Insertion tool for tiny neodymium magnets

Essential if you have shaky hands like me. Helpful even if you don’t! Automatically orients the magnet to the desired polarity.

Make it out of solid 1/4" hardwood. On the bottom of the tool, engrave sockets and permanently install magnets with opposite orientations on each end. On the top of the tool, engrave or paint dots to make it easier to locate the magnet.

magnet-tool

Usage tips:

Use a sideways motion to hold the inserted magnet in place as you withdraw the tool.

Don’t make the socket so tight that air & glue can’t escape as you press the magnet in. As a starting point, try engraving a hole 0.1mm wider than the magnet.

Epoxy is likely the best adhesive. I make do with CA glue, easier. Don’t rely on friction fit.

Use paste wax for basic protection of the tool against glue squeezeout. For better protection, apply some packing tape or even better some UHMW tape on the bottom of the tool. They are resistant to CA glue and epoxy.

If the socket for the magnet isn’t quite deep enough, one of these is really handy for delicate drilling:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098CF3VMM

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That’s such a useful tool, thank you. Great idea.

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What a great video, thank you!

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A great practical cut. Thanks.

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Should also be useful for 3d printing where a lot of these get used.

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Such a great tool and I love how detailed your write up is. Thank you.

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Great idea!

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Great idea! I hate fiddling with those things. Thanks for the video!

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Great video demonstration. I need this.

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That is going to be very useful, thank you! And the video was great, especially since it was a good reminder for me to leave the masking on until after the magnets are in! Otherwise I’d be swiping glue all over the wood!

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I agree. An exceptional video. It shows exactly how and why to use the tool from start to finish. And – importantly – nothing else. Thanks, @purpie!

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Indeed. The visual guide to picking up the magnet, place-and-swipe motion, and cleanup are priceless.

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Thanks for sharing your idea and the write up.

Now you have me wondering what that magnetic wheel is for, please send a video of the finished project @Purplie.

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Ditto to everything said before - that’s fabulous! That’s definitely going to happen :smiley:

@reynoso I’m laughing because I’m pretty sure I actually know exactly what that is - I have one printed that I just haven’t put together yet in large part because of fighting magnets!

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Now you have an excuse to make another tool to finish a previous practical cut!
Win-win situation @deirdrebeth

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Yup, that’s the one!

I’m glad y’all are enjoying the video — though I didn’t foresee it being more interesting than the tool itself! :grin:

Another thing the tool helps with is setting two magnets close together, which otherwise is really difficult because the second one wants to keep leaping to the first one.

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It’s not often we get a new tool design in here. Thanks for this one! Should be very useful.

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Yeah, that’s rare. I imitated the style from this good video:

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Awesome video, that’s a keeper

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If you want to do it over anytime, you should add the step where you applied clear packing tape to the ends of the wooden placement stick. That’s a critical step to keep the glue squeeze-out from making a mess over time. It’s not there for your place & slide demonstrations but then is when you glue but only apparent if you’re sharp eyed.

BTW, how do you know which side of those tiny magnets is N vs S? Easy to determine opposites but did you really align them N/S?

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