On 5 Jan 2007 12:26:52 -0800, "Winston" wrote:

Yes, I'm a dumbass. This has become quite apparent, so there's no need
to remind me.

Long story short, I dropped a 10" screwdriver tip-first down an open
2nd floor toilet drain pipe, and it is now stuck at the base of a
45-degree bend just under the basement ceiling. I know it couldn't have
gotten any further than this point, due to 2 sharp 90-degree bends that
follow the 45-degree bend. Unfortunately, I can't see it from the drain
opening because I can't look down the pipe due to a slight offset just
past the toilet flange. Do you know of any specialized plumber's snakes
or other tools that could be lowered into the pipe to grab the
screwdriver somehow?

I assume it's a cast iron pipe so a magnet is out of the question.
Fabricate a three prong fish hook retrieving device. Take a similar
screwdriver as a guide and apply the correct dimensions to the hooks
in order to facilitate successful hooking. Measure the exact length of
line you need to position the hook appropriately. Pretend you're
fishing and eventually you'll hook the tool.

Then don't be a dumb ass again.