magnetic parts trays

[GB SISSON]

A friend came by the other day and saw the magnetic parts tray my wife got me for my birthday a few years back. His shop is a steel shipping container and he told me he keeps bolts/ nuts / washers etc stuck on the walls so he knows just where everything is--- sideways. Tonight I was bolting fenders onto bedsides by myself and no place to set the nuts and washers into easy reach. (fender moving all around and the sloping flareside tilting inwards...), So I did what Ron does. I wish I had thought of that 30 years ago.

 

[FortyNiner]

Paradigms are sticky things - we often can't see past our current practices.

 

[VeryTangled]

Funny story about those handy magnetic trays. Once my dad was working on a RC helicopter that had a bunch of small pieces. He came up one fastener short. Much time and many colorful words later he found it stuck to the OUTSIDE of the tray!

 

[petehoovie]

A friend came by the other day and saw the magnetic parts tray my wife got me for my birthday a few years back. His shop is a steel shipping container and he told me he keeps bolts/ nuts / washers etc stuck on the walls so he knows just where everything is--- sideways. Tonight I was bolting fenders onto bedsides by myself and no place to set the nuts and washers into easy reach. (fender moving all around and the sloping flareside tilting inwards...), So I did what Ron does. I wish I had thought of that 30 years ago.

 

[GB SISSON]

When I finally stuck it to the side the only thing that fell out was a hose clamp!

 

[flatford8]

I use them a lot in my old vehicles. To much plastic on a new car under the hood for them to stick anywhere....... Mark

 

[Oldbluoval]

I use large magnets to hold patches in place. One of the big problems comes about if you grind...filings get on the magnets and are the dickens to remove. A tray may be easier to clean dunno

 

[corvette8n]

I made my own magnetic dish about 10 years ago using a stainless dog dish from the dollar store and glueing a large magnet I scrounged from an old speaker.
I also remember when you could get them free from Harbor Freight with a coupon.

 

[Frank Miller]

I've done it upside down on the frame while working under the car. One drawback to these is do not use them for parts you do not want magnetized. I was taking a transmission apart and as handy as it was to throw all the needle bearings into, they were not parts I wanted magnetized.

 

[51504bat]

Not to hijack your thread, GB but I find this magnetic finger to be invaluable, especially when working solo.

 

[tubman]

Not to hijack your thread, GB but I find this magnetic finger to be invaluable, especially when working solo.

Wow! That's great! Now I can stop "Super-Gluing" screws to my finger tips.