Finding lost parts

[Bopmd]

Hello

I keep losing the clicksprings. My tweezers can't always hold them and sometimes they just fly away. I do use toothpicks to hold them too. I don't know if this is a stupid question, but does anyone have any advice on how to find them? Or how far they usually fly? I've recovered some, but not all and I work with cheap movement so buying new parts wouldn't make sense. 

[aac58]

The movements I work on (Seiko 6xxx and 7xxx) usually doesn't have that kind of springs, but when they do have them (Seiko 66 or 6118 for example) I work under a transparent plastic bag so if they fly I should find them inside it.

I don't use toothpicks or pegwood to hold the spring anymore, for me it wasn't effective. Many people use a bit of rodico, and I use my finger (I wear nitrile gloves when working) covering almost all of the spring, and I use my tweezers to put the spring under tension. Then I make sure the spring stays in place while I carefully remove my finger.

To find a lost spring many people use a magnet, but I haven't tried it.

[MrRoundel]

Until I lost a few click-springs myself I never paid attention to the plastic bag technique mentioned above. Since I have used it, I haven't lost one click-spring. I cut a sandwich sized baggie down the sides, put the spring near its final place, cover it with the single layer baggie and manipulate the spring, through the plastic, with my tweezers. Works every time. Good luck.

On finding getaway springs, I have used the magnetic bottom on a bolt-holding tray that is used for automotive repair. It's about 6" in diameter, with a 4" magnet on the bottom. I pass it over the area under and around my bench. And it has a very good rate of success. Good luck.

Edited May 2, 2020 by MrRoundel
Add magnet note.

[Bopmd]

5 hours ago, MrRoundel said:

Until I lost a few click-springs myself I never paid attention to the plastic bag technique mentioned above. Since I have used it, I haven't lost one click-spring. I cut a sandwich sized baggie down the sides, put the spring near its final place, cover it with the single layer baggie and manipulate the spring, through the plastic, with my tweezers. Works every time. Good luck.

On finding getaway springs, I have used the magnetic bottom on a bolt-holding tray that is used for automotive repair. It's about 6" in diameter, with a 4" magnet on the bottom. I pass it over the area under and around my bench. And it has a very good rate of success. Good luck.

Thanks for the tip. I've ordered a big 5cm magnet. I always thought they would be expensive, but apparently not. Anyways, thanks! 

[Bopmd]

7 hours ago, aac58 said:

The movements I work on (Seiko 6xxx and 7xxx) usually doesn't have that kind of springs, but when they do have them (Seiko 66 or 6118 for example) I work under a transparent plastic bag so if they fly I should find them inside it.

I don't use toothpicks or pegwood to hold the spring anymore, for me it wasn't effective. Many people use a bit of rodico, and I use my finger (I wear nitrile gloves when working) covering almost all of the spring, and I use my tweezers to put the spring under tension. Then I make sure the spring stays in place while I carefully remove my finger.

To find a lost spring many people use a magnet, but I haven't tried it.

Thanks for the reply. I've always thought of the bag trick, but never actually practiced it. I tried cutting holes in a box and work with it like a sandblasting cabinet. It worked for a while, but soon after I just got tired of it. Anyways thanks for the tip!

[spectre6000]

To add to the finding side of the equation: They make magnets on sticks if you'd prefer to not be on all fours while you look.

https://smile.amazon.com/Fabcell-Telescoping-Magnetic-Pickup-tool/dp/B074P1NK2X/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=magnetic+rake&qid=1588463301&sr=8-10

Not necessarily the one I have or would get, but an example of what I'm talking about.

[HectorLooi]

It does better with practice. Trust me.

Try not to lose them in the first place. Good tweezers and tweezering technique are essential. Get a good set of tweezers. A fine tip, medium tip and heavy tweezers. When I say good, it doesn't mean $$$$$. My favorite tweezer cost just over $1.

A good tweezer must have tips that meet evenly. No crossbite or crooked tips. And tweezers, like screwdrivers, meed regular maintenance. 

When a part inadvertently flies off your tweezers, don't panic. Try to see the direction it flew off. Listen for any tell tale sounds of where it landed. Did it land on the bench or the floor. Personally, I hate it when it lands on the bench. Tell me, who has a clean, uncluttered benchtop. 

I prefer that it lands on the floor. I use a flexible magnet strip about 14" long and sweep around where I was sitting. If that doesn't work, expand the search area. It usually doesn't fly more than 6 feet away.

Oh yes, check if it landed on your clothing too. I once had a screw drop inside my shoe.

[MrRoundel]

22 hours ago, Bopmd said:

 I tried cutting holes in a box and work with it like a sandblasting cabinet. It worked for a while, but soon after I just got tired of it. Anyways thanks for the tip!

Funny. I did something very similar. I kept having Waltham pocket watch shipper springs pinging into oblivion.

[Vacheron7]

I remember when I was following the Timezone watch school courses about 15-20 years ago. One of the first things Walt Odets described was how to make a parts sweeper.

His method was to use a magnetic knife holder that people used to stick knives to their kitchen wall, add a couple of nylon feet so that is can slide around smoothly a few mm above the surface of the floor, and attach a small handle if you prefer. You can then use this to sweep around the area and then inspect it with a loupe to see what you have unearthed! :-)  

[eccentric59]

Murphy's law of lost parts states the probability of looking in the correct area of your floor is inversely proportional to the size of the part.

[JohnD]

24 minutes ago, eccentric59 said:

Murphy's law of lost parts states the probability of looking in the correct area of your floor is inversely proportional to the size of the part.

O'Toole's corollary to Murphy's law (if it can go wrong it will go wrong) states that Murphy was an optimist.....

[Nucejoe]

I put a large magnet inside a black plastic bag, once done searching, I tu rn the bag outside in and take the magnet away, all found are inside and easy to see in contrast with the bag colour.

[Vacheron7]

Everything I lose is almost invariably non-magnetic! A couple of weeks ago I lost the cap jewel from the 1965 Rolex cal 1200 I was working on  which is not the easiest movement to find spares for, and found it by eye under a set of drawers. (I still have no idea how I saw it)

I then patted it with a pea sized ball of rodico to clean off any dust or oil and promptly lost it inside the rodico! It took me longer to find it in there than it did when it was on the floor! :-D :-D :-D

[FLwatchguy73]

I have crawled around on my hands and knees in a darkened room with a flashlight looking for the glint of shiny parts. That has saved my butt on multiple occasions.

[watchweasol]

When I go rooting for lost parts I find allsorts  of lost bits but the one i want.  "Murphy" at work again.

[HectorLooi]

I lost a pallet jewel once. It was there on my work mat one moment then gone the next moment. I used a torch and searched high and low. I was on all fours for almost half an hour before I gave up. I said a silent prayer and when I was stretching out my aching back, I caught a glint on the floor just outside of my search area. It really was the missing pallet jewel. 

So my advice is when you are already on your hands and knees, it doesn't hurt to pray. 

[spectre6000]

I spent a good while looking for a Chinese copy Incabloc spring last week. About the time I gave up, I took my glasses off to clean them, and there it was stuck to the inside of one of the lenses.

[rduckwor]

Magnets, flashlights, and patience.

 

RMD