Tried using a magnetic pickup tool to fish a screw out of a shaft, lost the screw AND the tool

I was working on an Otis elevator in a downtown office building last Thursday and dropped a screw down into the motor shaft. Figured a long magnetic pickup would grab it easy, but the tool snapped off halfway down and now both are sitting at the bottom. Has anyone else had a tool get stuck like that or am I just the unluckiest guy in the trade?

2 comments

2 Comments

paigem451mo ago

Actually a pickup tool with a magnet that strong shouldn't snap like that.

veram991mo ago

Oh, gosh. @paigem45, you're totally right about that, but I wonder if the real issue is the cheap chrome plating. A strong magnet on a flimsy coating is just asking for trouble.