[Thumper]

For X-mas I welded up a sculpture stand for Mary this year. She has amassed a small art collection over the years. Making stuff for her seems to be my main use of my welder. Anyway, I used some rare earth magnets to hold the small pieces in place for welding them as an assembly. I got a bunch of these magnets many years ago when one of the kids was building a maglev train for a science project.

 

[jlbutler81]

Nice welding table At least your welder gets used I've not played with my goldstar in months

 

[Thumper]

My welding table is just a 3/8" thick steel plate.
That's really all you need.
Those magnets are incredibly strong, you really have to yank on them to get them to let go.
Thought this tip would be good to share.

 

[jlbutler81]

My welding table is just a 3/8" thick steel plate.
That's really all you need.
Those magnets are incredibly strong, you really have to yank on them to get them to let go.
Thought this tip would be good to share.

Haha, it is all you need for most tig stuff. And the magnet thing works well too. I was just teasing you about the wood the plate was sitting on. My table is a old metal office desk (they can be had for cheap) with a 4' by 6' 1/2" aluminum plate I was lucky to snag from someone's junk collection.

My father had some of those special super strong magnets, all you could do to get them off was slide them to an edge.

 

[Sidecar Bob]

I like the idea of using the magnets but it won't work for me. I usually use an old Workmate with a piece of scrap plywood on top for welding.....

 

[Thumper]

As I recall I got the magnets at a small store that sold all kinds of supplies for science classes and labs.
I picked up a couple dozen.
One thing I learned is that they can get damaged and chip or split if you let them get to close to what you are welding, from the heat.
I got the plate at a retail steel supplier, Coremark, lot's of guys go there to browse around, I'm in there several times a year.

 

[Randall-in-Mpls]

I browse their website somewhat often, but I only get over to the yard if I need something specific. If I did more welding, I imagine I'd be checking their cut-offs bin regularly.

 

[Thumper]

It's like big kids in a candy store over there.

 

[rcw3586]

The magnets in an old hard drive are like that. Just don't get your finger between the magnet and the steel plate! They'll give you a worse blood blister than the release lever on vice grips.

 

[Randall-in-Mpls]

A computer shop I once worked in had a really big magnet from an early hard drive. We used it to degauss monitors.

 

[bahn88]

Only thing with magnets...need to keep it away from your watches, compasses and mechanical measuring instruments.....
Lead cases . . or big distances needed....

A definite case for electromagnets in most applications.....dunno if e/ms will (easily) work in welding tho .....

 

[rcw3586]

Only thing with magnets...need to keep it away from your watches, compasses and mechanical measuring instruments.....
Lead cases . . or big distances needed....

A definite case for electromagnets in most applications.....dunno if e/ms will (easily) work in welding tho .....

Lead will have no effect on shielding magnetic fields - that shields radiation from radioactive materials. You need a ferrous material to shield magnetic fields.

 

[Thumper]

Okay I admit I cheated on that maglev science project but he was in 8th grade so I will call it helping him out.
What I (we) did was glue a dozen or so of the magnets end to end on a long balsa wood board with balsa wood strips each side to act as rails for the track.
The car was one magnet glued to a piece of balsa wood with also rails set farther apart than the track.
It worked like a dream, floating and actually moving down the track with just a nudge.
Several years ago I found it in the basement and took off all the magnets and cleaned them up until one day was frustrated trying to clamp down small pieces for welding, and so that's the happy ending.

 

[joethebike]

It’s funny but when I tried to use a strong magnet as a hold down for welding it played havoc with the rods ability to run a controllable bead with it flaring and farting like mad. Taking away the magnet restored order.

 

[Sidecar Bob]

I think your mistake was welding with a fat steel rod instead of a thin wire ;-)

 

[rcw3586]

It’s funny but when I tried to use a strong magnet as a hold down for welding it played havoc with the rods ability to run a controllable bead with it flaring and farting like mad. Taking away the magnet restored order.

Not so much funny as science in action!

 

[bahn88]

Lead will have no effect on shielding magnetic fields - that shields radiation from radioactive materials. You need a ferrous material to shield magnetic fields.

Yes and no ...
Lead is diamagnetic.. so you can have a lead box with a ferrous pathway...while not a true shield it does redirect the magnetism to avoid interference with adjacent instrumenation 😀

 

[Thumper]

Anybody else remember Mr. Wizard ?

 

[rcw3586]

Anybody else remember Mr. Wizard ?

Those were the days!
He was an important inspiration to me in the late 50s early 60s. You couldn't do any experiments like those today without a remote control robot, bombproof suit, Kevlar helmet, two fully suited firemen with charged hoses and permits from federal, state and local authorities.

 

[Thumper]

At the end of it he fails to get something to work and says oh well next week we will do such and such, no way they would do that today.