Thread: Microscope Stage

Originally Posted by cudarunner

Great idea! If you want a very powerful magnet find an old computer that's dead and going to be recycled or thrown away and tear it apart and look in the hard drive, there you will find a very powerful magnet!!!!

My son is the one who taught me about the magnet and he was told by a teacher at school. I've just taken the one that he had found in an old computer and snapped it on the end of my DMT 325 and picked it up. Some shaking wouldn't make it let go! The DMT weighs 2 pounds 15 ounces!! (Can you say 'Overkill')?

Good Luck! Thanks again for a great idea!

Rare earth magnets in hard drives. Be careful when using them. You will be surprised how far away the magnet will be attracted to the steel. I had one fly over to a blade and cause a crack in the blade.

Brilliant idea, I've been twisting my brain to find a good solution for my USB microscope, now I can put the brain back to it's normal state, resting

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Mvcrash

Rare earth magnets in hard drives. Be careful when using them. You will be surprised how far away the magnet will be attracted to the steel. I had one fly over to a blade and cause a crack in the blade.

You can glue thick felt to the hard drive magnets. Will help buffer that sudden *SNAP* of the metal sticking to them.

Originally Posted by Zolon

You can glue thick felt to the hard drive magnets. Will help buffer that sudden *SNAP* of the metal sticking to them.

I was going to suggest the same thing! One thing about the Super Magnet is that it seems to be only 'magnetic' on one side. I'm sure that a simple piece of 3M double stick tape would hold the non magnetic side in place.

Thanks for the idea and input!

Originally Posted by cudarunner

I was going to suggest the same thing! One thing about the Super Magnet is that it seems to be only 'magnetic' on one side. I'm sure that a simple piece of 3M double stick tape would hold the non magnetic side in place.

Thanks for the idea and input!

Be careful with that. They are magnetic on both sides, but have the metal plate on the back side. They can and will flip over. Carpet tape, really evil stuff, seems to hold them. Also, if you leave the metal plate on them, you can screw/bolt it to your surface. May have to drill a hole in the plate, but I would suggest it.

EDIT: One more thing. I have used hard drive magnets to make other items magnetic temporarily.

Enlighten me,why do you even need a magnet?

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Enlighten me,why do you even need a magnet?

You don't! But why not?

I recently put a layer of black electrical tape on mine. I like the contrast and a little safety for the edge but it is uneven. The refrigerator magnet would give you that same dark background, be even and although I wouldn't want to cut it it should be forgiving if you had an Oooops. also it doesn't take much of a wiggle to bring it out of focus so I suppose The magnet would assist in holding it still. As you can tell I still haven't found one yet! I was just thinking there might be one on the phone book on the porch we just got.

I would be leary of the rare earth magnets Even if you covered them in carpet as someone suggested as you slid it would you be cutting carpet and dulling the edge? I know Geezer puts these magnets to good use to hang his razors by the tail under his mirror. I forget where his post is right now.

I can see Charlie making Magnetic Razors now! The next thing to do would be to build a pyramid above his scope...

Tim

P.S. Off to look at that phone book.

may be a good thing,will use it in my soon to be published Tome:Honeing in earthquake country. (simon and schuster)

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

may be a good thing,will use it in my soon to be published Tome:Honeing in earthquake country. (simon and schuster)

I found a magnet on the phone book as suspected. It was for a drain cleaning service. This afternoon I just cleaned my bathroom drain myself so I didn't think that I would need their services. It took a while to find 2 sided tape. I had to take some from left over scraps from making scales. [Note to self: Buy more tape before making scales.] The magnet performed as well as anticipated.

From my preliminary testing I would say it will perform up to a magnitude 5 quake.

Tim

CAREFUL!! Getting your steel magnetised can backfire BIG! Just think of the very edge of the bevel and what will be atracted to it!!??? It's just not good for the edge of a str8. If you look under magnification a magnitised edge will show all kinds of particles 'Stuck" to the razor.

JMHO, thank you for listening, tinkersd