I'm putting a decoder into a Bachman split-frame GP-35. As you know you have to solder the grey and orange leads to the motor poles, in this case little copper caps that hold in spring contacts that are about twice the size of Kaydee springs.
I knew they were there and I very carefully took off the first one with no problem. However, the second one launched before I was ready. I recovered the copper cap, but I don't even know which direction the little sucker went, let alone if it is in my tool box, on the floor, in my clothes, on the floor--you get it. I vacuumed the floor with a dirt-devil making sure I didn't get it, and went though the room. No luck, but the floor is clean.
I don't have an LHS worth a hoot as close enough to do any good.
Can I take a couple Kaydee springs, lace them together to the right length and use them? The only potential problem is that the Kaydee springs are a slightly smaller gauge.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
OOPS!!!
Been there. Done that. (Actually with a Japanese-made open frame motor - same principle.)
In my case, I got lucky with a Lionel (toy O) coupler spring.
Try the Kadee springs. The worst thing that can happen is that you'll find out they won't work. By that time you should have the right spring - assuming that you web-order it tomorrow.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with spring-loaded brushes)
Well, the brush spring returned. It was right in the area I was working. Of course I checked that area a zillion times...
Anyway, the decoder is working. It took less time to install than I spent looking for the spring. Now it's off to the club for some longer running break-in's before paint.
Kind of makes you wonder why the smallest parts have the largest of mystical powers to disappear at will, then reappear, and then sometimes only to disappear once again... Staggers the imagination, and certainly does nothing at all to help my sense of calmness and serenity.
Tom
Pittsburgh, PA
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
A switch to N scale will probably result in the deterioration of insightful and informative postings to meaningless babble full of complaints about excessive sweating, uncontrolable shaking of the hands, and a host of other complaints due to high stress levels.
At least that's were I'm at, and I'm still into HO...
Dave Vollmer wrote:The smaller parts can actually fall sideways (in defiance of the gravitational acceleration vector) so as to avoid the workbench altogether and hit the floor several feet from where you're working. This is most common with parts that are the same (or of similar color to) the flooring.
i always wondered how that worked . i was recently painting some wargames figures (yes , i have several hobbies) and after cleaning a paintbrush i dropped it on the floor . still haven't found it , and it's not all that small ! my wife is a jeweller and the same thing happens to her with small parts , usually the ones she has just finished making by hand over the last hour or two . in her case the material the part is made of determines the amount of time spent looking for the part , silver = some amount of time less than that required to remake the part , gold = however long it takes to find it , that stuff is expensive !!!
Yep Chip! Small parts are endowed with the ability to disappear and reappear almost magically. A couple of months ago a small plastic part that had fallen off a caboose fell out of my hand at the workbench when I was trying to get the cap off the tube of CA. It fell on the workbench, bounced a foot to the front hit the edge of the bench, bounced off my belly and disappeared to the netherlands under the bench. After uttering a few unmentionables, I put the cap back on the tube of CA, got out of the chair and crawled under the bench on my hands and knees. After 20 minutes of looking for it, I gave up and hit my head on the workbench as I got up. Mentioned a few more unmentionables. Went upstairs and spent 10 minutes finding my small flashlight. Got back downstairs only to find that the batteries were dead in the flashlight. Took the Lord's name in vain. Went upstairs to get batteries. Once flashlight was working, I got back down on my hands and knees and spent the next 45 minutes looking every place it could have possibly landed within a 30 foot radius of the workbench. Finally, I said a whole lot of things that I would be very embarassed to see in print (and I don't embarass easily), slammed the flashlight down on the workbench and went upstairs to check e-mail and what was going on on the forum........
Fast forward a week. I am taking clothes out of the dryer and cleaned out the lint trap. As I was putting the lint into a bag I keep for that purpose, I feel something hard in the lint. Upon further inspection the little plastic stove pipe from the top of the caboose was there in the lint.
Yep, the stuff has a life all its own!
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
howmus wrote:Fast forward a week. I am taking clothes out of the dryer and cleaned out the lint trap. As I was putting the lint into a bag I keep for that purpose, I feel something hard in the lint. Upon further inspection the little plastic stove pipe from the top of the caboose was there in the lint.
So, the lesson from this is, "When you lose a small part, do NOT look for it. Instead, immediately go throw your clothes in the washer/dryer, then get your part out of the lint trap."
(Sorry, couldn't resist.)
FT
A while back I launched one of the springs out of a caboose industry ground throw. I looked everywhere! Finally I gave up and put the remaining parts in the spare parts box. Weeks later, I went looking for my magnetic hex bit adapter. It is located about 6 feet to the right, 2 feet back and one foot closer to the ground than my work-bench where I launched the spring. The spring was clinging to the magnetic bit holder :-) What are the chances!
Of course, the day I launched the recoil spring out of my Colt 45ACP, it went straight up and took out a florescent lamp over my head. No problem finding the spring, though.
Jim
EMD - Every Model Different
ALCO - Always Leaking Coolant and Oil
CSX - Coal Spilling eXperts
To elevate your stress levels and attendant blood pressure, try working on watches. Casing clamps, bridge screws, wheels, and other parts too minute to mention all possess the ability to launch themselves at afterburner velocities into the stratosphere. Nasa really should look into harnessing this abundant source of free propulsion. They should start with the Swiss sadist who invented the battery clamp for the Omega 1455 movement.
There is a jeweler's apron that Micro-Mark offers that is a potential solution, although you can rest assured that any part you drop will be electrostatically repelled by it and leap into the sump pump. I also don't recommend standing up suddenly.
Another handy item is one of those telescoping magnetic wands, but again it is a given that any parts dropped will be plastic, brass, or a non-magnetic coupler spring.
Nelson
Ex-Southern 385 Being Hoisted