The Carpet Monster

[Foxley]

Just relaxing, having a festive drink, watching some of your guys YouTube videos while I work on my Railway Gondola... BAM! The carpet monster strikes, ripping a grab handle from my bench and consuming it beyond all known existence! So, down on my hands and knees, hunting round for a grab handle... A waste of time, it's gone, forever, period. Out of anger, I stand up, look down at the carpet and call it a b******.
It got me wondering, what have you guys lost to the carpet monster?

[chief5437]

You name it, I've lost it! But sometimes the carpet monster gives up some booty. A few times I've been searching under the desk, torch in hand, and found bits long forgotten. 'Ooo, that's just what I need for my next project' lol!

[Foxley]

Would you adam and eve it... I've been looking since I posted and found it! Yey... Then realised I had glued something upside down, so tried to prize it off with the stanley knife, sliced straight in to my finger, banged my desk, it flew off and i've lost it again... Bah!

[PhildaFish]

May I suggest calling it a night whilst you still have all your fingers?!?!? Sometimes, when everything seems to be going against you, it's best to beat a retreat!

[Foxley]

May I suggest calling it a night whilst you still have all your fingers?!?!? Sometimes, when everything seems to be going against you, it's best to beat a retreat!

You mean performing a gentleman's retreat? Why sir, that would be defeat! It's modelling time and I shall not go down without a fight!

The carpet monster has won this round, so I shall have to try and scratch build a handle.

That's actually the second time I've injured myself while making a model, oddly enough, the first time was with a stanley knife as well, though that bled quite a bit more!

[chief5437]

May I suggest calling it a night whilst you still have all your fingers?!?!? Sometimes, when everything seems to be going against you, it's best to beat a retreat!

Wise, wise words! Lol

[Dunhill2005]

Too much. But I've found a way to defeat the carpet monster...
You need a vacuum cleaner and a ladies tights.Pull the ladies tights over the tube of the vacuum cleaner and lets start!
All small parts remain in tights

[Foxley]

Too much. But I've found a way to defeat the carpet monster...
You need a vacuum cleaner and a ladies tights.Pull the ladies tights over the tube of the vacuum cleaner and lets start!
All small parts remain in tights

Now that's a good idea... But, what if you don't have any ladies tights?

[Dunhill2005]

Take something else with a closely-knit

[Foxley]

A thin sock might do the trick I think, alas, it's a tad late to be hoovering, I don't think the neighbours would approve if the Dyson came out to play. But you can bet what's on my list first thing tomorrow morning.

[Dunhill2005]

good luck!!!!
Let me know if it works with sonething else than a lady tights

[JayCub]

Just laughing away to myself Mic, last night on my hands and knees again, with a torch looking inch by inch for a bracket for a gun mount, i have called it all the names under the sun , i use a small hand held Hoover so as when i drop a piece there is every chance i will find it.
maybe lino is the way to go

[rm6239]

Mic

Never give up mate, during the building of my last dio, I lost a cow's ear, I found it last night hiding between a bottle of Barley grey and German grey, pity it was to late to use it.

cheers
Rossco

[Nige201980]

I've lost quite a few items this way but I have a wooden floor where I build so when then do a dive if the table they tend to bounce and are never seen again. Well unless my son is looking for said part with me he always manages to find it lol.

[alextheblue]

I'm the same as Nige - lose loads to the carpet monster and I don't even have a carpet!

It never ceases to amaze me how far a small bit of plastic can bounce on a wooden floor. Great tip from Dunhill there with the hoover.

Rossco - glad you found that ear mate; why don't you to glue to the cow's forehead and enter it in the sci-fi section, you could title it..............wait for it.................

Space.....................................the final FRONT-EAR!!!!!!!!

Apologies, it won't happen again!

[chief5437]

^^ ha ha ha!

[Paul]

I'm the same as Nige - lose loads to the carpet monster and I don't even have a carpet!

It never ceases to amaze me how far a small bit of plastic can bounce on a wooden floor. Great tip from Dunhill there with the hoover.

Rossco - glad you found that ear mate; why don't you to glue to the cow's forehead and enter it in the sci-fi section, you could title it..............wait for it.................

Space.....................................the final FRONT-EAR!!!!!!!!

Apologies, it won't happen again!

Lmao,bad....but funny lol

[Dunhill2005]

Moin
I get punches of Mrs. Dunhillat this moment!
The idea with the vacuum cleaner is from her.She deserves the praise, not me.

[Foxley]

After a very, very, long Christmas shop, the vacuum was poised. With the determination of a cleaning Ninja, I FAILED to find it. Looks like I'll have to scratch build them now, thankfully it shouldn't be too difficult. I won't forget this experience, I've got a bloody good scar from that stanley knife!

Love the ear joke! Hahaha

[NovYank]

May I suggest calling it a night whilst you still have all your fingers?!?!? Sometimes, when everything seems to be going against you, it's best to beat a retreat!

Wise, wise words! Lol

The carpet monster took my fingers.

[Wayne]

Too much. But I've found a way to defeat the carpet monster...
You need a vacuum cleaner and a ladies tights.Pull the ladies tights over the tube of the vacuum cleaner and lets start!
All small parts remain in tights

Now that is an epic idea I call for this to be put in the hints & tips area.

[Wayne]

I'm the same as Nige - lose loads to the carpet monster and I don't even have a carpet!

It never ceases to amaze me how far a small bit of plastic can bounce on a wooden floor. Great tip from Dunhill there with the hoover.

Rossco - glad you found that ear mate; why don't you to glue to the cow's forehead and enter it in the sci-fi section, you could title it..............wait for it.................

Space.....................................the final FRONT-EAR!!!!!!!!

Apologies, it won't happen again!

Pmsl that had me crying with laughter.

[ModelStudent]

The monster has been lurking for me and just waiting in greedy anticipation for something to fall. Recently while building the UH-1 Huey Gunship tail rotor section, the last time I saw it the shaft was in it, yet later when I went to glue it somehow it was lost. I did look frustratedly for three days, but to no avail. Ugh! While the monster got her meal, I fashioned a replacement by whittling down scrap sprue and it looks like it will work. FTW

[MakingModelsAgain]

When I set up my cave, I specifically wanted a light coloured laminate floor so that when a part pings, I could find it easily.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.........

I do believe it's actually a micro-vortex that rips open the space-time continuum at that precise moment to swallow the part as it flies through the air. Somewhere, there is a planet that is completely covered in tiny bits of plastic and photo-etch.

[Trainboy153]

I have tile floors so nothing gets lost hehehehehe.....

[JohnP]

I've seen how great of a camo Olive Drab can be. My carpet is green and I made the mistake of losing an olive-drab coloured bomb. Never found it.

[Paul]

I've seen how great of a camo Olive Drab can be. My carpet is green and I made the mistake of losing an olive-drab coloured bomb. Never found it.

Brings a whole new meaning to "carpet bombing"









Dont worry, I've got my coat

[Neils]

Even though I've only been back doing this about 8 months I too have had casualties to the carpet monster, and to it's smaller brother the Part Eating Trousers PET. (I Can't really call it the trouser monster) I've had parts slip into my lap and I sit there, like a statue playing the 'Dare I move' game.

I've found one of those transparent swivel chair, protective carpet protectors works well. If it's a large piece I can sweep up on in and feel the parts move. If it's a smaller part, then the boundary between plastic and carpet works as a catcher.

On a different note, is there a post where contact names and numbers for each manufacturer is listed so replacements can be ordered if needed?

[ModelStudent]

Well you guys are lucky and something should be done bout the monster!

[chief5437]

When I set up my cave, I specifically wanted a light coloured laminate floor so that when a part pings, I could find it easily.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.........

I do believe it's actually a micro-vortex that rips open the space-time continuum at that precise moment to swallow the part as it flies through the air. Somewhere, there is a planet that is completely covered in tiny bits of plastic and photo-etch.

[Panzermeister36]

My table is angled with a lip at the bottom so the only thing i ever lose is PE, but my carpet is quite 'deep' so I can't use the flashlight/"torch" trick to make is shine. Whenever PE goes ping, I don't even bother; I know it'll find it when it gets embedded into my foot in about a week's time.

A while ago I lost a PE strap. Apparent it flew quite far as I found it that night in my bed (well, actually in my neck) which is a good 10+ feet from the bench.

I need a floor like a funnel under my bench; all the bits will collect at the bottom! Hey I've got an idea; time to sell it to Tamiya

[Bissyboat]

Here´s an idea to avoid PEs from pinging to the dreaded carpet monster. Simply use a carboard box. The walls will deflect and put your misery out of the way. I use my homemade paint booth for those dual purposes and it creates a nice little safety net. Worth a go.

You 1-0 Carpet monster.

[WebbyNZ]

I don't use the normal vacuum cleaner in the cave, I use a 'swiffer' so it's called. Basically a rechargeable carpet sweeper that just flicks dirt and stray parts into a small tray that I can check before it goes into the bin, and if really needed the full power cleaner can be run through after that.

I have managed to find things I did not even know I'd lost in the past, which is the reason the door is closed when I'm out of the cave as we have 3 cats that like the workbench almost as much as me.

[Trainboy153]

Last night I lost one mirror for my Krupp Protze and I had to scratchbuild one out of a paper clip and some thin sprue (btw I have tile floors!)

[ModelStudent]

Ugh she struck again this morning. I admit I was starting to get drowsy while building the Tamiya 1:35 German Hanomag, but the left front hook disappeared after a perfect snip from the sprue. I guess it got ripped off or broken off while being hauled back for repairs.

[Trainboy153]

I have tile floors so nothing gets lost hehehehehe.....

Scratch that, I lost a mirror for my protze and I only found it after getting used to the homemade one. I also lost one of the guns for my BF-109

[Trainboy153]

It seems that every time I try to scratch build something out of sprue, i manage to slice my finger wide open. I had to change my knife blade because it was bloody, paint-covered and rusty (I didn't want to get tetanus from getting a cut from a rusty blade.)