A trick for finding lost parts in the carpet

[bellarum]

I have had springs, screws, fall onto the carpet and spent a fair amount of time looking for them. I was just out in my garage and saw my little 3' magnetized Empire bubble level stuck to the side of my garage fridge and thought that it would make a great way to try and recover small lost parts by covering a 3' area at a time.
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[Redcap]

I find walking in the area barefoot at night, especially when drunk, to be absolutely the best way to find small metal objects in the carpet.

 

[SVT-ROY]

Ahh good magnet coverage! Last month I lost an AR15 detent and while searching for it I found a nano spring I had lost while doing a frame swap to FDE.

 

[Mikej]

I don't remember if it was on a you tube video or on a thread here, but doing the assemble/disassemble in a clear plastic bag sounds like a great trick.

 

[PiratePast40]

Back in the day when there were toddlers in the house, I found many hot wheels and legos with my bare feet and in the dark. Painful and happy memories.

 

[erudne]

I don't remember if it was on a you tube video or on a thread here, but doing the assemble/disassemble in a clear plastic bag sounds like a great trick.

That's my trick. I also use clear plastic sheeting when working on large items

 

[Mark W.]

When you finally catch the annoying neighbor kid with the BOOM BOX car tear one of the huge magnets off the back of one of the woofers and use that.

I went a different route which has worked wonderfully. In my office/man cave/hobby room I tore the carpet out and laid down a brand new layer of 3/4" particle board Puttied up the seams and then put 4 coats of Lt Gray Polyurethane floor paint on it. Now if a screw (and I work on cameras that have screws the size of a sugar ant) any screw falls on the floor it takes seconds to find it.

I'm going to do this to the floor in my reloading area as well (its already not carpet for obvious reasons) when I put the little room through a complete remodel next winter.

 

[Provincial]

To find a part on the floor, dim the lights and get your eye down as close to floor level as possible, then shine a powerful flashlight as low as possible parallel to the floor surface. Anything that sticks up will show up clearly. My mother taught me this when I was quite young.

 

[fredball]

I have had springs, screws, fall onto the carpet and spent a fair amount of time looking for them. I was just out in my garage and saw my little 3' magnetized Empire bubble level stuck to the side of my garage fridge and thought that it would make a great way to try and recover small lost parts by covering a 3' area at a time.
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what a great idea,
my granddaughter works good to her eyes are brand new and can see all sorts of stuff in all kinds of areas

 

[JRuby]

Found a sewing needle once while running across the living room throw rug - dad tried to pull it out but ended up in the emergency room. Still remember that like yesterday and it was almost 40 years ago.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

I use a magnet too. The base for a dial indicator, very powerful and has an on/off switch!
Like the broad sweep of the OP's big level too!

 

[BoonDocks36]

I find walking in the area barefoot at night, especially when drunk, to be absolutely the best way to find small metal objects in the carpet.

Redcap... you sound just like my Father!!!!!

He loved my Mother's Chocolate Chip with Walnut Pieces .... and she made no less than a Gross (144) at a time, Really, a Double batch would be 288 cookies, and I have seen her do it... (I was the Walnut Cracker, Northern California, picked by me, dried by me, and Dab Nab it, if I wanted walnuts in Mom's Cookies, I cracked them, as well!!!!!

Any way. Dad said, and Proved, often..... If there was even ONE Walnut Shell, in 144 cookies.... it Was His COOKIE, for sure!!!!!

philip

 

[Trailboss]

When ever I loose a tiny part on the rug, I call my neighbor and ask him to bring his infant over. After a few minutes of crawling around on the rug, the child has located the tiny part and is attempting to eat it. Gotta be quick at that point.

 

[44mag2ndamend]

I find walking in the area barefoot at night, especially when drunk, to be absolutely the best way to find small metal objects in the carpet.

Smart thinking, have had the Ö Jesus Clip go flying a few times. It never fails, especially the smaller the item to actually bounce 3 to 5 feet first ,off something else, before landing in the last direction you thought it was going!

Even have done this in the woods with a fishing reel a couple of times and recovered the item.