MAGNETS

[+a4gom]

I'm sure there are some topics which have covered this in the past but I've done a search and so far haven't come up with anything...

 

Where can you find good strong magnets for little or no money?

 

Any suggestions on what we can rip apart to find such items. I'm planing a few caches which will be magnetic but will be small not micro and want them to stick! I've done some caches which have really good magnets on, some of the magnets have been strange shapes so they were obviously designed for a specific use and removed from something.

 

Any ideas gratefully recieved

 

Cheers

Andy

[+Isonzo Karst]

caches which have really good magnets on, some of the magnets have been strange shapes so they were obviously designed for a specific use and removed from something.

 

I'd bet those magnets came out of a dead hard drive. Nice high powered magnet to be found there.

[+patw4pbj]

try out American Science & Surplus http://www.sciplus.com/

 

Lots of great magnets for all your needs

 

Have fun,

Pat

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

Craft and DIY stores sell the small neodymium magnets (aka rare earth magnets) for only a few dollars. They are strong enough for most micro type caches.

[+jeffrae]

Try this:

http://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/hand-tools/accessories/tool-bandit-magnetic-arm-band/p-1494582-c-9120.htm

 

It is a band that goes around your arm supposedly to hold tools. There are like 15 rare earth magnets inside. I found them on sale for about $3 and got 3 of them. They work great, and you can fit them in the bottom of a film canister.

[+kunarion]

I'm planing a few caches which will be magnetic but will be small not micro and want them to stick!

If you're serious, only "mounting magnets" will do. Google for that. They concentrate the magnetic energy, and have holes to secure them to the containers. There are great ones in ceramic and neodymium.

 

If you just want a cheap big magnet, they're in hard drives as mentioned. You can get two of those magnets from a hard drive in a dead computer. Those are neodymium magnets, and are brittle and thin, and on large oddly shaped brackets.

[+Glimmereyes]

I'd bet those magnets came out of a dead hard drive. Nice high powered magnet to be found there.

Here's a picture.

If you stop by a computer repair shop and ask if they have any dead/obsolete hard drives they'll usually let them go for real cheap, if not just give them away. You may want to mention that you're after the magnets since there may still be data and some shops get touchy about that. You will need a star shaped (not hexagon) screw driver to open them, but you can find them for cheap if you don't have one already.

 

You can get hard drives by the lot on Ebay, but that may end up costing you more than you're looking to spend for more than you need.

[+kunarion]

You can get hard drives by the lot on Ebay, but that may end up costing you more than you're looking to spend for more than you need.

Older style hard drives (from 10+ years ago) tend to have bigger magnets. But they also have thicker brackets. I've seen some that have u-shaped brackets that prevent the magnet from being used as a cache magnet. It's tough to cut or bend those brackets without damaging the magnet.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

Here's a picture.

You will need a star shaped (not hexagon) screw driver to open them, but you can find them for cheap if you don't have one already.

 

Those are refered to as Torx head screws.

[+kunarion]

Those are refered to as Torx head screws.

The case screws are all over the place on those hard drives, and under labels. A pair of cut preventing gloves would be a good idea. There are a lot of razor sharp edges.

[+a4gom]

Thanks guys I have some hard drives, i had a look and removed all the screws I could see but haven't got in yet. I'll keep trying.

 

Keep them coming..

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

Thanks guys I have some hard drives, i had a look and removed all the screws I could see but haven't got in yet. I'll keep trying.

 

Keep them coming..

 

There are always screws under "warranty voided" seals all over the drive.

[+sir dumil]

For an excellent selection of magnets at pretty reasonable prices, try Lee Valley:

 

http://www.leevalley.com/us/home/Search.aspx?action=a&ap=1&pb=1#start

[+Cache O'Plenty]

Old speakers also contain pretty strong magnets.

[7rxc]

Two good sized (big but not too big) on old Magnetron tubes from dead Microwave ovens. Once you get it apart that is, but it's not hard to do. Not Neodymium though... just like speaker rings, but easier to access intact.

 

You DO HAVE TO Be careful of the big Capacitor but they are fitted to self drain, so a few days of OFF and they are quite safe... but be careful anyhow. Good practice for other devices which might not be that way.

Older Microwaves have other useful parts like micro switches for tinkerers. Repair shops often have dead magnetrons in the scrap pile taking up space.

 

One advantage to larger magnets is that you can use them on the object, and only a steel plate or washer on the container to adjust the amount of hold to 'enough but not too much'. also if the magnets stay put, there is only ONE PLACE to put it back. Ideally the magnet will be strong enough to hold in place as the cache pulls away.

 

It does not make people try to put it back there, some are just lazy and drop them anywhere, but that happens regardless when people are in some race to the next cache.

 

Doug 7rxc

[+captnemo]

Quartzite AZ flea markets in late Jan. or if you can wait till Jan. try Emovedo Magnets at WWW.Emovedo.net

[AZcachemeister]

You can get hard drives by the lot on Ebay, but that may end up costing you more than you're looking to spend for more than you need.

Older style hard drives (from 10+ years ago) tend to have bigger magnets. But they also have thicker brackets. I've seen some that have u-shaped brackets that prevent the magnet from being used as a cache magnet. It's tough to cut or bend those brackets without damaging the magnet.

 

It's easy to remove the magnet from the bracket by holding it in boiling water for a minute or two to soften the cement (the magnets are 'glued' on).

 

Be sure to use a non-magnetic container (aluminum, glass, ceramic) for the boiling water.

You may need to use a sharp knife to pry under the magnet to get it off the bracket, but frequently they slide off very easily.

 

The round magnets you can buy with a chamfered hole do offer a much easier way to mount the magnet to some wood or plastic container, but I have not observed that they provide any better holding power than the 'arc-segment' shaped magnets from a hard drive.

[+Panda Inc]

I love this place ... http://www.kjmagnetics.com/. Every size and shape of rare earth magnet you can imagine.

Cheers,

PandA Inc

[+kunarion]

It's easy to remove the magnet from the bracket by holding it in boiling water for a minute or two to soften the cement (the magnets are 'glued' on).

Good to know!

 

The round magnets you can buy with a chamfered hole do offer a much easier way to mount the magnet to some wood or plastic container, but I have not observed that they provide any better holding power than the 'arc-segment' shaped magnets from a hard drive.

The mounting magnets (in steel cups) concentrate the magnetic field to resist sliding around, and have a comparatively huge gripping power. Hard drive magnets are for moving a drive head. But you can't beat'em at that price.

Edited June 23, 2013 by kunarion

[AZcachemeister]

(in steel cups)

 

I have never seen that type.

Are they really that much stronger?

[+kunarion]

(in steel cups)

 

I have never seen that type.

Are they really that much stronger?

The ceramic magnet version has been around for years. There's a selection of the rare-earth variety here: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=58750&cat=1,42363,42348

 

I don't see a comparison of the strength difference. But one advantage is they better resist sliding around, for hides where that's important. A couple of my prototype cache containers have a base that's supposed to stay in place, and mount magnets would be a good choice.

 

For fun, I looked at some really strong magnets, and found this cool one:

http://www.reidsupply.com/sku/IM-83/

Check out the holding capacity of that thing! That could hold a full ammo can on a rope in a tree, no problem. But I can't think of a practical use for that magnet. And most people couldn't get that magnet off the ammo can. Maybe if I make it like a kind of Excalibur thing... "Whosoever removes the cache from its spot, may log the find..."

Edited June 24, 2013 by kunarion

[+wmpastor]

(in steel cups)

 

I have never seen that type.

Are they really that much stronger?

The ceramic magnet version has been around for years. There's a selection of the rare-earth variety here: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=58750&cat=1,42363,42348

 

I don't see a comparison of the strength difference. But one advantage is they better resist sliding around, for hides where that's important. A couple of my prototype cache containers have a base that's supposed to stay in place, and mount magnets would be a good choice.

 

For fun, I looked at some really strong magnets, and found this cool one:

http://www.reidsupply.com/sku/IM-83/

Check out the holding capacity of that thing! That could hold a full ammo can on a rope in a tree, no problem. But I can't think of a practical use for that magnet. And most people couldn't get that magnet off the ammo can. Maybe if I make it like a kind of Excalibur thing... "Whosoever removes the cache from its spot, may log the find..."

 

Incredible magnet! 2"x3", holds 344 lb.! Bring 2 c-notes & it's yours!

[+kunarion]

Incredible magnet! 2"x3", holds 344 lb.! Bring 2 c-notes & it's yours!

I'd probably use at least two of those on my ammo can hide. So the can stays put.

[+Kacher82]

Incredible magnet! 2"x3", holds 344 lb.! Bring 2 c-notes & it's yours!

I'd probably use at least two of those on my ammo can hide. So the can stays put.

If you used 2 or 3 magnets on a base, and one on the container (oriented properly), you could make a cool levitating cache.

[AZcachemeister]

Reminds me of something a friend sent me once:

 

Dirk's Accident

 

The links on that page don't work, but I have a PDF if you're interested...trust me, you don't want to see the pictures.

 

These were/are truly ENORMOUS magnets!