Into the Void: Lost components— where do they go?

[Bricksnbeatles]

The creation of this thread was prompted by the sub-mini spdt toggle switch from my last LMS order that I’ve spent the last 4 hours searching for.

Where do parts go when they disappear? they never seem to turn up again either. Doesn’t it almost seem like they get sucked into a void or something? Is it evil elves? Or maybe spontaneous disintegration? Let’s theorize what happens; where they go. It’s not like I have anything better to do— my build for the day was derailed by the disappearance anyway.

 

[Diynot]

The obvious answer is the same place where socks go when they get lost in the dryer

 

[jimilee]

Take off your socks and shoes, and walk around. It is then you will then most likely find it.

 

[vigilante398]

Depends on the components. ICs tend to go into the underside of my foot, resistors tend to go into my 6-year-old's abstract art projects, and for some reason my 4-year-old puts capacitors in empty water bottles. Kids are weird.

 

[Harry Klippton]

They go here

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

The obvious answer is the same place where socks go when they get lost in the dryer

I honestly never lose socks to the dryer. Instead my dogs just manage to get ahold of socks frequently and chew holes into them by hyperfixating pulling on A single thread and teething at it for ages.

Take off your socks and shoes, and walk around. It is then you will then most likely find it.

my feet occasionally find clipper leads in my bedroom, and I stopped building at the desk in my room 4 or 5 years ago at least

Depends on the components. ICs tend to go into the underside of my foot, resistors tend to go into my 6-year-old's abstract art projects, and for some reason my 4-year-old puts capacitors in empty water bottles. Kids are weird.

your kids would probably love what I did for one of my ceramic projects this past semester

They go here

if my sub mini switch wound up in the liminal space between the backside of your furniture and eternity, I’d like to know how it got there. If it used my EZPass to get thru the many tolls between LI, NY and CT, I refuse to be held liable

 

[Harry Klippton]

I honestly never lose socks to the dryer. Instead my dogs just manage to get ahold of socks frequently and chew holes into them by hyperfixating pulling on A single thread and teething at it for ages.

my feet occasionally find clipper leads in my bedroom, and I stopped building at the desk in my room 4 or 5 years ago at least

your kids would probably love what I did for one of my ceramic projects this past semester

if my sub mini switch wound up in the liminal space between the backside of your furniture and eternity, I’d like to know how it got there. If it used my EZPass to get thru the many tolls between LI, NY and CT, I refuse to be held liable

We ain't got no tolls fam. They keep threatening to bring them back tho. Anyway I'd look behind that bookcase but it's a pain. I guess your switch is gonezo

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

We ain't got no tolls fam. They keep threatening to bring them back tho. Anyway I'd look behind that bookcase but it's a pain. I guess your switch is gonezo

No tolls in CT, but there are plenty on the way there
Unless it took the ferry from Port Jeff to Bridgeport, but that itself is like $45 these days.

 

[benny_profane]

New thread title suggestion: "What's Behind the Workbench?"

///

I have a tendency to put parts (or whatever really) in really clever places that I'm sure make complete sense at the time. Finding them is then an adventure through my my past thinking. Sometimes I'll pack all hardware/obscure stuff for a build in a separate bag. I won't remember doing this until after I've gone through all my regular stock two or three times. Other times I'll come up with a new thematic categorization of parts. That bulk Si diode purchase? Why would those go with the other diodes. Of course they're over in a separate part of the bench along with the desoldered pots and heat-shrink. The worst is when the "these niche parts are really important and I shouldn't forget that I picked them up" drawer becomes the de facto junk drawer. Three years later and I'm looking for whatever OOP IC and it's among a bunch of random vero pieces and salvaged caps.

 

[Harry Klippton]

New thread title suggestion: "What's Behind the Workbench?"

///

I have a tendency to put parts (or whatever really) in really clever places that I'm sure make complete sense at the time. Finding them is then an adventure through my my past thinking. Sometimes I'll pack all hardware/obscure stuff for a build in a separate bag. I won't remember doing this until after I've gone through all my regular stock two or three times. Other times I'll come up with a new thematic categorization of parts. That bulk Si diode purchase? Why would those go with the other diodes. Of course they're over in a separate part of the bench along with the desoldered pots and heat-shrink. The worst is when the "these niche parts are really important and I shouldn't forget that I picked them up" drawer becomes the de facto junk drawer. Three years later and I'm looking for whatever OOP IC and it's among a bunch of random vero pieces and salvaged caps.

This.

 

[Barry]

When you find out, I'd like my guitar picks back!

 

[Barry]

New thread title suggestion: "What's Behind the Workbench?"

///

I have a tendency to put parts (or whatever really) in really clever places that I'm sure make complete sense at the time. Finding them is then an adventure through my my past thinking. Sometimes I'll pack all hardware/obscure stuff for a build in a separate bag. I won't remember doing this until after I've gone through all my regular stock two or three times. Other times I'll come up with a new thematic categorization of parts. That bulk Si diode purchase? Why would those go with the other diodes. Of course they're over in a separate part of the bench along with the desoldered pots and heat-shrink. The worst is when the "these niche parts are really important and I shouldn't forget that I picked them up" drawer becomes the de facto junk drawer. Three years later and I'm looking for whatever OOP IC and it's among a bunch of random vero pieces and salvaged caps.

I put stuff away in "safe places" in fact it's so safe not even I can get to them to lose them!

 

[chip]

This used to happen to me a lot when I was only buying exactly what I needed to build one thing. That became such a drag because I'd often forget one part or I'd accidentally get the 400V cap that's the size of D battery, or, like you said, I'd put one part in a "very special place" (especially when measuring it for a drill template or something) and would lose a day digging through the trash wondering if I threw it out with the other 200 pink dime bags, etc.

That was Phase 1. Phase 2 was instead of buying 1 SPDT, I'd buy 5 or 10 SPDTs (whatever hit the threshold where they were $0.04 less). Phase 2 was a disaster, because then I was misplacing things 5 or 10 at a time, but it allowed me to reach Phase 3, when I realized that I needed to apply a modicum of organization when buying in larger quantities. Once I did that, I was no longer separating things out by "These are all the parts for that one fuzz." It was more like "All toggles go here." Then they're always just there. And if I leave one by the computer when holding it up to the monitor see if the decal layout seems right, I probably have 9 more in the SPDP bin. I realize that not everyone can (or should) do that, and it's not like I still don't misplace things, but it has marginally lowered my stress about it.

As for taking off your shoes to find it, I've got a pedal for that.

 

[jhaneyzz]

New thread title suggestion: "What's Behind the Workbench?"

///

I have a tendency to put parts (or whatever really) in really clever places that I'm sure make complete sense at the time. Finding them is then an adventure through my my past thinking. Sometimes I'll pack all hardware/obscure stuff for a build in a separate bag. I won't remember doing this until after I've gone through all my regular stock two or three times. Other times I'll come up with a new thematic categorization of parts. That bulk Si diode purchase? Why would those go with the other diodes. Of course they're over in a separate part of the bench along with the desoldered pots and heat-shrink. The worst is when the "these niche parts are really important and I shouldn't forget that I picked them up" drawer becomes the de facto junk drawer. Three years later and I'm looking for whatever OOP IC and it's among a bunch of random vero pieces and salvaged caps.

I do the EXACT same things....
Just found a bag of 1Ka pots that I re-ordered because I didn't want to "mess up" the pot box since I don't have a specific slot for those.

 

[benny_profane]

I do the EXACT same things....
Just found a bag of 1Ka pots that I re-ordered because I didn't want to "mess up" the pot box since I don't have a specific slot for those.

I have so many B100k and A100k pots because I’d add a bunch to an order, put them in back stock, run out of … front stock? … forget I bought them already, order them again.

Now I have a box of B100k and A100k pots.

 

[jhaneyzz]

My new solution to a daily dilemma...

 

[DGWVI]

My new solution to a daily dilemma...

View attachment 49103

Why waste tape and gunk up your suede?

 

[benny_profane]

This thread got weird.

 

[chip]

Why waste tape and gunk up your suede?

Oof, the static electricity from that sock vs. an IC.

OH THE HUMANITY.

 

[DGWVI]

Oof, the static electricity from that sock vs. an IC.

OH THE HUMANITY.

View attachment 49109

It's a CMOS, too. I like to live dangerously