Insulated Magnet Spacers...DIY

What could be more exciting, on a rainy day, than making up a small batch of insulated magnet spacers?

Parts:

Washers from McMaster-Carr:


95601A335 Red Hard Fiber Flat Washer, 1/32" Thick, 3/8" Screw Size, 3/8" Id, 5/8" Od

95647A133 Delrin (acetal) Flat Washer, 3/8" Screw Sz, .390" Id, .625" Od, .028"-.034" Thk


Rare Earth Magnets from Lee Valley:

99K32.03 3/8"Diameter, 1/10" thickness


Gorilla Glue, Fast Cure


Tools:

Non-magnetic tweezers; Ti, plastic or grade 300 SS.

Glue applicator made by crushing the end of bamboo skewer. It makes a precise and stiff disposable brush.

Parchment paper (Gorilla Glue doesn't stick to it)

2x 2" fender washers


Assemble everything first, and plan out your movements. Put the dog in another room and take the phone off the hook. Make a pit stop before commencing. You have 5-10 minutes of working time on the glue.





Arrange 7 magnets on one fender washer, on a square of parchment paper, as shown.

Dip hard fiber washers in water and blot on paper towel.

Place damp hard fiber washer around magnet, as shown.

Put a small blob of Gorilla Glue on another piece of parchment. Use bamboo applicator to paint both sides of Delrin washer thinly with glue. Hold washer with non-magnetic tweezers, and place over magnet onto damp hard fiber washer.

Place second dampened hard fiber washer over magnet onto Delrin washer.

Place second piece of parchment paper over everything.

Place second fender washer on top to act as clamp.

I used a C-clamp for additional pressure, for one hour. Glue stops expanding in 30 minutes and achieves 80% strength in one hour.


Recipe yields 7x insulated magnet spacers, 2.54mm thick by 5/8" diameter. The magnet is flush with the washer on one side, and very slightly proud on the other.

Crucial:

Put the dog in another room and take the phone off the hook. Make a pit stop before commencing.

Click to expand...

:thumbsup:

Great tutorial Donn....!
There is more than a few that needs this.....!

A very serious effort !

Very nice!

Put the dog in another room and take the phone off the hook. Make a pit stop before commencing

Click to expand...

You forgot to lock the 1 year old toddler in the yard

Nice tutorial Donn :twothumbs

Now all I have to do is figure out the Metric sizes for the washers :thinking:
We cant get Imperial ones in Europe :thumbsdow

If neodymium is flammable, Is all this really that safe. Think it may work for little while and at the same time should be respected. If you see the coating on the magnets starting to flake off I would suggest not using them. I doubt lights would have enough oxygen while in use but removing the batts from light might be where it would happen. I know most dont think about magnets being flammable but neodymium is, and also why they have coating on them. Don The washer you place around the magnet is to me very important! Anyhow Incase some do not know about working with neodymium I felt this FYI would be helpful so Respect and not neglect the magnets.

the stuff of the neo magnets is not concidered flamable or explosive, except in the situations of causing a fire or explosion from its dust, and oxidation speed, and grinding and stuff like that.
sorta like other dusts/filings. Given enough oxygen and the right dispersion in the air or something a cloud of Flour is explosive, but my toast is relativly safe .

from what i can read (quickly) its not like magnesium, lithium or sodium or the other fun ones, it has to have the right conditions, like a warning probably is given in the machine shop.
its like Steel Wool, although it is the least flamable stuff when making bridges out of it, given enough oxygen it could fire up, but given enough oxygen, a rock will burn, meteor even.
luckily batteries can supply other gasses , so mabey if we get 1,000,000 monkies trying to write hamlet with flashlights, one might come up with a page one day that has 2 words on it.

skylar said:

If neodymium is flammable, Is all this really that safe[?]

Click to expand...

I don't think there is anything to worry about here. Firstly the magnets are not pure neodymium but are alloy of neodymium combined with other things. Secondly, metals like neodymium are not flammable in the sense that paper is flammable. A solid lump of neodymium will not burn even if you put a match to it. As far as using inside a light is concerned you can consider the magnets to be completely stable.

I was trying to explain what is safe and not.

http://www.espi-metals.com/msds's/Neodymium.htm

I have used these magnets lots, and I would like to worn those if you see the coating wearing off do not use them, thats all. what happens when the coating wears is it starts to flake. I have seen these magnets go form a solid to rubble in short period of time like graphite. When compressed is hard but can crumble. most people dont ever play with them enough to wear the coating off. Just like if a battery starts to leak you need to know not to use it.

skylar said:

I have used these magnets lots, and I would like to worn those if you see the coating wearing off do not use them, thats all. what happens when the coating wears is it starts to flake. I have seen these magnets go form a solid to rubble in short period of time like graphite. When compressed is hard but can crumble. most people dont ever play with them enough to wear the coating off.

Click to expand...

That's a good point and very valid, but it is not what you said at first.

It is true that such magnets are brittle and can be damaged if allowed to snap together too hard. It is true also that they may flake by oxidation if the coating wears off.

Both things are dangerous for electrical use since the chips and flakes of metal may get where they shouldn't and cause a short circuit.

So this warning is good and well advised. Be careful with the magnets and do not use them if they are not in good shape or if they start to chip.

Hi, I am not sure if this thread is still active, but i have a question. If the inner diameter of the washers is the same as of the magnet, how is the magnet kept in place, won't it just slide out of the washers?

aalwani said:

Hi, I am not sure if this thread is still active, but i have a question. If the inner diameter of the washers is the same as of the magnet, how is the magnet kept in place, won't it just slide out of the washers?

Click to expand...

Maybe the magnet could be held in place with the glue, or maybe you could just hold the magnet in place when inserting the spacer?

Great solution...


Sent from my phone with camera with flash and internet on it...