In the past I was always losing or dropping those little servo, elevator and other smaller screws onto the carpet or floor,where they would disappear into the twilight zone only to be found by the sound they make as they enter the vacuum cleaner. I have since bought a "magnetic bowl" and a telescoping "wand" that has a magnetic tip on the end to retrieve screws in hard to reach areas. They are usually available at major retailers like Sears or other hardware stores. Magnets have saved me a lot of wasted "hunting" time. In addition to salvaging parts from wrecked planes I get all the screws off of those wrecks. I use a storage jar where I have collected all the various size screws from those wrecks.
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Re: Using magnets
Tired of using pins when stick building? I lay a steel sheet on my table. Lay the plans on that and use small powerful magnets to hold things in place while gluing. A magnet on each corner of the plans holds them in place. Magnets can be bought on line. Galvanized steel sheet can be bought at any hardware store. -
Re: Using magnets
I second the magnetic bowl and wand. In addition I have a set of wire grabbers about 2ft long with a light on the end. Very handy for running wires or grabbing something out of a hard to reach area of the plane. Try looking at Harbor Freight for stuff like this as they are much cheaper. You will probably find stuff you didn't know you needed! LOL! I picked up a couple of portable work stands awhile back. They are very handy from holding planes to putting a 4x4 sheet of plywood on them for a great work table. They even come with foam for the cross members and are adjustable to a point. Here is a link to what I am talking about: http://www.harborfreight.com/200-lb-capacity-portable-work-stand-38778.htmlComment
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Re: Using magnets
Something that'll be a big help for those dropped 'eye teasers' is, get in the habit of using a workmat on your building table, made from an old (or new) cloth towel. Dropped screws don't usually bounce off to the floor, making them much easier to find. And my standard building practice is to add about an hour for picking things up I've dropped (both parts AND tools!) so, take it from ol' FatFingers here, the workmat helps. <smiley image="smiley_good.gif"/>Comment
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Re: Using magnets
I found a use for all that small bubble wrap that planes are packed in. I put it on my work table to protect my foamies from dents. It also keeps things from rolling around and getting lost. The DoctorComment
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Re: Using magnets
Ive always taken a light blue or lite coloured towel and laid it on kitchen table ,this cuts down on lost pieces, Happy building >Comment
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