[Savage GT]

… When I drop something working on slot cars in my man-cave.
It happens frequently and I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time searching for the little blighters, and sometimes they disappear altogether .
Someone needs to invent a smooth white magnetized  sheet I can park the work desk on to save me time !

Mind you that won't fix those senior moments like earlier. I spent 10 mins looking for a complete Scalextric axle to put back in a car I had been tuning, only to find I had put it in the box of spare tyres and wheels in the drawer

[Gordon Steadman]

Ronnie keeps telling me to use a tray so the bits don't roll off the table. I keep meaning to but.......instead, I spend ages searching on a rug for the little bits and pieces that inevitable fall. As even I have to vacuum occasionally, those I haven't found remain unfound.

[Scuderia_Turini]

Hello Savage,
I bought a large plastic tub to use for assembly/disassembly so that when I dropped stuff it would be easy to find. After a few days I started to store stuff in it.

Best laid plans and all that...

Leo

[woodcote]

I have a foam rubber pad with raised edges that does help prevent most ‘rolling’ incidents. However, stuff still goes on the floor - especially the tiny HO scale springs that ‘ping’ quite impressively. For anything with some steel content that gets picked up with a magnet, I have an empty lighter-fuel can covered with various traction magnets removed from 1/32 and HO cars. For brass springs, I have a torch and my hands and knees...

[Mr Modifier]

Someone needs to invent a smooth white magnetized  sheet I can park the work desk on to save me time !

Sounds like you just did (invent).

Mind you - I think you can buy A4 sheets of white vinyl fridge magnet material to print on.  Maybe they do it in A3.  That might answer your prayers.

[Top Down]

I recently a acquired a large, good quality, black shoe box - black inside and out (came free, with the new shoes  ) that can be pressed into use for the trickiest disassembly. I use the inverted lid as a tray but the box itself, with good high sides, when disassembling anything for the first time that might contain unexpected 'exploding parts', which could make a bid for freedom.

I also have a large white-moulded Melamine tray with a nice curved lip surround that makes things like washers easy to slide up over the edge and into my hand.

Finally, I use a range of translucent boxes with snap on lids* for disassembly and storage of part disassembled/re-assembled cars so the correct parts are kept together.

(*The sort you get with microwaveable meals from the supermarket, for example.)

For anything ferrous that DOES get away - a 'magnet on a stick' works well - and if using a torch I shine it across the carpet's surface to throw the item into relief.

[Scuderia_Turini]

This is great for searching for metallic bits in dark places:

   

   

[Steven.G]

Or one of these!