How do you keep your corner magnets clean????

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I can never seem to get my magnets / holders to stay free of metal dust and particles.   How does one get them totally clean???Or am I stuck with brushing them off all the time???Come try it out and stay a while.
Reply:Wrap them in a plastic bag maybe?  You can remove the bag and shake it off.  I stick mine to the metal rack up over head high when they're not being used.  This way the grinding dust etc doesn't stick to them so bad.Dynasty200DX w/coolmate1MM210MM VintageESAB miniarc161ltsLincoln AC225Victor O/A, Smith AW1ACutmaster 81IR 2475N7.5FPRage3Jancy USA1019" SBAEAD-200LE
Reply:I guess that is my own fault then, I keep them stuck to the side of my work cart or table.  So they are always below the dust producing location.Come try it out and stay a while.
Reply:Put a block of paraffin wax in a warm place so it gets soft and pliable without melting, then push it against the magnet so all the particles stick to the wax. When the wax gets very dirty, you can just melt it and pour the wax off of the residual crud and if you use a thin aluminum container, you can even use a magnet outside the container to attract the particles to a small area, if needed.
Reply:compressed air and a blow gun....
Reply:I like that idea Oldiron. I'll have to give that a try. I usually just use a crappy old horse hair desk brush to remove as much as posible. I avoid the blow gun if at all posible. Don't want any high speed metal particles if I can avoid it.  Never liked the bag trick. I either tore the bag or it ended up messing with the set up.
Reply:I've found that $hit canning every magnet I find does the trick.
Reply:Not that I've got the cash for this (I'm just a hobbyist), but my LWS has a large corner magnet with an on/off knob.  Kind of like the knob on a magnetic indicator base, magnetic chuck, or cleanup magnet.I myself stick them to the bottom of a metal shelf.  Of course, being the klutz that I am, whenever I drop one, I have to spend time brushing all the crap out.I just use a wadded up rag to push the filings out, without getting splinters.  The paraffin idea seems much better though.  Although what gets rubbed off on the magnet is likely to burn a bit when you're welding, its not enough to be dangerous; just give you a surprise.
Reply:Originally Posted by BoostinjdmI've found that $hit canning every magnet I find does the trick.
Reply:I don't allow magnets anywhere near my "shop".  And after thinking about it, I don't believe I have anything with magnets (other than electric motors and such).  I have not found those triangles to be accurate, and usually more of a pain to clean up than they are worth.  I prefer to use a square, tri square, c clamps, vise grips, tape measure, etc. to align and hold parts for tacking.  A piece of angle and a c-clamp or vise grip will work just as well or better in most cases.  Just snug it up and "adjust" it with a small hammer.
Reply:You must have been beat up by magnets as a kid??I just use a brush to brush all the metal to one spot. Most of the metal comes off in the process and what doesn't just comes with a pinch. I definitely don't try to get them completely clean. Just clean enough to not interfere.
Reply:Originally Posted by chicksdigwagonsYou must have been beat up by magnets as a kid??
Reply:I have only one use for a magnet so far.  I have one powerful magnet that I have tied to a string and wrapped in a couple of layers of plastic wrap.  I swing (oscillate) it over the concrete where I have been welding/grinding on steel and it picks up all of the stuff that won't sweep into a dust pan.  If there's a lot, I just pull the majorty off, toss it and keep swinging.  At the end, I remove the plastic wrap and the magnet is clean.  Keep in mind, this where I pull my car into the garage.ScottMiller XMT 350 CC/CV w/gas solenoid opt.Miller S-22A wirefeederBernard 400A "Q" gunMiller Spoolmatic 30A / WC-24C-K 200A torch/gas lensWeldcraft WC-18 watercooled torchHypertherm Powermax 30Victor O/A
Reply:Originally Posted by BoostinjdmI don't allow magnets anywhere near my "shop".  And after thinking about it, I don't believe I have anything with magnets (other than electric motors and such).  I have not found those triangles to be accurate, and usually more of a pain to clean up than they are worth.  I prefer to use a square, tri square, c clamps, vise grips, tape measure, etc. to align and hold parts for tacking.  A piece of angle and a c-clamp or vise grip will work just as well or better in most cases.  Just snug it up and "adjust" it with a small hammer.
Reply:I thought it was just me that was finding that magnets aren't all that great, except when using as a broom like Dmaxer.
Reply:Originally Posted by MX727I thought it was just me that was finding that magnets aren't all that great, except when using as a broom like Dmaxer.
Reply:Originally Posted by DmaxerI have only one use for a magnet so far.  I have one powerful magnet that I have tied to a string and wrapped in a couple of layers of plastic wrap.  I swing (oscillate) it over the concrete where I have been welding/grinding on steel and it picks up all of the stuff that won't sweep into a dust pan.  If there's a lot, I just pull the majorty off, toss it and keep swinging.  At the end, I remove the plastic wrap and the magnet is clean.  Keep in mind, this where I pull my car into the garage.
Reply:Hello there, new member here!  This is a first reply.  More of a machinist, industrial maintenance mechanic than a welder, but I also weld cause it's part of my job.  Anyway, the question?  Has anybody tried to weld steel together when one or both pieces have been magnetized?  WOW what a trip!  If you want to have some "fun"   with somebody, just magnetize one of their pieces that they will be later welding together, and watch them    Just be ready to run cause when they eventually do figgure it out (and see you laughing at em) they'll be wanting to    at ya.    Who me??? Naw I havent had it done to me or pulled it on somebodyt else either, not me!!!!!!!!!!!!      Oh and B T W,  I don't use magnet corners when I fabricate something together.Your friend, Doggie.
Reply:All they do now is hold prints to the tool box.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:My magnets were paid for, and do no work.  Kinda like welfare.   They are very happy,,,,   I'm still kicking myself for buying them.   Like welfare people,,,,,   I have no idea where they're at right now.  Mine don't even hold prints.
Reply:You can put a stiff wire through the center hole and throw it under the truck out in the driveway, drag it around and find that nut or washer you dropped. That and that keeper you lost two years ago and some U-joint needle bearings and some other real treasures.
Reply:Originally Posted by Broccoli1best "tool" I got at HF
Reply:I quick pass with the wire brush seems to work for me quite fine Im curious as to wether that rolling bar magnet picks up grinding dust as well....Beer is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy!
Reply:Picks up quite a bit but use a Shop Vac for the good cleanin'Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:You need a aluminum magnet to get the rest of the grinding dust.Originally Posted by SandyYou need a aluminum magnet to get the rest of the grinding dust.
Reply:i use em around my drill press to catch particles. i use em to get stuff offthe driveway and floor. i wipe em off with a rag when i want to use them to hold metal ,they dont have to be surgically clean... and when the tack is made i remove them so the magnet does not obfuscate the bead.
Reply:I bought i believe 8 of these magnets in varying sizes. I have never once used them for the purpose they were designed.
Reply:Well I read more of you not liking magnets than liking them. I own and operate a small machine shop with manual and CNC machines along with welding/cutting and fabrication and I have magnets all over my shop. I think that maybe you guys just don't know how valuable they are in being a second or third hand. They also help speed work up by being an extra hand. I'm sure you all have found sticky notes on the floor where the glue finally gave way but never with a magnet stuck note. Anyway I love them for welding especially, and when i buy the right angle magnets I simply check to see if the angle is true and if not I get a grinder out and make it right! To answer the original question though all I do to clean any of my magnets is brush off what loose I can and then blow them off OUTSIDE as I hate air use on my machine shop side, I use vacuums to clean up instead of blowing chips and other trash into machine ways and/or electric motors!Last edited by sc6chuck9; 08-03-2009 at 02:12 PM.
Reply:For cleaning, it's a wipe with a gloved finger, wipe on my pants, or a shot with an air nozzle.I use the magnets as third hands, to hold a part in position for taking.  Tape measure in one hand, hammer in the other for adjusting the position of the part.  Once in position, I can tack the part without fear of it moving slightly as I reach for the gun.  I tack on the magnet side first, as the magnet will better resist the pulling force of the tack on this side.  Then I remove the magnet(s) and check square or set the opposite end of the part into position and tack.  I do not trust the magnets to be square.  Even if they are square, I don't trust them to hold a part square.  As a third hand I feel they work well and are worth the couple bucks they cost.
Reply:In a situation where you don't have 3 hands they can be pretty goodSpecially if you can't see what your doing.  I don't use an auto darkening hood.It at least gives you some relative alignment on the part.  It makes it possible to set the piece in place, but without a lean to make up for shrinking of the weld/tackThe way I got around it was to make the tack like a mini weld.  Stong enough to align the part with a hammer to the true vertical position you actually wanted (whack whack whack), then put a tack on the opposite side.Anyhing in a pinch is better than nothing at allCleaning......hit it with air in a direction pointed away from you, or anybody you care about  Rag and fingers works good too"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:Originally Posted by Fat BastardI hate them as well they cause more trouble than they ever help.They screw with the arc, they are not accurate and they waste time.
Reply:The best way to keep your magnet clean, is not to use it.Most of us that fabricate everyday, will tell ya what these fellas have. I've seen some "greenies" make the mistake of trying to weld, while someone else ( on the same piece or grounding connection) is drillin' holes with a "mag" drill.Those big ole "Hogans" will break your wrist, when the electro magnet disconnects.Don't let that iron in your lungs, turn to lead in your @$$!!!!
Reply:wow. the hatred is insurmountable   i have used mine with limited success. they shift or don't line up and 99.684% of the time don't hold the work perpendicular or flush/parallel anyway. compressed air (shooting out the door..) or a wipe down with a rag works, but as well, they reside in the corners of my toolbox lid for looks more or less. the attract and love splatter, the heat damages the core (and heat is one way to kill magnetism. physical shock is another way) and ...ya. they're just sort of a pain in the arse.http://kawispeed.com/ -moderator and tech deluxewww.myspace.com/trickortrack -cuz i have no life
Reply:I always take duct tape and make a loop with the sticky side out, run it all over the magnets. The metal bits stick to the tape, then throw the tape in the garbage. No mess, no fuss
Reply:I,ve found magnets most usefull to as a second pair of hands, and they work well in that regard. Grubby things they are,and hard to clean properly and splinters,- don,t get me started.  I don,t trust the angles, but thats not why I use em. The angles that are there gets you in the ball park, and rest is up you with a square or what ever to do the final adjustment. As a general rule, I keep my magnets seperate from all my tools, so as not to magnitise them.
Reply:HI Magnet treasure  from HF works great for picking metal dust and chips.  I have a belt sander I use to de-bur cut metal and it makes a lot of dust.  This thing is slick and it will also get the chips from around my lathe.  Just pick up and move to trash bucket and pull the handle, I find some time I need to bang it on the side of the busket to get it all off. and Its cleanHave funtom Attached Images
Reply:I use them all the time, got the 4x4 & 6x6 and some odd angles.Good for third hand or mock up before tacking (the 6x6 grab hard enough you need to bump them with rubber mallet or wood block).A steel wire brush cleans them off with a swipe or two.Matt
Reply:I gave up using them - been quite happy without them = no frustration, less stress.In short, I found them to be a dirty, unreliable pain in the butt.Sure they were useful for tacks only; if I left em there for the rest of the weld, the heat killed em - then they were good only for capturing metal grindings.Even new, the trouble was you just couldn't trust them to hold solidly in position; it seemed like something they were supposed to hold was always slipping down the magnet - messing up the job.Good riddens I say!Rick V
Reply:While they are a PITA to use with much accuracy,we all obviously own a few...LOL It's strange this thread surfaced since I was cussin' mine just last week and trying to figure out how to remove the stuff stuck to them in some easy fashion.... My solution was to turn on my bench mounted wire brush and pass them each thru the wheel on their various surfaces...BINGO.. clean as new in an instant. I wondered at the time if others had a similar issue with the stuck particles and how everyone else removed the particles. I guess I'm the only one that used a bench mounted wire wheel to clean the little buggers. It worked real well ....just not for very long...LOL...but it did remove the particles.
Reply:Adding reason #247 to "why I hate magnets":      If you have young kids, don't let them play with magnets.  Magnets that are small enough to swallow can be fatal once inside the body.Lincoln AC225 & MigPak 140, Lincoln Magnum SpoolGun, Miller Spectrum 375-X Plasma, Syncrowave 200 TIG, Millermatic 252 MIG, Miller Digital Elite, General 7x12" horiz/vert bandsaw, 3' box/pan brake, 20 ton press, milling machine, 12x28 lathe, etc.
Reply:Originally Posted by BurnitX2X2X2YupHere is where I keep all but two of my magnets (The other two are for holding prints)One day I had enough off them, getting filled with crap, something happens like a mouse farts under your toolbox and the magnets slid down the side or they fall and turn into two magnets.So I threw them all in my tool bag and keep them in a closet in front of a bunch of stuff that I do use, so that about once a week I can lift this bag and mutter foul things about them.Look good at the picture I even have some that are still in the package.Sorry for the long post, I really do hate these things.
Reply:My 2 cents on magnets………….If you buy cheap, you get what you pay for. I have some Strong Hand magnets with an on/off switch. Turn them off and wipe them off,  clean as they were the day I bought them.However, I seldom use them to hold parts while I tack… maybe if I'm making some artsy fartsy candle holder or something. For everyday fab work I use precision machined angle blocks and clamps. The best use I have found for them, and the reason I bought them, is for getting measurements around the radius of thick wall tube. We use a lot of square/rectangular tube, 3/8", 1/2", and sometimes 3/4" wall. I have always disliked having to "eyeball" a dimension around the radius. But if I stick the magnet on the side of the tube with an inch or so above the radius I have a definite edge to measure to.Will
Reply:Originally Posted by BoostinjdmThat's not quite as funny as you might think.  I don't know about attracting it, but alum can be repelled by magnetism.
Reply:OK, I finally found a use for the "welding magnets".Like others have stated for tacking they are iffy at best and I find TIG with them is an experience not to be repeated too often.The best thing I have found to use them for is a handle when grinding or sanding plate on a belt sander.  Saves the finger prints.  Just snap them onto the plate and you have a decent grip as you smooth it on the sanding belt.RogerOld, Tired, and GRUMPYSalesman will call, Batteries not included, Assembly is required, and FREE ADVICE IS WORTH EXACTLY WHAT YOU PAY FOR IT!Dial Arc 250HFThunderbolt 225 AC/DCAssorted A/O torches
Reply:I hate when they catch on fireMaxus Pro-125 MigChicago Electric 90 amp DC flux-coreLincoln Electric AC 225 tombstoneO/A torchM/O mini-torch10 acres of flatland15 acres of holler
Reply:I'll second the comment on tig welding with them, it plays with the arc, to the point that small welds are impossible. For holding stuff together while you don't have a second set of hands, tack welding is awesome, metal to metal, metal to table, but the best I've used was an optical table where holes were tapped every 2 inches, so you just thread in a bolt or a pair of bolts with a cross bar, and your parts are held all nice and secure.Billy
Reply:I also have a love/hate relationship with these magnets, they mess with the arc etc are not accurate, but in certain situations can warrant hanging on to them,  Best way of cleaning I'v found is to just give them a swift going over with an old stainless steel wire brush.Lincoln SP-170 MigHypertherm powermax 45Lorch T220 AC/DC TigButters FM 215 synergic MigKemppi 180 adaptive mig RULES ARE FOR THE OBEDIENCE OF FOOLS AND THE  GUIDANCE OF WISE MEN.
Reply:Originally Posted by weldbeadi use em around my drill press to catch particles. i use em to get stuff offthe driveway and floor. i wipe em off with a rag when i want to use them to hold metal ,they dont have to be surgically clean... and when the tack is made i remove them so the magnet does not obfuscate the bead.