[Milsurplus] R1155: The Screw Gremlins Defeated!

[David Stinson]

I post this to give hope and encouragement to
my fellow Brothers of the Molten Solder.
We all know of the dread Screw Gremlins who,
among other vile treacheries, immediately make-off
with any screw dropped from the bench during a repair.  

I removed the logging scale from the front of the R1155
to clean behind it.  It is held in place by two miniscule
screws- about 2mm by 3mm.  
Pictured next to the "70" marking.  They are most tiny.
https://goo.gl/photos/5XYgg4A3SeWAoBwe7
I placed a towel under the area to catch any dropped 
screws before removing the scale.  
Of course, I dropped one.
It struck something- perhaps my little finger, bounded
at an angle, missed the towel completely and decended
into the dark, mysterious, howling abyss of the barn
floor under my bench.

I don't know if many of you have spent any quality time
with your nose on a dirty barn floor, going inch by
hopeless inch searching, hoping to fend-off the 
Screw Gremlins this time.  Doing it with 60-year-old
joints adds a special something to the experence.
I did not find it.

And herein is the hope:  
I discovered that Screw Gremlins
are afraid of the sound of a big shop vacuum!
Emptied the vac completely.
Cleared the floor of "stuff" for 3-feet around the 
drop point and vacuumed the area inch-by-inch,
not missing places, never seeing the errent screw.  
Then took the vac out to a flat surface and 
a sheet of white plastic.  Poured about two
tablespoons of gunk each time and started hand
sifting.  On the third dump, "saint's be praised!"
https://goo.gl/photos/wT2dg4LxSyHcf6nC7

The moral of the story:  The Screw Gremlins can
be beaten, and sometimes it's good if "you suck."

73 OM DE Dave AB5S