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 Posted - February 27 2015 : 2:34:25 PM
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Well, when you work on N gauge stuff, you just KNOW you're gonna drop or lose something sometimes, right? Well, I was working on a Santa Fe N Hustler engine, and I took it all apart down to the brushes and springs. I was trying to stuff a brush back into the little brass cylinder sleeve, when <zing!> there it goes. RATS! I heard it hit the hardwood floor, been busy for an hour with a flashlight, mini-brush and dustpan, but so far, nothing. The sad part is, my wife has/had been going through stuff from the basement, so there are little mouse turds on the floor, too, out of the boxes, so I'm basically looking for a polished one among the real ones.   At least the floor is cleaner now under the table,but I haven't found that darn brush yet. How far could the thing ROLL afterwards? Geez, guess I should order some spares. The engine was at least running, albeit a bit jerky, but now, it's sidelined.  Takin' a break, I did get an Atlas N Hustler running, it needed lube, some extra weight added, and some cleaning, and is now running smoothly down the track. Seems to be geared nicer than the other one ( says made in Mexico, no other ID on it ). The Atlas version is also smaller than the other one, probably more to scale as well.
I may just give up for now on finding the brush, I did find two brush springs "down under", so it wasn't a total loss looking for the carbon brush  . And the floor is cleaner, too. Take the victories where you can get'em, I guess. I've already sealed the motor parts up in a small medicine bottle, so I won't lose THOSE if it gets knocked over. Now, should I work on that 3rd N gauge Hustler or not? Hmmmm 
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
Edited by - wks on February 18 2026 1:48:58 PM
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 Posted - February 27 2015 : 3:36:44 PM
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Reminds me of a famous lesson posted on the wall by the layout of the club I used to belong to--"Never install coupler springs over a shag carpet"  What's worse though is reinstalling springs on old Athearn trucks I always dread the audible *PING* as they suddenly fling themselves all the way across the room, never to be seen again. Probably lost at least a full car's worth of them into the carpet over the last few years.
It doesn't help matters that my workbench is located over shag carpeting (I've never been very good at taking advice), and it's absolutely filthy... last time I knelt down to look underneath among the junk to find a coupler cover that went flying after an unexpected encounter with a hammer, I found a wheelset, a washer, a horn-hook and a truck spring... but no coupler cover!
--CRC
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Posted - February 27 2015 : 9:09:17 PM
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AMC I thought the post was going to be about something you saw on Ebay.
Somewhere, somebody posted a great idea about putting coupler springs or similar tiny pieces together. Put them together while holding them inside a large clear plastic bag. Simple, eh?
Unspoken expectations are premeditated failures.
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Posted - February 27 2015 : 9:55:50 PM
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quote:
Somewhere, somebody posted a great idea ... Put them together while holding them inside a large clear plastic bag. Simple, eh?
Originally posted by NC shortlines - February 27 2015 : 9:09:17 PM
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Which is fine, then you have to remove the assembly and put it IN the motor...which was the stage I was at. I was going to put the brush tube into the motor, and then the brush shot out because I didn't hold it right. I'm not sure trying to hold both inside a flexible plastic bag at the same time would work. And spring-loaded items are as likely to shoot UP as to shoot down, out, etc. Might be more trouble than it's worth. I've worked inside an open coffee can before, that can work, it's more rigid, but again, spring-loaded items can go any direction.
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - February 27 2015 : 10:04:29 PM
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I think the idea was to use the plastic bag in a similar manner to using a bead blasting cabinet.
You lay the bag flat on a table, open end facing your stomach, insert hands and object in the bag.
Upward shooting items supposedly just bounce against the side of the bag. I know it won't work for a lot of situations but, I wish I'd heard of that idea many years ago.
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Posted - February 28 2015 : 12:29:05 PM
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That is why small springs, be they from model trains or automotive like from a carburator or alternator, are also known as Jesus Springs.
Because that is what you think or say when the spring flies past your head into only God knows where. Yes,,a somewhat religious experience.
I like the plastic bag idea , I would not have thought of that.
Here is a place to find all kinds of plastic bags,,maybe even some other things too that you just won't find anywhere else
http://www.uline.com/
Another good idea I got from a magazine interview with musician Rod Stewart was to put a towel on your lap when working with small parts, you all know what happens eventually when working with small parts.
I tried it out and that simple trick works great.
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Posted - February 28 2015 : 1:37:22 PM
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All great ideas. Most all of the stuff I drop goes on the floor under my chair and work table. If I am extremely lucky, it doesn't take a bounce and head off into lala land - but it nearly always does. What I need is some sort of large tray to put under my table and chair to catch the bounces off the floor.
I am pretty good at finding parts that have dropped - days/weeks later when I am looking for another part that dropped
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - March 03 2015 : 9:07:23 PM
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quote:All great ideas. Most all of the stuff I drop goes on the floor under my chair and work table. If I am extremely lucky, it doesn't take a bounce and head off into lala land - but it nearly always does. What I need is some sort of large tray to put under my table and chair to catch the bounces off the floor.
I am pretty good at finding parts that have dropped - days/weeks later when I am looking for another part that dropped
Originally posted by JNXT 7707Â -Â February 28 2015Â :Â 1:37:22 PM
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Total agreement. I think my record is about 10 months... looking for something else, I found a white metal hazmat placard for a Quality Craft tanker jammed in the carpet. Cue several minutes of headscratching before it hit me that "SAAAAAAYYY... I recognize that!"
--CRC
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