Originally Posted by Rachel
Could it be an attachment to a Red Devil vacuum? maybe she used it to clean the machine out?????
Clever answer, since anything metal near the motor windings is damaging to the motor. I've always told my kids, if it's big enough you can see it standing up, then pick it up...the vacuum is for fine particles, not long strings & paperclips!
Nowadays (is that a word?), I use either my telescoping magnet $4.99 (looks like an old car antenna) I got @ Joann's on 50% off sale...or the old magnet wand , which is heavier duty to check for pins. Wand:
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/p...DID=xprd140412 $4.49.
Telescoping (but probably a lot weaker)
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/p...DID=xprd74099. After looking this up again, I was surprised for the same price Amazon (& probably Harbor Freight) has some telescoping magnets that will pick up 15 or 20 pounds, so pretty powerful, instead of the one I got which only has 3.5# "pull". Not that a pin would weigh anything, but a stronger magnet will pull from a farther distance if you dropped a pin on the floor.