Small clear parts…

[BarryW]

I think that has happened to all of us. You have this small round or tear drop clear piece representing a light, it pings out of your tweezers never to be found again….

What do you do?

Get out the Micro Kristal Klear. Apply a drop, with a cocktail stick, to where the light goes, leave it a few hours and it dries clear, a nice round tear drop.

This is the one on my 1/48 Buccaneer.

I put a drop of red on the position where it fits as this light is red.

 

[rickoshea52]

Good idea. I snip off small clear parts inside a clear poly bag to prevent them pinging off but it’s always good to have a plan B.

 

[Tim Marlow]

I tend to use a minute smear of blue tack and a cocktail stick for small parts. Much easier to manipulate than tweezers, and no energy put into the part to make it fly off. The Krystal Klear tip is worth knowing though. Works well for insulators on aerial wires as well.

 

[davecov]

Good tip. I use Transparent Decoru Glass Drops to achieve the same thing. These glass drops are also available in different colours.

Talking of tips, I use a Rhinestone pencil for positioning such small parts such as this one on eBay - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/314380104039?hash=item493283b167

Dave

 

[JR]

I just spend hrs crawling around the cave floor , give up and then weeks later find the part in another area, where it couldn't have been projected.
This is why the carpet monster is to be respected and fed on a regular basis .
Checking clothing is always a good idea, many times I've found small pieces stuck to my shirt !
Some good tips from the above guys , which of course I shall note and unfortunately promptly forget

 

[BarryW]

Good idea. I snip off small clear parts inside a clear poly bag to prevent them pinging off but it’s always good to have a plan B.

It’s not just that, its trying to pick them up and get them into position. In this case I was trying to position it to trim some surplus plastic and it fell about two inches and disappeared into a black hole!

 

[Waspie]

It’s not just that, its trying to pick them up and get them into position. In this case I was trying to position it to trim some surplus plastic and it fell about two inches and disappeared into a black hole!

That was the kiss of death for me!!
Today - exactly that. Trying to position a tiny clear 2mm light for the Sea King rescue hoist!! Pinged out of the tweezers and nearly two hours and two mugs of cold tea later I found it. Hiding in a small recess on my seat. (I use a converted tractor seat in the garage for bench work) It was sitting in a small recess. Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!! Annoying!!
I suppose the good out of it was I found a few tools I had forgot about and returned them to the correct drawer!

 

[JR]

That was the kiss of death for me!!
Today - exactly that. Trying to position a tiny clear 2mm light for the Sea King rescue hoist!! Pinged out of the tweezers and nearly two hours and two mugs of cold tea later I found it. Hiding in a small recess on my seat. (I use a converted tractor seat in the garage for bench work) It was sitting in a small recess. Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!! Annoying!!
I suppose the good out of it was I found a few tools I had forgot about and returned them to the correct drawer!

Do like the cold tea part Doug ,a common occurrence here.

I even have a catch all apron attached from its bottom to the bench front with Velcro. When I sit down I pull the top up and create a large catch area.
The only problem with this if the door bell rings or you for get you've got it on and you jump up and nearly strangle your self !

 

[Scratchbuilder]

Ahhh! the good old 'where did it go' syndrome.... I have stripped everything off the bench many a time, crawled across the floor while explaining to SWMBO that I am practicing the new hip hop movements, had my face slurped by the helpfull dog(s) and still came up crying.... I curse tweezers at least once a week and you can ofter hear the boing! as they bounce of the radiator.... Then I thought - how about using the tip of a number 11 blade just lightly touch to the part and position...
Hope this helps
Mike

 

[Ian M]

I have uncanny directional hearing. More often than not I can hear where the little buggers land.
The ones I hate are those that 'never land'. Where did they go!
Sometimes in my hair, sometimes in my slipper. Once stuck to my nose!

 

[Andy T]

I had a part fall through the hole in my shed crocs. That took some finding!

 

[langy71]

I had a part fall through the hole in my shed crocs. That took some finding!

I once lost a brass 1/72 machine gun barrel, later that evening I was eating my dinner, and felt something stab the roof of my mouth, thinking it was a bit of stalk from the cabbage, I removed it only to discover it was the aforementioned gun barrel, god knows how it ended up on my dinner..(must have been stuck to my T-shirt somewhere and fell off as I sat down).

 

[Tim Marlow]

Who was it found the missing part stuck to his dog?

 

[boatman]

WELL WHEN i build my plastic kits aircraft wont have to worry about losein my tiny 2mm light as they are leds to light up the planes for strobe an nav lights an landing lights so no worries as they have wires attched to them
chrisb

 

[Jim R]

Who was it found the missing part stuck to his dog?

'twas me Tim. Quite a few years ago now. Glueing a piece of PE. The dogs were asleep by the bench and the glued piece pinged away. That evening Belle was sat with me on the settee and I stroked her head and there was the part, well stuck to her. I cleaned the part of glue and hair by passing it through a flame and it was as good as new.

 

[Tim Marlow]

'twas me Tim. Quite a few years ago now. Glueing a piece of PE. The dogs were asleep by the bench and the glued piece pinged away. That evening Belle was sat with me on the settee and I stroked her head and there was the part, well stuck to her. I cleaned the part of glue and hair by passing it through a flame and it was as good as new.

Always sticks in my mind when this topic comes around Jim….

 

[Scratchbuilder]

WELL WHEN i build my plastic kits aircraft wont have to worry about losein my tiny 2mm light as they are leds to light up the planes for strobe an nav lights an landing lights so no worries as they have wires attched to them
chrisb

Well we all know what happened if your ears light up...

 

[Scratchbuilder]

'twas me Tim. Quite a few years ago now. Glueing a piece of PE. The dogs were asleep by the bench and the glued piece pinged away. That evening Belle was sat with me on the settee and I stroked her head and there was the part, well stuck to her. I cleaned the part of glue and hair by passing it through a flame and it was as good as new.

YOU USED a flame on the dog!!!!!!