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How to glue magnets to lok'n'loc containers?


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I don't glue the magnets to my Lock n Locks. I place them inside the lid and duct tape them in place. If you have a powerful enough magnet (e.g. a Rare Earth Magnet or a old hard drive magnet) it will hold right through the lid.

 

One hard drive magnet, or 2 of the 1" rare earth magnets will hold the container quite snugly through the lid. I had a Lock n Lock with a hard drive magnet in the lid attached to a beam of an old RR bridge. It didn't budge even when the bridge was submerged by a raging flood.

 

The only issue comes when people place metal objects in the cache. They all wind up sticking to the lid and those rare earth magnets are so powerful it's sometimes a pain to pull things off them. It's a relatively minor issue though.

Edited by briansnat
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I've not tried it, but I'd be skeptical on putting the magnets inside the container on either the top or the bottom. On the ones I have there are contours that prevent the surfaces from touching. Of course you could go with a much larger magnet, but then you're talking higher expense.

 

Can you tell us where you're going to place this? Is it going to be under something that will shelter it from the rain? If so I may have a solution. It requires a mechanical attachment and I've used this general technique to good effect a few times.

 

You need some sort of horizontal magnetic surface, some wax paper, 100% silicon, drill with 1/16" bits, some thin wire. The magnets I use are name badge findings as they allow something to help attach the magnets.

 

Simply drill some holes in the surface you want to attach the magnets and drill in such a way that you can wire the magnets on. Go ahead and wire them on an place the ends of the wire on the outside. Test your set up to see if it works like you want.

 

Once it is working like you want take just the part that has the magnets and set aside the other part. Of course, if the way the magnets are attached causes the part to deform it might not be the best place to put them. Put your wax paper down on you magnetic surface. Work a glob of silicon under the magnets and then around them making sure to cover the wire holes. Place the part magnet side down on the wax paper. This will make the silicon spread out and create a flat surface even with the surface of the magnet giving the maximum hold possible.

 

Now, you should have a little bit of silicon coming through the wire holes. If not put a little dab on them. The idea is for the silicon to go from the outside of the container to the inside and then expand a little creating a button effect to keep it in. Because the silicon will likely not adhere to the plastic it is important to realize the wire and the silicon that goes through the holes is what is keeping the magnets on.

 

It's important to experiment with your techniques before putting one in the field. I used to have a backyard test area until we moved the fence. Try a stress test by pulling and placing time after time. Basically make sure the container will handle the abuse. You can also fill it with some weight--I use water--to see if the number of magnets is enough to keep it secure. Geocoins are heavy, but you don't want your container to fail to stick and expose your caches to muggles.

 

Hope this helps.

 

EDIT: Brian says that strong magnets will hold the container. This is the easiest, quickest way to do it and it doesn't compromise the integrity of the container.

 

I'm going to leave this post for those who might use this technique where it is the only option.

Edited by CoyoteRed
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I don't glue the magnets to my Lock n Locks. I place them inside the lid and duct tape them in place. If you have a powerful enough magnet (e.g. a Rare Earth Magnet or a old hard drive magnet) it will hold right through the lid.

 

One hard drive magnet, or 2 of gthe 1" rare earth magnets will hold the container quite snugly through the lid. I had a Lock n Lock with a hard drive magnet in the lid attached to a beam of an old RR bridge. It didn't budge even when the bridge was submerged by a raging flood.

I stand corrected.

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I don't glue the magnets to my Lock n Locks. I place them inside the lid and duct tape them in place. If you have a powerful enough magnet (e.g. a Rare Earth Magnet or a old hard drive magnet) it will hold right through the lid.

 

One hard drive magnet, or 2 of gthe 1" rare earth magnets will hold the container quite snugly through the lid. I had a Lock n Lock with a hard drive magnet in the lid attached to a beam of an old RR bridge. It didn't budge even when the bridge was submerged by a raging flood.

I stand corrected.

 

The lids of real Lock n Locks actually have a center section that protrudes a bit and allows for the lid to contact the metal surface.

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I don't glue the magnets to my Lock n Locks. I place them inside the lid and duct tape them in place. If you have a powerful enough magnet (e.g. a Rare Earth Magnet or a old hard drive magnet) it will hold right through the lid.

 

One hard drive magnet, or 2 of gthe 1" rare earth magnets will hold the container quite snugly through the lid. I had a Lock n Lock with a hard drive magnet in the lid attached to a beam of an old RR bridge. It didn't budge even when the bridge was submerged by a raging flood.

I stand corrected.

 

The lids of real Lock n Locks actually have a center section that protrudes a bit and allows for the lid to contact the metal surface.

 

I've used this technique several times and can attest to it's effectiveness. Actually, the magnetic pull you lose by putting a rare earth magnet inside the container can prove helpful because they can be too strong and too sticky in some cases.

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I don't glue the magnets to my Lock n Locks. I place them inside the lid and duct tape them in place. If you have a powerful enough magnet (e.g. a Rare Earth Magnet or a old hard drive magnet) it will hold right through the lid.

 

One hard drive magnet, or 2 of the 1" rare earth magnets will hold the container quite snugly through the lid. I had a Lock n Lock with a hard drive magnet in the lid attached to a beam of an old RR bridge. It didn't budge even when the bridge was submerged by a raging flood.

 

The only issue comes when people place metal objects in the cache. They all wind up sticking to the lid and those rare earth magnets are so powerful it's sometimes a pain to pull things off them. It's a relatively minor issue though.

I have 3 that use this technique and it works really well!!

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I have found Marine Goop to be the best overall adhesive for geocaching and other outdoor applications. It's thicker than epoxies, so it fills cracks and crevices between surfaces nicely. And since it is intended for boat repair, it is formulated to withstand the elements, especially corrosive salt water and air.

 

I used to see it on the pegs at Home Depot, but didn't find it the last time I looked for some there.

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Polyurethane type glue (like Gorilla) will work on this type of plastic. I have used it to attach cord to the outside of one for hanging.

 

Sand plastic, spread glue, spray water on it (needed to cure glue), then attach your rope/cord/line or magnet.

Here is my hanger:

hangingplasticcontainteqk3.jpg

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