.
Take heart, lad! You're in good company.
Tuner
sm
member
A stolen Tip:
dfarriswheel...where are you??
I have a cylindrical pc of steel about 1" in dia, about 2" long, there is a hole running lengthwise and a looong pc of rawhide that runs through it. It's magnetized <click -light bulb on>
Think of a wooden spool thread used to come on.
Old trick of watchmakers, itty bitty parts will hide right in front one's nose. So tocheck for parts one "rolls" this magnet along the floor...even standing up if rawhide is long enough. Roll an area and check. I like this better than the store bought ones, simply because it rolls and the magnetism is a bunch stronger.
I secured one for my gunsmith 20 yrs ago. Strong and mobile enough to get behind filing cabinets and underneath and way back to the wall from a milling machine.
you can even pick up a revolver dropped in a fishing pond...
make one or take a seasoned watchmaker out and buy him lunch...
dfarriswheel...where are you??
I have a cylindrical pc of steel about 1" in dia, about 2" long, there is a hole running lengthwise and a looong pc of rawhide that runs through it. It's magnetized <click -light bulb on>
Think of a wooden spool thread used to come on.
Old trick of watchmakers, itty bitty parts will hide right in front one's nose. So tocheck for parts one "rolls" this magnet along the floor...even standing up if rawhide is long enough. Roll an area and check. I like this better than the store bought ones, simply because it rolls and the magnetism is a bunch stronger.
I secured one for my gunsmith 20 yrs ago. Strong and mobile enough to get behind filing cabinets and underneath and way back to the wall from a milling machine.
you can even pick up a revolver dropped in a fishing pond...
make one or take a seasoned watchmaker out and buy him lunch...
Several. The most memorablelwas a small detent out of a browning .22 semi auto rifle. I crawled around the floor for 30 minutes trying to find it- and didn't. I ordered a new one and forgot about it. About a month later, I walked into my "gun room" and it was laying in the middle of the floor right in front of my work bench. It's the Gremlins I tell ya.
saddenedcitizen
Member
Actually the cardboard box is a good idea
Used to disassemble carburators this way (cause the big 4 barrels
got a WHOLE BUNCH of little things in'em that go 'SPROING' and
fire them selves into orbit !!)
Box about 15-20 inches on a side - set it on the bench (table, floor
whatever) - cut a hole in each end to put your arms through, cover the
top with saran wrap (so you can see what your doing) and if something
does 'fly off' the chances are REAL GOOD (not guarenteed) the part is in
the box.
I really liked the 'how do you fit in the box ?' question !! ROFLMAO !
BUT I COULD fit into an old refridgerator box and eliminate using
the saran wrap ;-)
Used to disassemble carburators this way (cause the big 4 barrels
got a WHOLE BUNCH of little things in'em that go 'SPROING' and
fire them selves into orbit !!)
Box about 15-20 inches on a side - set it on the bench (table, floor
whatever) - cut a hole in each end to put your arms through, cover the
top with saran wrap (so you can see what your doing) and if something
does 'fly off' the chances are REAL GOOD (not guarenteed) the part is in
the box.
I really liked the 'how do you fit in the box ?' question !! ROFLMAO !
BUT I COULD fit into an old refridgerator box and eliminate using
the saran wrap ;-)
- Status
