# Magnetic Attraction



## Brian Rupnow (Sep 28, 2011)

I have a nice set of allen wrenches with big handles, which are very convenient, but have always hidden away in a drawer, and all clung together like plastic monkeys whenever I wanted to get one out. Last week I installed a new cabinet in my little shop, and thought "What a perfect spot to hang the Allen wrenches!" The screws supporting them have large enough heads to keep them from falling off the doors, but when the doors are swung open they all rattle and crash as they swing in and out. Yesterday I was into Princess Auto, and picked up a pack of 8 small magnets for less than $3.00 for the lot. I put a dab of glue on the back of each one, slid it in place under an allen wrench with the glued side against the cupboard door. The magnet held itself in place untill the glue dried, and now I have great storage, right up front where I want it, and they don't rattle and crash about when the doors are opened and closed.


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## MachineTom (Sep 28, 2011)

Nice fix, Magnets are often handy.I have several sizes around the shop, often use them as an extra hand to hold stuff during setup, get yourself some magnetic blocks, ebay is the best source as they are quite expensive. The blocks themselves are not magnetic, but can transfer magnetic forces.

A bit off topic but on the magnetic subject. Yesterday here in NJ, at Lakewood Naval Base they launched a E-2 aircraft with a linear magnetic motor, 48,000 lbs 0 to 150mph in 350 feet. Now thats a magnet.


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## mklotz (Sep 28, 2011)

Of course, now all your Allen wrenches are going to be magnetized. That's OK in some cases but, ultimately, it will turn out to be a nuisance.

Do you have a soldering *gun* to use to demagnetize them?


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## peatoluser (Sep 28, 2011)

I use this to demagnetize my allen keys (when the end picks up so much swarf you can't get it into the allen head you'll know what Marv means)
http://www.screwfix.com/p/wera-star-magnetiser-demagnetiser/26926

but how do you use a soldering gun to demagnetize stuff? I've never heard of that dodge.

yours

peter


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## mklotz (Sep 28, 2011)

peatoluser  said:
			
		

> but how do you use a soldering gun to demagnetize stuff? I've never heard of that dodge.



With the gun turned off, insert the Allen wrench into the loop formed by the gun's heating element. Turn the gun on and slowly withdraw the wrench from the loop to a distance of about three feet or so before turning the gun off. At no point in this procedure should the wrench contact the loop.

Larger tools may not fit into the heating element. If this is the case, replace the heating element with a loop of very heavy duty copper wire.

When you're out scrounging, keep your eye open for a bulk tape eraser. They work well for larger tools.


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## peatoluser (Sep 28, 2011)

Thanks for the tip. much appreciated

peter


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## Troutsqueezer (Sep 28, 2011)

All those TV's I fixed in my younger days, I could have used a soldering gun to degauss the CRT instead of my degaussing coil. Who knew? (wink emoticon left out here for purposes of enhanced reading pleasure).


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## mklotz (Sep 28, 2011)

Troutsqueezer  said:
			
		

> All those TV's I fixed in my younger days, I could have used a soldering gun to degauss the CRT instead of my degaussing coil. Who knew? (wink emoticon left out here for purposes of enhanced reading pleasure).



What are you doing, Trout, going all biblical on me? It's as hard for a techie to enter the kingdom of TV repair as it is for a CRT to pass through the eye of a soldering iron?

Thanks for restraining yourself from using the blinkies. I know how hard it must have been for you. I'll send you a whirligig as a thank you.


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## kustomkb (Sep 28, 2011)

Looks good. 

Screwdrivers and Allen keys being magnetized is usually very handy, I'm not sure I would want my files (below) becoming magnetized though.


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## Brian Rupnow (Sep 28, 2011)

The files below are far enough away that they won't become magnetized. As far as the allen wrenches being magnetized, that may be a possible plus, rather than a minus. I will let you know with future use. It was not my intent to magnetize anything, only to keep the wrenches from rattling around.


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## kustomkb (Sep 28, 2011)

Sorry Brian, it looked to me like the files were held up by a magnetic tool bar, like this,


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## Brian Rupnow (Sep 28, 2011)

Well, Uh, yes you're right. Sorry about that. I was talking about the magnets I just added to the face of the cabinet---duh!!!! ??? ??? ??? at any rate, 99% of what gets filed is aluminum or brass, so it hasn't been an issue.


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## Brian Rupnow (Sep 28, 2011)

And what do we find inside the cupboard. (Which incidently I scrounged off the front of somebodys driveway)----Well of course!!!-A use for all those damned bottles of pills and potions that keep me and good wife ticking over like well tuned Ferraris. They make excellent containers for all the various taps, dies, specialty screws, etcetera, that heretofore I have had to rummage around in the bottom of bins hunting for them.


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