# How do i magnetize a 3' piece of 2" Angle Iron ????



## C_PLUS_Woodworker (Jun 10, 2010)

Ok you mechanical engineers out there.

I have a new 3' piece of 2" Angle Iron (1/8" thick……..no rust) that I want to magnetize and then place it in the upright side of a window in my shop. I will wrap it around the corner and will hopefully will end up with two long sides that are magnetized.

I want to hang:

Tape measures

Those little magnetized bowls for screws, etc that I get from Harbor Freight…......... (Obviously I know they will stick)

Marking Knife

Cheapo Combo-square (I keep my 2 good ones boxed and in a drawer)

Little stuff like that that I want handy…......a place for everything and everything in its place kind of thing

Here is what I found when surfing: (and it ain't working).......... so I really did try to learn something before I bothered you guys.

_*A permanent magnet can be made by stroking a magnetic substance with either the N or the S pole of a magnet. Stroking lines up the domains in the material.

A piece of iron can be magnetized by holding it parallel to a compass needle (along the lines of force in the earth's field) and hitting the piece of iron with a hammer. The blow will overcome the resistance of the domains to movement, and they will line up parallel to the earth's field.*_

Can this even be done by a dummy?

Thanks………..Bruce


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

Another dummy, here. Great idea. I'll be watching to see if it can be done.


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## scotsman9 (Mar 25, 2013)

LOL, the hammer strike method does work, albeit you are left with a relatively weak magnet. However, if you do the hammer strike method and then introduce your metal into a electromagnetic field(VDC), you will get a powerful magnet since you have already begun to align the domains.

There is so much info on magnets and magnetization online, you could be an expert in a week.

If you do try the hammer strike, don't forget to orient the north side of your metal slightly downward once aligned with the poles.

Good Luck


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

Not all steel can be magnetize or at least some steel take magnetization better than other.

I would try to make a coil of wire around and then to run a current through the coil.

You can buy already made magnets at Harbor Freight for next to nothing, why bother?


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## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

Either of those methods will magnetize the bar, but it will be so weak that nothing (other than another magnet) will stick to it with any force.

Another method that theoretically would result in a stronger magnet would be to wrap it (from one end to the other) with pretty heavy copper wire and apply 12 volts to it from a car battery. Somebody else can figure out the details of how many turns, how long, etc. etc.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

An ordinary steel angle may be magnetized, but I'm not sure how strong a magnetic field you would get. I think it depends on the composition of the steel. A steel with a high Silicon content would make a good magnet.


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## AUBrian (Feb 1, 2011)

Both of the methods you suggested would probably end up with pretty weak magnets, quite possibly not able to hold the things you want to. Bert's got a better idea, but the best is to attach some neodynium magnets to the angle iron and let those hold the tools. Or better yet, build yourself a nice looking wood shelf with the magnets embedded, like some of the knife strips out there.


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## scotsman9 (Mar 25, 2013)

This might help.
http://video.mit.edu/embed/12049/


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## C_PLUS_Woodworker (Jun 10, 2010)

OK, several questions in response to your (I appreciate them) posts

Bert…...... are you thinking just add a couple of (???) brick sized magnets and that will do the entire thing? I was kinda hoping just sticking my magnetic HF screw bowls (3 small, I double) would "spread" the magnetism….......(I am really dumb about this stuff….......

Scotsman…......what is VDC?

Joe…...... I will do a little more on-line reading….........

Lastly, ......... Ribs and Chicken and a full cooler are on me…..........when are you guys coming over?


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## C_PLUS_Woodworker (Jun 10, 2010)

Duplicate post


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## scotsman9 (Mar 25, 2013)

It just means you have to magnetize something with VDC or Direct Current. VAC is what comes out of our outlets, DC is like your car battery.

Not trying to stifle your enthusiasm at all, but basic electrical knowledge would be best if you plan on introducing electrical fields to metal.

Be careful.


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## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

VDC = Voltage of Direct Current. 
(Like that from a battery, though, judging from the setup, it's likely just rectified AC current.)


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## C_PLUS_Woodworker (Jun 10, 2010)

Scotsman…......as was suggested above,.................... any idea from anyone as to how much wrapped wire, wire gauge….................. and is my truck battery the way to go…...????

(Or should I run a magnet over my Pacemaker-Defibrillator and see if that works…...... probably be the last thing I EVER did) LOL


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## C_PLUS_Woodworker (Jun 10, 2010)

One more thought…........... are their places that could do this for me ?


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## scotsman9 (Mar 25, 2013)

There is a safer alternative using the touch method or double touch method. Look them up online, but this is an awful lot of effort, I do not suggest using a truck battery. Your winding would be cost prohibitive in copper to generate enough field.

If you want to go that route, borrow or buy a DC power supply and build yourself a winding tunnel.

The equipment alone to build a proper magnet (one that does not revert back to its original state) will cost a lot more than just buying a magnet.


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## C_PLUS_Woodworker (Jun 10, 2010)

Just found this….....(sure do appreciate the posts)

Magnetize Steel Using a Steel Bar and a Battery
1. Obtain a steel bar from a hobby or home repair store
2. Strip an inch (2.5cm) or so of insulation from each end of an insulated wire.
3. Arrange the insulated wire in an undulating pattern on top of the steel bar. The wire should go from one side of the bar to the other several times in a wavy pattern.
4. Place something heavy-like books, a board, or bricks-on top of the bar and wire so that the wire makes good contact with the steel bar.
5. Attach one end of the wire to the negative terminal of a 12-volt battery.
6. Grab the insulated part of the other end of the wire with insulated pliers and tap on the positive end of the terminal several times. Since you're completing the circuit, there will be sparks.


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## scotsman9 (Mar 25, 2013)

LOL….If you do that, Video it for us. Oh yes, there will be sparks.
Safety first in my book. I do not recommend that method. But hey, what do I know.


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## donjohn24 (Oct 15, 2010)

*b2rtch* has the right idea!

If you want things to stick to the 'magnetised' angle iron, then they are obviously going to be iron or steel.

Why not put a rare-earth magnet between the item and 'unmagnetised' angle iron and let that do the attracting in both directions?

As *b2rtch* says, the magnets are really cheap, and you can choose the size according to that of the object you want to stick up.

The bond with a rare-earth magnet will be much stronger than anything you could achieve by magnetising the angle iron - whether by bashing it whilst in a magnetic field or with a coil carrying current.


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## C_PLUS_Woodworker (Jun 10, 2010)

If I pickup one of the #150 pound Retrieving Magnets from HF and then just stick in the middle of the angel iron somewhere, will that magnetize the entire 3' piece of angle iron?

Couple of you guys have suggested this is the way to go. Would that give me enough mag to hold the tools?

Thx a bunch…........Bruce


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## C_PLUS_Woodworker (Jun 10, 2010)

OK guys…...........I think I got it.

Go to HF

Buy a bunch of rare earth magnets

Epoxy them (so they don't come off stuck to a tool) wherever all over the angle iron….......so that they are "aligned" and kinda close together

Go have lunch.

Am I closer?


> ?


?


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## scotsman9 (Mar 25, 2013)

http://www.amazon.com/Master-Magnetics-Magnetic-Tool-Bar/dp/B0010Z9S52


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## C_PLUS_Woodworker (Jun 10, 2010)

Scotsman…..........

Thanks for that link.

Two of them…......one for each side of the window (likeI wanted to do wiht the angle iron being wrapped around the window frame….......

Will undoubtedly do the job just right.

Thanks to everyone for your time, interest, guidance, etc.

Such a great site with sooooo many great folks. Thanks again.

Sincerely…...........Bruce.


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## scotsman9 (Mar 25, 2013)

Good Luck Bruce…I'm so glad we didn't hook up metal and wires to your truck battery…lol Fun site!


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

$5 at HF

http://www.harborfreight.com/18-inch-magnetic-holder-65489.html


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## C_PLUS_Woodworker (Jun 10, 2010)

I was jokingly-serious about me really having a Defib/Pacemaker.

My wife came in when this site was up and she freaked when she read the posts and thought I would actually do the truck/wire thing.

Believe me…........I have done MANY MANY MANY really stupid things …........... "Oh, I can handle this"

Anybody relate?


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## joeyinsouthaustin (Sep 22, 2012)

I can only relate to doing MANY MANY MANY MANY really stupid things.


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## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

Where's the fun is just spending 5 bucks and problem solved?
Where's the adventure in that?
Surely you could magnetize a 36" length of angle iron for less than 2 grand and 3 trips to the emergency room!

Sarcasm aside, that's a nice find on the magnetic tool bar. The whole time I'm reading this thread, I'm thinking, "They have to already make something like this, right?"


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

You will probably degauss you brain, and be left with a bunch of tools on the floor. 
Why is there a degaussing coil and not one to magnetize the object?
Why do I think of this stuff.
Let us know how ya come out.
Bill


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## scotsman9 (Mar 25, 2013)

I literally crafted my responses to sway you from pumping volts into your body because of the De-fib remark.

And here I thought I was trying to save a life. LMAO…..


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

I'm not sure if that one at harbor freight will have enough holding strength for what you want, but you can test it. When you said

"Buy a bunch of rare earth magnets 
Epoxy them (so they don't come off stuck to a tool) wherever all over the angle iron……....so that they are "aligned" and kinda close together
Go have lunch.
Am I closer???"

You were right where I was thinking, except like AUBrian mentioned above, you can save the angle iron for something else and epoxy the magnets into some nice looking wood.

Search amazon for "rare earth magnets" and "rare earth magnet cups" and get matching sizes. They have very good prices. The steel cups focus the magnetic field and increase the magnet's holding power a lot.

Of course setting up a gaussing rig would be much more fun, but the problem is unless you did some crazy electrical engineering kung fu, you'd end up with a 3' bar with a magnetic pole on each end that would only really hold one tool on each end. And unless you really spent big bucks and pumped huge power through it, your magnet would be pretty weak anyway.


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## PaulLL (Dec 27, 2012)

This seems like a lot of work when you could just buy a magnet and use that. I would think any hardware store will have magnets that would work, or you could go to a kitchen type place and get strips of magnets ment to screw to the wall to hold knives, that might work for you too.


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## LakeLover (Feb 2, 2013)

Lots of old magnets in dead mircowaves.

Rare earth magnets are cheap, They make great hidden ways to hold a door closed.


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## redSLED (Mar 21, 2013)

Another dummy here. 
2nd-simplest solution I think:
1. epoxy several rare earth magnets to the BACKSIDE of your angle iron
2. cut holes in the window/wall corner/areas as needed to accommodate the magnet locations on your angle iron
3. attach metal bar to wall/window (magnets will be hidden)

The 1st simplest solution was just expoxy the magnets on the frontside of your angle iron.


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