DIY

WORKSHOP

HERE’S THE ESCAPEE: A 0-80 nonmagnetic stainless steel socket-head cap screw.

LOST SCREW FINDER

An easy vacuum attachment that filters small nonmagnetic parts. By Frank Ford

Ever drop a screw or other teeny part, look around like crazy, and finally have to give up? Wish you had a magic magnet that could attract plastic or brass parts out of the debris on your shop floor?

Well, that’s never happened to me … but if it ever does, I’ll be glad I made this little gizmo. It’s a vacuum attachment that captures small bits in a little canister so I can sort through them.

Photography by Frank Ford

MATERIALS

Plastic CD-ROM spindle container

Finally, a use for one of these!

Small wire screen I cut mine from an old kitchen strainer.

1" diameter PVC plumbing: two 90° elbows, one 45° elbow, and 2' of pipe

Silicone glue

A vacuum, plus any adapter needed to fit it to the PVC My shop vacuum’s 1½" hose fit the PVC pipe after a bit of filing, no adapter necessary.

TOOLS
Hacksaw or PVC pipe cutter
Utility knife
Metal file
Scissors or wire cutter
Stapler or staple gun

1. Using a knife along with a short piece of PVC pipe as a template, mark and cut 2 holes in the base of the CD spindle. Neatness doesn’t count for much here, but the holes should just clear the diameter of the pipe and shouldn’t be too irregular.

2. Cut ¼" sections off 1 end of each of the 90° elbows. Again, accuracy isn’t important. My

Make: 149