Nice trick with the magnet strip. I did something similar with a magnetic tray for lawnmower repairs. Those little springs and washers always vanished into the grass. Having them stick to the tray saved a huge headache. I stopped digging around in the dirt every two minutes. Now I'm hooked on using magnets for any job with small metal bits.
My buddy lost a tiny carburetor pin in his gravel driveway last summer. He spent an hour with a magnet on a string before he found it. He bought a magnetic parts tray the next day.