The Sock Monster of metal clay strikes!!!!

[Fi Wilson]

As Victor Meldrew would say, "I don't believe it!". Grr! Just finished tumbling some small metal clay pieces for a two part earring idea I've been messing about with. 4 large shapes and 4 small shapes went in, so why have only 3 large shapes and 4 small shapes come out???!!! Where the heck has it gone? I've checked the floor, the tumbler (3 times) and I've even resorted to going through the shot with a magnet to separate it all! Hmm, maybe it's the big Easter Bunny playing a trick on me!

Fi

[daisychain]

I know exactly what you mean! It will be in there somewhere - and you'll find it just as you resign yourself to making a replacement!
In fact, go and get everything you need to make a replacement, lay it all out on your desk ready to start work - and then go and check your tumbler again!

[bustagasket]

lol i have SO been there, how they hide i dunno but hide they do

[Di Sandland]

LOL - I am regularly picking out headpins - which I haven't made since well before Christmas!

[MuranoSilver]

Did you try the lid? - I searched for ages once and it was in the lid
Nic x

[Fi Wilson]

I've looked everywhere, including the lid. I'm so paranoid about counting the number of items going in after an episode when I made some silver balls from leftover wire. All's not lost, I've made the lonely earring drop into a necklace pendant. It's actually quite cute so the big naughty Easter Bunny may have done me a favour!!

[Dennis]

When working on multiple small parts, I have to count them over and over, because sooner or later one will go missing, swept to the side of the work area, or onto the floor. For looking around the floor I beam a torch horizontally and that highlights shiny bits quite well.
To keep small parts together in a tumbler, I confine them in a small lidded plastic tube or box, with some shot and soap and put that back into the tumbler together with the rest of the shot and soap and larger objects if any. It’s not funny.

[Petal]

Would putting the piece(s) into a muslin bag not work, so you wouldn't lose them?? Or am I being especially thick ?

[Di Sandland]

but then the shot wouldn't be able to 'bash' them, Jules.

[lesley]

If your tumbler is like mine there's a removable rubber covering over the metal lid. Something small could easily have worked it's way underneath.

I've been doing maille recently and seem to have the opposite problem of shot getting lost in the silver. I've had a couple of pieces that have been tumbled, checked over, taken for hallmarking, unpacked.......... and then little bits of shot pop out!