The Neodymium Magnet - Unbelievable Power
The Unbelievable Neodymium Magnet
There have always been magnets made from everything from ceramics to the rubberized material used for refrigerator magnets and a thousand other items we’ve all used as many times, Alnico magnets by far being the strongest and most popular in industrial based products.
Twenty years or so ago, the whole world changed overnight with the introduction of the most incredible everyday device since krazy Glue, cold, chemical light sticks, hot glue guns, and lithium batteries…
Man made, rare earth, nickel-plated, neodymium magnets literally changed the world overnight. For one, there would be no hard drives in your computers if it weren’t for neodymium magnets. These little guys are perhaps hundreds of times more powerful than the old Alnico magnets depending on the size, shape and grade.
To give you an example, the quarter sized disk that’s less than a quarter inch thick shown in the photo could not be picked up if it was set down on a steel plate, You would have to slide it off to the edge of the plate with great difficulty or pry it up with a knife or chisel. Four, one inch by one half-inch neodymium block magnets would hold up a car engine with ease if suspended properly.
If you had two of those quarter size magnets shown in the photo stuck to each other, chances are, you wouldn’t be able to separate them unless again, you hammered a knife or something in between them. These things are nothing short of unbelievable and are responsible for thousands of modern day devices and inventions that just plain wouldn’t work without them.
Do you know how many different kinds of ways there have been to hold up hand tools on your work area wall? None of which from pegboards to just plain nails with the outline of the tool that belongs there ever worked very long. Now, for a little as .15 cents each, you can silicone a bunch of ¼ inch neodymium button mags up that will hold just about any hand tool you have. The workbench picture is in my son’s garage. You can’t get any simpler. The tools don’t have to be in any particular location and they simply stick up like magic.
A bit of caution, these are potentially dangerous magnets and should be handled with great care.
1…Keep them far away from all electronic devices as many devices work with magnetically sensitive components that can be destroyed or have their parameters changed in the influence of a strong, outboard magnetic field.This includes picture tubes or CRT’s from the older style television sets. I’m not sure but I don’t think I would want one near a heart pacemaker either.
2…The neodymium material is compressed into any shape imaginable then copper plated and finally given a coating of nickel. This material is very brittle so don’t even think of hitting one with a hammer. If the plating breaks, which it will, you’ll have a hundred little super sharp chunks of neodymium on everything metal that magnets stick too. In fact, if you happen to be standing next to a thick steel frame from anything at all and you break a powerful neodymium magnet while your in between the two, you're likely to be skewered by the very sharp magnet chips racing toward the steel plate.
3…I have been pinched many time by two of these little monsters slamming together, the power in incredible.
4…Do not ever try to drill holes through these magnets. The process will produce a toxic gas and you will also destroy the magnet. Use silicone if you need to glue them down to something. Hot glue or Krazy glue won’t last for long.
Neodymium’s can be bought in dozens of places online and even a one inch, super powerful magnet will only cost you 10 or 15 dollars but unless you have a need for the big boys, don’t buy any, you’ll probably hurt yourself with it. The little button mags shown in the picture are cheap and can be use for tons of application around the house. Keep them away from pets and kids just like you would any other dangerous tool.
