Removing iron (ferrous dust) from magnets

[TonyL]

I placed a ton of magnets all around and on my grinder what I use for sharpening my HSS. My assumption is that I could prevent some of the metal dust from becoming airborne. Well after 3+ years, the magnets (about 20 rectangular ones) look like full gown Chia pets. Is there a good way of removing this "dust" from the magnets besides using a stronger magnet (then I have to remove the dust from the stronger magnet).

Thanks for reading.

 

[John Eldeen]

Tony interesting idea how effective to you think the magnets worked keeping the area clean? To your question the best way I have found to clean a magnet is to wipe it of as much as possible then take them outside and blow them off with compressed air.

 

[TonyL]

Tony interesting idea how effective to you think the magnets worked keeping the area clean? To your question the best way I have found to clean a magnet is to wipe it of as much as possible then take them outside and blow them off with compressed air.

As far as effectiveness, I don't have the equipment or technical skills to measure this. All I can say is whatever is stuck on to the magnets is not in my lungs.

Thanks for the idea.

I was actually thinking of this:

Magswitch MagJig Magnetic Jig Clamps

Powerful magnet is switched on or off with the dial—perfect for holding jigs and accessory fences in place!

www.rockler.com

I use 3 of these for my drill press jig.

I am going to Rockler today ( I have a 20% off coupon), I am going to give it a try.

Thank you John.

 

[bmachin]

Tony,

For cleaning, try tape (duct, gaffer etc).

When you put the magnets back, try placing them in small plastic bags. Should be easier to clean than the surface of the magnet.

Just a gedankenexperiment; haven't tried either method.

Bill

 

[TonyL]

Tony,

For cleaning, try tape (duct, gaffer etc).

When you put the magnets back, try placing them in small plastic bags. Should be easier to clean than the surface of the magnet.

Just a gedankenexperiment; haven't tried either method.

Bill

great idea! thx.

 

[jttheclockman]

Brass brush and swipe it away. Very easy. You can do over a trash can or even run your vac while doing it. Be sure to wear safety glasses. If you have a strong vac it can pull the right in.

 

[wolf creek knives]

Like Bill stated. I use magnets also but in different ways and when they become Chia pets I first brush them off and then use tape to remove the rest. It works well and keeps a lot of the metal dust on the tape and not in your lungs. Ever thought about wearing a respirator during the cleaning process?

 

[howsitwork]

I found the plastic bags idea worked to a point but the sparks that reached the bags were still hot enough to melt them !

I then converted to using a cloth bad round the outside and that works fine ( not set fire to one yet ) .

To clean the magnets I wear gloves and pick the stuff off carefully in pinches. You don't really need them totally clean but tape would work if you do unless you intend to redeploy them elsewhere in the workshop.

I use a similar idea to clean up metal swarf From my metal work lathe. In that case I have a large magnet ( from a microwave magnetron ) inside a sealed plastic tub with a handle attached to the magnet. The magnet has a big hole in the middle and I turned up a handle to fit in it. The plastic tub has the handle through the top end and in use you sweep it along just above the floor or swarf which sticks to the outside of the tube base . Place it over the bin and pull the handle to the other end of the tub and the swarf drops into the bin. That's more complicated to describe than it was to make ! Ask at your local pharmacy if they have any wide bodies tubs from drugs. They're less common now but we used to have loads of different sizes.

 

[Curly]

I use a similar idea to clean up metal swarf From my metal work lathe. In that case I have a large magnet ( from a microwave magnetron ) inside a sealed plastic tub with a handle attached to the magnet. The magnet has a big hole in the middle and I turned up a handle to fit in it. The plastic tub has the handle through the top end and in use you sweep it along just above the floor or swarf which sticks to the outside of the tube base . Place it over the bin and pull the handle to the other end of the tub and the swarf drops into the bin. That's more complicated to describe than it was to make ! Ask at your local pharmacy if they have any wide bodies tubs from drugs. They're less common now but we used to have loads of different sizes.

Something like this? https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/magnetic-pick-up-tool-with-quick-release/A-p8713596e

 

[MRDucks2]

I move outside with a respirator and compressed air to blow them off.

 

[Gary Beasley]

Tony,

For cleaning, try tape (duct, gaffer etc).

When you put the magnets back, try placing them in small plastic bags. Should be easier to clean than the surface of the magnet.

Just a gedankenexperiment; haven't tried either method.

Bill

Try using an inside out ziplock. After the magnet is full turn the bag right side out and seal it before pulling the magnet loose.

 

[JimB]

I have magnets on my grinders as well. It is amazing how much they collect.

To clean them first I just take a paper towel and wipe them off. That removes most of it. Then I use my shop vac. That gets the rest of it. My shop vac has a dust deputy attached so it all goes in there not into my shop vac filter.

 

[TonyL]

Try using an inside out ziplock. After the magnet is full turn the bag right side out and seal it before pulling the magnet loose.

Yes, that is what I was going to do. I just need a magnet stronger than the ones I have. HD didn't have any stronger ones.

 

[TonyL]

I have magnets on my grinders as well. It is amazing how much they collect.

To clean them first I just take a paper towel and wipe them off. That removes most of it. Then I use my shop vac. That gets the rest of it. My shop vac has a dust deputy attached so it all goes in there not into my shop vac filter.

This is my current approach.

 

[Dale Allen]

I use my shop vac with the crevice tool.

 

[Bryguy]

Next time put the magnets in plastic bags. When you take the magnet out of the bag the metal dust falls off. (Advice from a retired science teacher )

 

[penicillin]

I harvest the supermagnets (neodymium magnets) from old computer disk drives that I disassemble for data destruction. I have a jar full of 'em, although the ready supply of spinning disk drives seems to be drying up. I use the magnets for many things around the shop. Supermagnets can be dangerous - they can hurt children or pinch off skin. They are too strong for the refrigerator.

I use one of them to hold onto the filings from a Grizzly wet grinder. To clean the magnet, I hold it in my left hand and hold the sprayer from the garden hose (set to "Jet") in my right hand. It knocks the filings off into the grass. Rotate the magnet around a few times in the spray and you're done.

 

[howsitwork]

Like the idea of the hard drive magnets. I made a couple of handles for some I've got but they're the right shape to put next to side of grinder so will give it a try.

For a larger magnet try removing one from a microwave ( the magnetron that generates the microwaves has 2 powerful ring magnets) but take care not to fracture them or get any bits from the magnets in you as I believe some early ones may contain beryllium ( toxic) not certain of that though as it maybe just the insulator which you don't need or want.

The resulting magnets are about 3" across with a 1" hole in and come in handy for all sorts

 

[TonyL]

Thank you for the ideas.

 

[penicillin]

Like the idea of the hard drive magnets. I made a couple of handles for some I've got but they're the right shape to put next to side of grinder so will give it a try.

For a larger magnet try removing one from a microwave ( the magnetron that generates the microwaves has 2 powerful ring magnets) but take care not to fracture them or get any bits from the magnets in you as I believe some early ones may contain beryllium ( toxic) not certain of that though as it maybe just the insulator which you don't need or want.

The resulting magnets are about 3" across with a 1" hole in and come in handy for all sorts

You usually need Torx drivers to disassemble the hard drives, and some screws are hidden behind stickers and labels. For data destruction, it is important to separate and remove the individual platters from the stack. Put each separate platter in a plastic bag, and bend it a few times with pliers (not hands!!) to destroy the data. Wear eye protection!! Some laptop drive platters will shatter into tiny glass shards, which is why using tools through a plastic bag and wearing eye protection is essential.

Most hard drives have two neodymium magnets; a few rare drives have only one. They are flat and slightly curved, welded to a steel frame. Separate the magnet from the frame by bending the ends of the frame away from the magnet with pliers. Neodymium magnets are brittle and can shatter, so wear eye protection!! Prying with a screwdriver may result in breaking the magnet.

Be careful with the powerful magnets, which can easily pinch off skin when they come together. They are very very strong and can easily scratch surfaces, so they are not suitable for refrigerators. They are especially dangerous for children. Separate them by sliding them apart sideways.

They are useful for projects where they can't be seen, like behind a paper-thin strip of wood. They are useful for the shop. I use one to hold adjustment tools on my bandsaw, for example.

I hope this helps.