Black hole

[Bill DawesParticipant @billdawes]

Is it just me or do all workshops have a black hole in the floor.

Everything I drop on the floor, unless it is something the size of a small car, goes 'ping' and disappears, even when I have seen it land.

One of the days I will find this black hole and recover millions of grub screws, washers, solder rings, circlips, rivets etc etc.

Bill D.

[Bill DawesParticipant @billdawes]

[SiddleyParticipant @siddley]

It's gremlins Bill – they used to live in the cockpits of WW-2 aircraft but the little swines have multiplied and now infest workshops as well. They steal anything dropped on the floor and mine have learned how to move the dials on the machines handwheels when I'm not looking and replace my expert marking out with centre pops in the wrong places.
 

Edited By Siddley on 03/01/2013 18:57:31

[JAParticipant @ja]

They particularly like small springs. They also increase the height of my motorcycle seats by half an inch each winter.

I have taken to assembling small items in an up-turned cardboard A3 document storage box lid to stop the escape of such bits.

JA

[frank brownParticipant @frankbrown22225]

I have attempted to mimise this effect by filling these orifices with foam rubber or insulation foam. The areas I have so far located are:- Base of vice, 2" gap under some bookcases, base of pedestal drill. I also covered the triangulated bed of my lathe with sheet ali, giving a nice smooth groove to find small parts. One particular bubear is under my bench are rows of drawers with poorlly fitting fronts, so some timmes when a small part drops, it can go into one of 6 drawers as well as on the floor.

Frank

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

I dropped a 0.6mm drill today, heard it hit something, looked down and saw it in a pile of fresh swarf on the floor, obviously it is a Gremlin holiday as well.

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

I have dropped what you would think is a large item only to see it actually disapear into a Black hole, the worse thing is when it pops up in the house somewhere a few days later

Martin P

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

If Steven Hawking had a workshop, he would have solved Black Holes years sooner.

Neil

[Diane CarneyModerator @dianecarney30678]

A talented model engineer friend of ours has always lived by the rule: if you don't find it in the first ten seconds you make another one. He isn't a wealthy chap – but he's turned out a lot of models! Must be something in it…

[Bob PerkinsParticipant @bobperkins67044]

What is on the other side of the black hole? Countless small screws, springs and parts?

[jason udallParticipant @jasonudall57142]

Posted by Bob Perkins on 03/01/2013 22:24:49:

What is on the other side of the black hole? Countless small screws, springs and parts?

very very very small screws……..

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by Bill Dawes on 03/01/2013 18:41:56:

Is it just me or do all workshops have a black hole in the floor.

Bill D.

.

What's a floor ?????

[russellParticipant @russell]

the gremlins in my shed aren't little… took the imperial drawbar for my mill, hid it for months, returned it a few days after i invested hard-earned in an overpriced 9/16 threaded rod and nuts and made a replacement.

russ

[merlinParticipant @merlin98989]

Come back, trouser turn-ups!

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Hi Bill

my small workshop sure has a big black hole in the floor. If anything small drops to the floor, it is gone! Or may be my eyes are not as good as they used to be?

Thor

[JAParticipant @ja]

Posted by merlin on 03/01/2013 23:35:01:

Come back, trouser turn-ups!

No, not trouser turn-ups!

JA

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Can someone look in their , 'Black hole' and see if my single ended half inch QCT spanner is there?

It always lives on the bolt head and now has walked, I have had everything out of the workshop and no sign. It left no note saying where it was going, so I have posted it AWOL.

Had to buy another spanner, the ring end fits but the jaw end does not!

Clive

[Halton TankParticipant @haltontank]

Stuff does come back out of black holes, but it follows Murphy's Law on this, if drop something that you got plenty of then it is returned immedieately, if it is a one off, then you will not see until some time after you bought or made a replacement. Gremlins also work to this Law. If you try to pretend to look for something else they catch on to this.

[ChrisHParticipant @chrish]

My Gremlins are called the Little People. They keep borrowing stuff that is left on the bench, sometimes they return it after a few days exactly where I left it, sometimes they have put it away where it is usually stored. I think they are building something but I don't know what. And yes, I have this Black Hole too, where little bits disappear, again it's the Little People getting stuff for whatever they are making.

I thought my workshop was the only with with a Black Hole and the Little People, now it seems all workshops have them………………

ChrisH

Edited By ChrisH on 04/01/2013 11:36:30

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

HI Guys
I can recall years if i dropped something . the first place to look was in the turnups on my trousers.
I found if i dropped something lost somthing I start putting stuff away and sometime the item turns up
(turns)

Nobby.

[AndyfParticipant @andyf]

Mine's a thieving gremlin, rather than a black hole. And I know it's only got one leg, because it comes into the house sometimes and helps itself to a sock out of the washing machine, but never a matching pair. Must be writing its life story, too, because it gets through loads of ballpoint pens.

Andy

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Thats all right, the other week they nicked my clip board, and did'nt give it back until I finished the job that was on a sketch, on the back of an envelope, attached to the clip board, I think they have enough bits now to build something quite impressive. Last week they even took one of the Model Engineer mags, perhaps I should get them a subscription, so that they leave mine alone. Ian S C

[colin hawesParticipant @colinhawes85982]

Having lost many small parts at the parting -off stage over the years and having to part off some tiny ball ended handles that were particularly difficult to make , I cleaned all around my lathe, surrounded it with card board walls and used a small cardboard box to catch the first one. I can't possibly lose this one! The little handle went into the box, jumped out again, landed on the flat belt, and must have joined the satellites because it didn't seem to land anywhere. The gremlins find a way whenever they wish!! Colin

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Years ago, I was replacing the rear brake linings on a Morris 1100. Took the drum off and the ball bearings dropped out of their cage. Fitted new linings etc and could not find the last ball – looked everywhere and had to conclude it had not been there in the first place. The car went ok, no undue wheel bearing noise. About a week later, I found the ball in the 'tread' of my work boots that I had worn all week! Hey ho, fitted the last ball and kept the car for another 8 years.

[SteamshyParticipant @steamshy]

I work in my shed which has a concrete floor and corrugated walls, Course the corrugations have gaps between the shed walls and floor so I know where my bits go too, Unfortunately its grass outside the shed so have no hope of finding anything. so dont bother, once its dropped its gorn forever if its not found in 30 seconds

Andy

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