Hi All,
I've started using a thin layer of blu-tack on the corner of my cutting board when I detach the parts.
Unless you use a pyrogruve (hot meltie thingy) there's always a chance the tweezers or whatever will slip. Or the part's just too small or oddly shaped for a firm grip.
Just push down gently until the part you want is resting in the blu-tack and then cut the attachment point, stabilizing the part with gentle tweezer pressure. The blu-tack stops the part whizzing off to meet the carpet monster and you can extract it with the tweezers when you need it.
I also use blu-tack when trimming the attachment point off. I find without my big, fat digits near the part it's easier to see (and safer for my fingers!)
TTFN
Tom

Tom, that's a great idea! I lost a piece to the carpet monster just last night and spent 15 minutes looking for it. Never found it. I'll be adding some blu-tack to my workbench tonight!
Thanks!
Michael

My $.02, I cut most parts away from the sprue with a pair of wire type cutters, I take a chunk of the sprue instead of cutting at the 'gate', where the sprue meets the part. Then I trim the gate with acurved blade Xacto knife and sort of roll the blade across the gate. Gives me much better control of the part and the trim operation.

To fight the carpet monster, I've stolen an idea to use a flashlight from some hint book. Hold the light at an angle to the floor, about 30 degrees. The light will cause a shadow that's a lot larger than the part and help identify where it's at. The CSI's on TV are doing a variation on this concept when they use flashlights in a darkened room instead of turning on the lights.

Mark, I've got your drift about the light. I've been doing a variation for years with a thing called a 'torch'
But I'd rather keep the parts away from the carpet (and by definition, the monster) as often as possible.
Tom

wooden flooring, it's the only way to go, goodbye carpet monster.

Ya know, I almost followed flashlight with (torch) just for you British speakers. But I was afraid the Americans would worry about burning up their carpets.

I stick a piece of blue painters tape to the sprue and part I want, and snip the part off with a small sprue-clipper or electrical cutter at the gate. The part is captured on the tape. For really tiny parts, I also do the previously-reported; cut off sprue-chunk and then trim off with a blade.

And it's wood and tile floors for me! That, and the angled torch trick have kept my parts-loss pretty low (2 in 18 months!) (But the wife found 1 about 3 months after I was done w/ that build )

Doesn't Blu-tack leave an oily residue? I appreciate you will probably clean the model before painting but you might need to use a gentle solvent to get rid of the oily residue

Adam

When I'm working with PE parts, I'll stick a strip 0f masking tape on the back of the sprue so the parts stay put until I need them, but for plastic I usually use a small pair of wire cutters to remove the parts. Now if the part is extremely fiddly to remove or can be damaged too easily if removed with wire cutters, I use a set of 0.005" thick photo-etched steel saws to cut the parts from the sprue.

I've seen a tip about putting PE in a baggie and cutting it free through the baggie. Anyone try that?

The baggie trick works - you need to use a big-enough baggie.

I have tried those veggie bags from the supermarket. It was not as easy as at first I had hoped, as plastic baggies are not actually very clear, and a tiny part is not easily seen thru the baggie for cutting.

For plastic parts I use Xuron's 2175ET Professional Sprue Cutter.


For PE I use the soon to be released Xuron 9180ET Professional PE Scissor



I designed both of these tools for Xuron. I found their existing tools great but had room for improvement, so I set about designing new ones that met the needs many professional modelers were looking for in a tool.

Both allow one to reach into sprues and frets that have tightly spaced delicate parts and remove them without damaged and minimize clean up after removal. Those who have or tried them love'em!