# Fun With Magnets



## Troutsqueezer (Nov 25, 2009)

There is a thread elsewhere in this forum started by black85vette where a discussion of the X2 mill with respect to its quirks along with some discussion about ways to monitor head drop and Z axis movement in general. Black85vette came up a with method to mount a D.I. on the column using earth magnets which I thought was a dandy idea. Other folks had similar ideas. I looked around the shed that evening for something that might work along the same lines and came up with this idea. I didn't want to steal 85's thread so started a new one here.

Stuck to my welding table were a number of triangular-shaped welding magnets used for holding some sizable hunks of metal in place while they get welded together. I knew these had some major holding power because I've squished my fingers between them enough times. :redface2: I bought these at Harbor Freight for almost nothing. I took one of the smaller sized triangles and ground away one of the rivets and removed it. The hole was a perfect fit for a 6-32 screw. I placed a threaded spacer on the side where the screw sticks through and used another 6-32 with a couple of washers to fasten the D.I. to it. 












Since the previous discussion was about head drop, I placed the newly-mounted D.I. onto the column to see if it would work there. It worked quite well. 






It also worked on the bottom side of the head. 






Then the old brain started to kick in for some reason - probably the Captain Morgan Parrot Rum and Coke I was drinking - and I thought this setup might have some additional uses. 

Here it is monitoring the Y axis movement. Of the two larger triangles, I am at this point only using the one. 






I thought if this was too close to the center of the work area, I could use another magnet and place it further to the right. 






Here it is monitoring the X axis movement. 






As you can see, the magnets can be arranged in a variety of ways, only a few of which I've shown here. This weekend it's off to HF to buy some more cheap D.I.'s. 

-trout


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## Tin Falcon (Nov 25, 2009)

I like that setup As a welder I have a few of those around certainly cheap enough when found on sale at HF
Tin


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## black85vette (Nov 25, 2009)

Troutsqueezer; I love finding new uses for things and recycling them.  This was a really great idea. Very nice use of them to do the X & Y axis.  :bow:


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## coldte (Nov 27, 2009)

Hi ,
I dont want to put a damp squib on things but i think you should be aware that the magnets will tend to magnetise anything around them, i did just the same as you and probably many others and used magnets for all sorts of purposes ,eventually nearly every thing got magnetic and chips were sticking to everything very annoying and so i removed them ,and now things are slowly getting back to normal a lesson learned and will not be repeated.Just thought you should be aware. still it is a neat idea.
regards coldte

Edited for sake of brevity They are great photos but not needed in duplicate. Tin


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## Troutsqueezer (Nov 28, 2009)

Thanks for the heads up. Hopefully it won't be a big problem with brass and aluminum chips.


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## Tin Falcon (Nov 28, 2009)

Only if you use brass magnets : ;D
                    Tin


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## BobWarfield (Nov 29, 2009)

I like those welder's magnets to keep the chuck key near anything with a drill chuck. One near the lathe tailstock, on the drillpress, and on the mill.

Best,

BW


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