Avoid the carpet trolls

[Psychographic]

I came up with a way to help prevent lost parts that drop and go "who knows where". Take an old blanket, preferably one that is solid colored, and has a lot of stray fibers that small parts will get caught in.  Set it up like a baseball diamond where your chair is home plate. Put this corner on the seat of your chair and bunch up the edges that are on the floor. Now if you drop a part there is a good chance it will fall into the carpet. Since I've done this, Ive lost a lot less parts.

[peteski]

I use an old jeweler's and watch-maker's trick where I wear an apron with Velcro sawn-in on the bottom edge, and pieces of Velcro mounted under my workbench.  When I sit down down to work at my workbench I attach the apron under the table. That way all the parts I drop end up in the apron. No need to look for them on the floor - just pick them up from the apron. When I need to get up I just unhook the Velcro.

[oldnslow]

I too use an apron , but I just use push pins along the bottom to hold it to the work bench and leave it there , just slip the top over my head whenever I sit down.

[crazyjim]

I turn on a flashlight and get on my hands & knees and search around.

[peteski]

I too use an apron , but I just use push pins along the bottom to hold it to the work bench and leave it there , just slip the top over my head whenever I sit down.

When I'm sanding or filing parts the shavings go in the apron.  With Velcro I can unhook it from the bench while wearing it, hold it up and and then dump all the shavings in the trash container.

[Foxer]

I turn on a flashlight and get on my hands & knees and search around.

same as me, but I use the Curse it into Existence trick to lure it out also.

I'm going to try the Velcro trick  on my apron

Edited September 6, 2016 by Foxer

[Lizard Racing]

Try a nylon stocking over the business end of a Dustbuster to suck up dropped parts.  The stocking will permit air flow, but prevent parts from being taken into the Dustbuster..

[426-Hemi]

-To avoid the Carpet Trolls UNPLUG the vacuum cleaner till you LOOK at the area you model in for "fly away parts" THEN go on about the shops "Carpet Troll" and its job.,....

I too play the curse it out, till it reveals itself on my hands & knees! 

[randyc]

I work at a desk I bought at Goodwill and keep the center drawer with my tools in it open.  Many things fall into there.  After that it's the concrete floor.  but things go to the craziest places.  Lost a hood pin. thought it fell in drawer.  Not.  A few days later, something was glinting at me from the floor under the desk...yep.  I can't imagine working over carpet.  I haven't in many years.