Alternative to this part?
- Thread starter TXFJR
- Start date
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ionbeam
2 FUN
Go fish.
A long time ago I got a socket set that came with magnetic inserts to hold nuts and bolts in the socket. Good idea, but the inserts were too tall to work well.
So I repurposed them. I made several 'fishes' of various lengths and stiffness. I cut roughly 24" of a single strand out of a #12 Romex cable and left the insulation on all but 1 inch of the wire, then used the big red insert to make a fish. I tightly wound the 1 inch of bare copper around the middle of the insert, then bent the Romex 90º right at the insert so that the magnet is parallel to the wire. This makes a flexible but controlled small clearance fish that can be bent to reach into all kinds of places that a telescoping fish can't reach. The plastic sides keeps it from sticking to adjacent ferrous metals yet the tip has strong enough magnetism to pick up substantial bolts. The magnet is small enough that it fits into little spaces. I used thinner Romex to make a couple of smaller fishes. Unfortunately I have needed to use these fishes to pull out a lot of dropped hardware in the FJR farings and hollow frame. You just need to be careful and only loose iron,steel, cobalt and perhaps nickle parts
It helps to have a mechanic's mirror to look around but you can still do some pretty good blind work using the flexible fish.
A long time ago I got a socket set that came with magnetic inserts to hold nuts and bolts in the socket. Good idea, but the inserts were too tall to work well.
So I repurposed them. I made several 'fishes' of various lengths and stiffness. I cut roughly 24" of a single strand out of a #12 Romex cable and left the insulation on all but 1 inch of the wire, then used the big red insert to make a fish. I tightly wound the 1 inch of bare copper around the middle of the insert, then bent the Romex 90º right at the insert so that the magnet is parallel to the wire. This makes a flexible but controlled small clearance fish that can be bent to reach into all kinds of places that a telescoping fish can't reach. The plastic sides keeps it from sticking to adjacent ferrous metals yet the tip has strong enough magnetism to pick up substantial bolts. The magnet is small enough that it fits into little spaces. I used thinner Romex to make a couple of smaller fishes. Unfortunately I have needed to use these fishes to pull out a lot of dropped hardware in the FJR farings and hollow frame. You just need to be careful and only loose iron,steel, cobalt and perhaps nickle parts
It helps to have a mechanic's mirror to look around but you can still do some pretty good blind work using the flexible fish.
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TXFJR
Well-known member
I only have one of those telescoping magnets to retrieve metal parts, unfortunately it does not bend, so I think it will be next to useless this time. I like your idea, and after this little adventure, I know I need something!
Well, I guess I will be "fishing" after work today!
Well, I guess I will be "fishing" after work today!
HotRodZilla
GOD BLESS AMERICA
Alan...Will you please stop using those acronym clicky things? They're kind of irritating. If I'm on here with my phone or iPad, they don't work. They only seem to work with a mouse click. They disappeared for a while, but lately you and maybe Fred have been using them a lot. You don't have to, I'm just trying to ask so that I and maybe others can get what the heck is being talked about.
Thanks. Kisses!!
HRZ
Thanks. Kisses!!
HRZ
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