Those %#& roll control rods...

[Dgamble]

It's a long (but amusing, I think) story:

http://www.schmetterlingaviation.com/2011/06/meet-david-r-copperfield.html

The boiled down version is that I continue to find new and exotic ways to lose parts, which is one of those useless life skills I seem to acquire. This one is even more useless than my ability to win over $200,000 a $1,000 at time in my Blackberry's 'Texas Hold'em' game.

If only I could find that cash-out button....

 

[DonFromTX]

I am glad to see that I am not the only one to have acquired that skill Dave, the only difference is that for a great majority of the time, the lost bag/screw/washer/bushing never shows up, even after I order replacements. Usually at my advanced age, I cannot even remember ever having seen it in the first place, so I can just blame Vans for shorting me. Eases my guilty conscience.

 

[funflying]

Dave,

I enjoyed your writing and the story is all too familar. Things drop and disappear all too often. Sometimes I have even experimented with dropping another while closely watching the results and it has worked. It is usually later I discover the missing....whatever.... then trying to remember what it went to. Thanks for the reality check!!

 

[dick seiders]

I refer to the problem as the parts monster who lives in the floor. For ex. when doing the engine I dropped a carb. step washer. Never to be seen again. Told a friend at Sun & Fun to pick me up about 4 or 5 at Lockwood stand. He called back and informed me thay were $16 each so I dropped the order to 2. This happened many times with various parts, and sometimes I actually recovered them, but not as often as I would have liked, and to this day 1 year after completing the 12 and cleaning up the garage many times that step washer has never shown up. Only logical explanation: a parts eating monster in the floor!
Dick Seiders

 

[rv12iS-builder]

"Things drop and disappear all too often. Sometimes I have even experimented with dropping another while closely watching the results"

I thought I was the only one who did this! It's even worse when you lose the second part, too!

 

[Janekom]

Ha Ha, I have also tried the drop test with no luck.
Once dropped much needed one of a kind washer, only to find it in the evening - in my shoe!

 

[DonFromTX]

I discovered one of the parts monster secrets yesterday. I was trying to put the canopy latch together, and spent an hour or two looking for that nylon washer that goes below the outside lever. I knew I had seen it someplace, but it obviously had gotten swiped by the parts monster when I was not looking. Finally decided to just go to the hardware store and get one rather than wait for one from Vans. As I took my caliper to measure the latch handle shaft, lo and behold, the monster had slid the nylon washer down on the shaft - so it would not get lost!