Tips, Tricks of the trade, etc.?

Tell me how you keep from losing small parts. I know the little containers work well, like fly boxes, screw/nut boxes, etc. and I use them. Other ideas?

I use 35mm film containers for some things, like holding/storing gold shavings and scraps, until I have enough to recycle
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When you drop a little part on the floor, what is your immediate reaction? For me, I try to do nothing but watch it to see where it falls and follow it with my eye until it stops. Moving my feet out of the way helps aviod a ricochet off of the foot and into the farthest corner of the shop. If you can watch the fall and the path, you can often keep an eye on it until it stops, rather than scrambling after it and losing sight of the little bounder.

Just a random thought on this New Year's Day of 2002. (There, I wrote 2002 for the first time and didn't even write 2001 instead.) Well, now I did, I guess. Have a great and safe one.

Any little tricks, or tips could be added below, and they'd be appreciated, I know.

Just FYI, the next post will be number 900 on the SRJ Forum. Man, that's a lot of talkin'! Hope it wa sworth everyone's time, certainly was for me. Thanks!

Great post, Steve, and I'm glad to know I'm not alone. My natural reaction when I drop a small part (ALL the time, by the way) is to shut my eyes tight and screech. Much more productive to keep them open and try to watch it.

In truth, I wind up calling my wife about half the time- she has a better eye for these things than I do, and often will go right to it after I have been loking for it for 5 or 10 minutes.

I use small drawers, tiny zip-lock bags, film cannisters, or anything else that will allow me to keep things organized and secure. I too recycle gold clippings/sweeps, and I have a couple of drawers of ivory and mother of pearl cutoffs that I use for beads, inlays, and other small projects.

By the way, my Torit dust collector is up and running, and I am very pleased with its efficiency and its sound level.

Happy new year to all!

I have a couple of things I do. First I keep small parts like screw, taps and drill bits together by putting them in the large Tabasco bottles. All 2-56 screws, 2-56 taps and #50 drills are all in the same tabasco bottle. I do that with most things, keep all of the associated items together so I don't have to look for them.

I also took a large cookie sheet and epoxied two big strong magnets under it. When I need something out fo the Tabasco bottle I just our the contents of the bottle into the cookie sheet. "MOST" things will stick to the magnets and will keep them from going anywhere. I have a metal desk in my shop and the cookie tray just stickes to the desk. When you drop something either the magnet stops it from bouncing away or the cookie tray catches it.

But that's just me.

Great ideas, guys. Thanks for clueing us in.

Don, I'm very happy that dust collector is working well. I was afraid that it might be too small. But, hey, if the clothes are cleaner, I'm happy! I think you'll enjoy it. It really isn't that noisy. Wife's opinion?

Would you mind posting a folow-up on the original thread, when you have time, of course.

Bob, Tabasco bottles, hmmm, neat idea? Keeping everything of the same size in one bottle makes sense. The magnets and cookie sheet sound like a good idea.

Thanks again.

I just bought a small desk drawer organizer that has a low profile and different size compartments. I am experimenting with it to store folders in progress. Bolsters and screws have their own compartment, spine and screws has its own compartment, etc. I will see how it works over time.

I store my sheet sandpaper in stackable plastic file holders (you knwo, in box/out box kind of thing) and that works great. It saves space and they are all in size order so I don't fumble around looking for them.

Since I don't have a compressor, I use canned air to clean stuff and get into the small places. It works really well with wood. After I have sanded a set of scales to almost finished, I blast the wood with the canned air, and it cleans out any cracks or crevasses that might be hidden by dust. Fill with superglue, and I know there won't be any surprises down the road.

I store my sandpaper like Dogman. I have learned over time that it is best to store the paper grit down so you don't get any "BIG" grinding dust on the really fine stuff.

Another suggestion that I saw somewhere was to mount a sheet of plywood to the ceiling and attach baby food jars. You can just look through the bottom of the jars for what you want, unscrew it and take the jar down. I have about 50 jars that I got from a friend and will be trying this soon.

The desktop organizer sounds like a good idea. Especially since I have a heavy metal desk in the shop.

Also, Dogman I don't know how you live without an air compressor. Do we need to takeup a collection to get you one?

Sure, and while you are at it, but me a heat treat oven, a surface grinder, a mill, another disk sander, a Hardcore Grinder...

Personally, I think canned air is a great idea.

Thanks, Bob & Bob. Looking for some plastic letter trays.

The bottles would almost work on a wall, too, unless you filled the bottles too full.....Interesting.

I have more tips here www.warnerknives.com/shoptips.htm

I like the golf balls for file handles and automotive air conditioner clutches used as electromagnetic chucks.

Thanks a million, Bob! Super suggestions.

Everybody: Go to his "Tips" site. It is very interesting and well worth the time. I like that golf ball idea and willl be trying it out. Read the respirator tip.
Here it is again:

www.warnerknives.com/shoptips.htm

When working withn small parts on a folder I work over a rubber car mat the type that has the square pattern on it. When you drop one of the parts it is bound to be trapped in one of the squares.

Baby food jars make good see through containers.
Screw the lids to an overhanging shelf and the jars attatch in an out of the way place.Make rows for storage that is easily seen and gotten to.
Just look up to find the 1/8 rivets, and unscrew the jar for easy access, when finished, just screw the jar back in place overhead and out of the way.

Tupperware! you can get all sorts of size and you can see what's inside. I use them to store motor parts after washing, but before assembly. masking tape and a marker to label anything going into long term storage!

Hope my wife doesn't read that, Jerry....