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Permanent Magnets
by FrenchCrawler on September 7, 2006
Table of Contents
Permanent Magnets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Intro: Permanent Magnets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Step 1: Setup the furnace and let it cook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Step 2: Making the weaker magnet... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Step 3: Make the slightly stronger permanent magnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
http://www.instructables.com/id/Permanent-Magnets/
Intro: Permanent Magnets
I've covered how to make a temporary magnet, but what if you want a magnet that won't lose its properties. After I found that article on what my temporary magnetization
technique was called (stroking), I was interested in trying to make the permanent magnet ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnets - Under: Magnetization of materials).
So I tried it using the napalm as my fuel source ( http://www.instructables.com/id/EL4U3X42BHERIE32Y7/ ) and it actually worked. Unfortunately it really was quite weak,
so I tried to increase the magnetic field and it worked much better.
I'll show how how to do it both ways.
Materials needed:
1. Fuel (I used Napalm of course)
2. Two metal electrical boxes (Don't ask me what each one is called, just look at the pictures)
3. Hammer
4. Can to keep the fuel in (I used a tealight candle)
5. Lighter
6. Compass (My knife had this built into the handle, make one yourself if you don't have one: http://www.instructables.com/id/EKL14VGJOSEP287U3F/ )
7. Strong, flat rock (or an anvil if you got one)
8. Large Magnet (This is needed for the stronger magnet, I used my 6x8 speaker magnet)
9. Pliers or tongs
Look at my paint drawing to get a general idea of the setup needed. Isn't it cute?
Warning: Boxes and steel will get hot. Use care when playing with fire.
Image Notes
1. Opening
2. Fire
3. Fuel source
4. Hammer
5. Steel Bar (I used the fork)
6. Flat and Strong Rock
7. Metal boxes
8. Air hole
Image Notes
1. compass
2. Tea candle
3. Weeds
4. Lighter
Step 1:Setup the furnace and let it cook
To get the best results, first stroke the steel along a magnet before heating.
1. Place the fuel source in the center of the larger metal box and light it. Let this burn for about 30 seconds and then quickly put the top of the furnace on top of it.
2. Postion the steel across the top of your mini furnace and let it heat for a while. (Video below)
http://www.instructables.com/id/Permanent-Magnets/
Image Notes
1. Napalm on top of tea candle
2. Top of the "furnace"
Image Notes
1. Basic setup
Image Notes
1. Yay, my camera captured the flame.
Image Notes
1. Wax run off
2. There's a flame there, the camera didn't capture it.
Step 2:Making the weaker magnet...
Now to make the weak magnet (it's unable to lift anything, but you can see that the magnetic field is there by using the compass. See the attached video).
1. Take the piece of steel off of the flame and, using the compass, point one end north and the other south.
2. Now hammer away while keeping the steel in that position. Hammer until the metal is cool.
Now you should have a weak permanent magnet.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Permanent-Magnets/
Image Notes
1. Pointing North
2. My knee, you don't need it though
3. Our fire pit
4. Hot fork
Image Notes
1. Weak magnet
2. Compass testing
Step 3:Make the slightly stronger permanent magnet
1. Do everthing in step one.
2. Setup the compass while the steel is heating. After you learn which way is north, place the large magnet there.
3. Take the steel off of the furnace and place it to the south of the large magnet. Now hammer away until the steel is cool.
Now you should have a stronger permanent magnet. Test it out (See the video below).
It's still not all that strong, but it can lift a small nail up now.
If you had a stronger magnetic field to work with, you would end up with a stronger magnet. Imagine if you had leevonk's magnet (
http://www.instructables.com/id/EY7DHMULXJERIE2Q5W/ ), then you could start making strong magnets and even sell them instead of having to buy them.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Permanent-Magnets/
Image Notes
1. 6x8 speaker positioned to the north of the fork.
2. Hot, use pliers
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Comments
10 comments Add Comment
Qcks says: Mar 7, 2010. 6:45 AM REPLY
Actually... this isn't a bad instructable.
If you want to make a stronger permanent magnet you should induce an electrical field around the fork while it cools.
Part of what causes a magnet is the electron vectors in the iron atoms. The more vectors that are aligned in the solid metal structure, the stronger the
magnet will be.
Heating the fork allows the iron atoms to come into alignment. if you 'stroke'it while it cools, more electron vectors will be aligned correctly. This works
especially well if you have some way of rapidly cooling the fork.
kokonos says: Jul 1, 2009. 8:37 AM REPLY
could you use a electromagnet?
ampeyro says: May 24, 2009. 1:59 PM REPLY
i use another way to do it, involves microwaves and hdds, i wi post an instructable about it in sumer
power says: Aug 17, 2007. 10:54 PM REPLY
Nice.I tried using loads of super strong rare earth magnets to charge up my scissors and now it is a strong rare household magnet.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Permanent-Magnets/
Loveofchaos says: Jul 8, 2007. 2:28 AM REPLY
by saying that you are using napalm i assume that you are using the styrofoam/gasoline mixture? if not, please tell me what it is and how to make it
FrenchCrawler says: Jul 8, 2007. 10:15 PM REPLY
"So I tried it using the napalm as my fuel source ( http://www.instructables.com/id/EL4U3X42BHERIE32Y7/ )"
- Click on the link...
gyromild says: Jun 26, 2007. 9:23 AM REPLY
Great one..
could make a magnet just by using the earth's magnetic field
i bet lots of people never knew that (myself included)
from the wiki article, thinking of attaching a neodymium to a motor, and let it stroke a ferrous metal overnight..wonders if will it work..
FrenchCrawler says: Jun 27, 2007. 12:48 AM REPLY
Try it and let us know :)
Neodudeman says: Sep 9, 2006. 10:23 AM REPLY
Wow. That's interesting.
FrenchCrawler says: Sep 9, 2006. 5:52 PM REPLY
I know. Not the most amazing thing though :( But I never knew that you could make a magnet just by using the earth's magnetic field, as weak as it
turned out. So I tried it and it worked. My stronger permanent magnet (I turned my weak one into the strong one) is still able to pick up the nail.