I’ve just made use of a fabulous tip I read either here or in Threads magazine, but which I’m afraid may have escaped the notice of other beaders. I had a lot of tiny spilled beads after finishing a dress, and was about to vacuum them all up when I remembered this: loosely wrap a fine piece of fabric round the end of the vacuum nozzle, then poke it up the tube a little way. Now hold tight round the outside and start vacuuming, and all the beads will collect in the fabric pocket you’ve created. Some other wee bits of dust might be there as well, but that’s not a problem compared to the labour you’ve saved, and the beads you’ve still got for future use.
Thanks to whoever it was that originally thought of this.
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This made me laugh--I gave my DH the same tip to vacuum up a tiny little screw he needed for a gun scope this past weekend. He didn't hang on to the pantyhose tightly enough and WHOOSH the hose and all went flying into my built in vacuum! We never did find the screw :>(
Jane
Ah, but for tiny little screws, you are supposed to use a magnet!
I SUGGESTED that one (repeatedly) but the other half wouldn't go for (don't really know why). I wasn't going to do it for him. He can make one on his metal lathe or get one from Burris. It was funny the yell he gave when that stuff got sucked up.
The "panty-hose pocket" is a worthwhile idea to be sure. If I get to try it, I think I'll use a something to help hold the outside edges of the hosiery to the nozzle open end. A tight rubber band? A wrap of the packaging tape I keep at hand by my machine to blot up threads? Hmm, if I do that I'd better remember to make a "courtesy" edge on the tape.
For the uninuitiated, a courtesy edge is the means of folding a small end of the tape back on itself to facilitate finding it when there's a need to remove the tape.
It was the practice in the Operating Room back when fabric was still used to wrap items for sterilizing. The steam process would firmly adhere the tape and it could be a challenge to get it off.
me
Duct tape is your answer. It sticks beautifully, is easy to remove and doesn't leave a residue. Real duct tape, not the stuff that is called "duck tape", that is a pretty inferior product.
Moira, that tip works really, really well. If you use a dusting sheet, the dust sticks to the sheet, and the beads which are heavier tend to fall off, leaving the dust and threads behind. A used dryer sheet will work almost as well, but the dust doesn't stick as well, but smells better. Cathy
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