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Steel, Magnets & Glue?


FluteFace

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Okay. I've got the 1st cache idea, but I'm lacking a bit on certain technicalities. I'll make a microcache (log only) in a small steel capsule that's fastened by a magnet to a metallic something-or-other. (Full details when it's official! :laughing: ) The question is, does somebody already make such an animal with the magnet already attached? If not, what's the best adhesive to use to fasten magnet to capsule? Is there a specific type of magnet that might work better than another? Thanks for the help!

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J.B. Weld will keep your magnet attached to anything metal (and quite a few other things too).

 

I suggest placing a strip of duct tape on your workbench to mix the chemicals together on, then when it's dry you can remove it pretty easily.

You can also mix the J.B. Weld on a disposable plastic cup lid (you get one with any meal that includes a McToy)

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Two-part epoxy including JB Weld works the best. Polyurethane (like Gorilla Glue)also works decently. Sand the metal and wet it with water, put the polyurethane on the magnet and hold with a rubber band while setting. Spray paint after glue is set.

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I just get super strong rare earth magnets and put them inside the container. No need for  glue, just a bit of duct  tape to keep it from rattling around inside.

I also use rare earth magnets inside the container, but I stick them in place with some kind of caulk or an epoxy glue or hot glue or whatever is handy to stick them to the inside of the container.

Edited by Thot
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I take apart old hard drives and use the magnets from them.

I've used screws and epoxy to hold them to a container. I've also simply dropped one inside the container. Either way works.

 

One of these magnets will easily hold an altoids tin, even when the magnet is inside the tin. the advantage of the tin is that the magnet also holds itself firmly to the tin. It takes a lot of effort to get it out.

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If you use a rare earth magnet and an altoids tin or the like, just put the magnet inside the box. It will work quite nicely holding box in the hiding spot.

Yep. This works great. I work for a Sheriff's Dept and this is how one of our local meth dealers was trying to hide his stash. He used a round Altiods tin painted to match the bottom of his car. We found it in a search warrant of the car. It was actually in his pocket when he was stopped and he had stuck it to the seat frame before he was arrested. Thing looked beat to heck but was still watertight and the magnet was in good shape, would stick to the bottom of a moving car just fine.

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Two-part epoxy including JB Weld works the best. Polyurethane (like Gorilla Glue)also works decently. Sand the metal and wet it with water, put the polyurethane on the magnet and hold with a rubber band while setting. Spray paint after glue is set.

I haven’t found anything that Gorilla Glue wont stick to, but be careful it tend to “foam” during the curing process and can make a mess if you use too much.

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J-B weld epoxy is great for magnets. Try doing this: put a just-mixed J-B weld on a stick, and hold it over a magnet, and observe how J-B weld is magnetic, at least when it's not dry.

 

I second the advice on using an earth magnet and placing it inside the container. Glues of all sorts don't like tension (pull) and work much better under compression (push). If you can't avoid tension, then make sure the surfaces are prepared (sanded, washed, then dried), or use secondary enforcement, like wrapping a tape around both the magnet and the container.

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HI

I am not up on the earth magnets (new to this myself)

 

but I know about glues (work in a craft store)

 

you have the 2 part epoxies

E-6000 (gray tube) works vary well

than you have 527 (red and white tube works as well)

 

all these work on metal !!

hope it helps

 

Jen

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If you use a rare earth magnet and an altoids tin or the like, just put the magnet inside the box.  It will work quite nicely holding box in the hiding spot.

Yep. This works great. I work for a Sheriff's Dept and this is how one of our local meth dealers was trying to hide his stash. He used a round Altiods tin painted to match the bottom of his car. We found it in a search warrant of the car. It was actually in his pocket when he was stopped and he had stuck it to the seat frame before he was arrested. Thing looked beat to heck but was still watertight and the magnet was in good shape, would stick to the bottom of a moving car just fine.

For doing a good deed to society by getting that dirtbag off the streets, you should get credited with an additional smiley for that find. Maybe classify it under miscellaneous or something. :angry:

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Two-part epoxy including JB Weld works the best. Polyurethane (like Gorilla Glue)also works decently. Sand the metal and wet it with water, put the polyurethane on the magnet and hold with a rubber band while setting. Spray paint after glue is set.

I am not crazy about Gorilla Glue as I have found it wants a rough surface to work best. I have had problems with it sticking to plastics and metals with a smooth surface. But maybe a little coarse sandpaper would do the trick. Super Glue seems to work pretty well.

cheers

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If you use a rare earth magnet and an altoids tin or the like, just put the magnet inside the box.  It will work quite nicely holding box in the hiding spot.

Yep. This works great. I work for a Sheriff's Dept and this is how one of our local meth dealers was trying to hide his stash. He used a round Altiods tin painted to match the bottom of his car. We found it in a search warrant of the car. It was actually in his pocket when he was stopped and he had stuck it to the seat frame before he was arrested. Thing looked beat to heck but was still watertight and the magnet was in good shape, would stick to the bottom of a moving car just fine.

For doing a good deed to society by getting that dirtbag off the streets, you should get credited with an additional smiley for that find. Maybe classify it under miscellaneous or something. :D

In all fairness I can't take the credit for the find, but kudos to the Deputy that did. :D

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If you use a rare earth magnet and an altoids tin or the like, just put the magnet inside the box.  It will work quite nicely holding box in the hiding spot.

Yep. This works great. I work for a Sheriff's Dept and this is how one of our local meth dealers was trying to hide his stash. He used a round Altiods tin painted to match the bottom of his car. We found it in a search warrant of the car. It was actually in his pocket when he was stopped and he had stuck it to the seat frame before he was arrested. Thing looked beat to heck but was still watertight and the magnet was in good shape, would stick to the bottom of a moving car just fine.

For doing a good deed to society by getting that dirtbag off the streets, you should get credited with an additional smiley for that find. Maybe classify it under miscellaneous or something. :D

It's bad enough people post more than one find for event caches to count things they did while attending, now you want finds for a police officer doing his job? :D

 

 

I'm testing out some new sig items for this weekend. I attached magents to two of them with Elmer's and two with a brand similar to gorilla glue. We'll see which one works best.

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I'm testing out some new sig items for this weekend. I attached magents to two of them with Elmer's and two with a brand similar to gorilla glue. We'll see which one works best

If it stays wet for any length of time Elmer's white glue is water soluble.

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Intrestingly enough, I just visited a similar cache. It's a mint tin held to a metal object with magnet. I don't know if the magnet was glued to the metal object but I doubt it. It wasn't glued to the tin at all though, not sure why it has to be.

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Intrestingly enough, I just visited a similar cache. It's a mint tin held to a metal object with magnet. I don't know if the magnet was glued to the metal object but I doubt it. It wasn't glued to the tin at all though, not sure why it has to be.

 

well, normally (whatever normal is) for me, I'd glue the magnets to the cache. This way you can put the cache back without looking and it will stick always. If you put the magnets on the metal base then you have to make sure you put the cache back carefully to be sure that it is on the magnet properly and will stay put.

 

Also, you want the magnets to stay with the cache so that they don't get separated - that is on on the base and one on the cache so that there is not enough sticking power on the cache.

 

Further, it is a whole lot easier to glue magnets to your cache at home on a known clean surface than it is to clean up under a bridge and glue magnets there. Wait a day or so for glue to cure, then come back and stick up the cache.

 

Certainly you can do it any way you want to. The above would be my suggestions for planting a magnetic cache.

 

cc\

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I found that a 3/8" rare earth magnet will hold an altoids can to anything. For one of my caches I used Zap to super glue if to the bottom of the can. Just watch your fingers when using rare earth magnets. The small ones will give you a good blood blister if you aren't careful and the big ones (1" diameter) can remove skin when they snap together or on a metal surface.

Edited by The Bookends
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If you put the magnets on the metal base then you have to make sure you put the cache back carefully to be sure that it is on the magnet properly and will stay put.

 

Also, you want the magnets to stay with the cache so that they don't get separated - that is on on the base and one on the cache so that there is not enough sticking power on the cache.

 

I see. Hadn't thought of that. Thanks.

I guess if you want to make sure the cache is put back exactly as it started then no glue? But then I guess you would run the risk of loosing the cache because it wasn't properly replaced. I am pondering this because I want to place a similar cache sometime. It got my mind going. You know, I'm a newbee. ;)

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If you put the magnets on the metal base then you have to make sure you put the cache back carefully to be sure that it is on the magnet properly and will stay put.

 

Also, you want the magnets to stay with the cache so that they don't get separated - that is on on the base and one on the cache so that there is not enough sticking power on the cache.

 

I see. Hadn't thought of that. Thanks.

I guess if you want to make sure the cache is put back exactly as it started then no glue? But then I guess you would run the risk of loosing the cache because it wasn't properly replaced. I am pondering this because I want to place a similar cache sometime. It got my mind going. You know, I'm a newbee. ;)

 

If you want the cache put back the way it belongs attach the magnets to the cache in some way - that usually means some kind of glue.

 

I have a couple ideas for magnetic caches -

 

I intend to glue the magnets to the cache.

 

There are lots of ways to glue the magnets (as noted in this thread) - for one of them I will use epoxy putty so the magnets don't 'stick out' and will blend with the cache base.

 

for most cases you can just use plain epoxy. Sometimes I use a little super glue to hold the magnet to the cache while the epoxy cures. This works great for plastic cache boxes.

 

You just want to make sure that the magnet stays with the cache - I have had magnets stolen from caches. In one case I lost two magnets on a multi-cache clue. And yes, they were taken, not lost - they were embedded in film cans full of caulking compound.

 

cc\

Edited by CompuCash
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