How do you permanently magnetize something?

SSSnail

Lifer
Nov 29, 2006
17,458
83
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With available household tools, or not too difficult to acquire? From googling around, I found a few ways, but none are too practical and most are non-permanent.

Come on ATOT scientists, do me proud.
 

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
Get a magnet. Get your ferrous object. Slide the magnet along the ferrous object, always going in the same direction, always with the same part of the magnet and the object.
 
Feb 19, 2001
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That's not permanently magnetizing if it's like paper clips. You probably need something extremely strong to align the domains at a low temp.

What you need is heat, lots of it. When you heat something up you can get the domains to align a certain way. Cool it down and you get a magnetized material that stays that way.
 

theflyingpig

Banned
Mar 9, 2008
5,616
18
0
Originally posted by: DLeRium
That's not permanently magnetizing.

What you need is heat, lots of it. When you heat something up you can get the domains to align a certain way. Cool it down and you get a magnetized material that stays that way.

Lots and lots of heat. More heat than you have ever felt in your entire life will be needed. Remember this.
 

SSSnail

Lifer
Nov 29, 2006
17,458
83
86
Originally posted by: theflyingpig
Originally posted by: DLeRium
That's not permanently magnetizing.

What you need is heat, lots of it. When you heat something up you can get the domains to align a certain way. Cool it down and you get a magnetized material that stays that way.

Lots and lots of heat. More heat than you have ever felt in your entire life will be needed. Remember this.

So my BBQ grill won't do right? I have a blow torch. :D

I didn't think the directions for creating a magnet would be "Heat oven to really freaking high, bake for 2 hours"...
 
Feb 19, 2001
20,155
23
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Originally posted by: SSSnail
Originally posted by: theflyingpig
Originally posted by: DLeRium
That's not permanently magnetizing.

What you need is heat, lots of it. When you heat something up you can get the domains to align a certain way. Cool it down and you get a magnetized material that stays that way.

Lots and lots of heat. More heat than you have ever felt in your entire life will be needed. Remember this.

So my BBQ grill won't do right? I have a blow torch. :D

I didn't think the directions for creating a magnet would be "Heat oven to really freaking high, bake for 2 hours"...

Well no, I don't know how well you can align the domains in heat. When you apply a magnetic field to a ferromagnetic material above the Curie temperature you will be experiencing a paramagnetic/ferromagnetic effect. But iono. You have a better chance at realigning domains at a higher temperature though.
 

WHAMPOM

Diamond Member
Feb 28, 2006
7,628
183
106
You have to liquify the metal and fast cool it in a strong magnetic field?
 

Cerpin Taxt

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
11,940
542
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1.) Aquire strong magnet, desired object, & super glue (or epoxy)
2.) Glue magnet to object.
3.) Profit!
 

silverpig

Lifer
Jul 29, 2001
27,703
12
81
Originally posted by: DLeRium
Originally posted by: SSSnail
Originally posted by: theflyingpig
Originally posted by: DLeRium
That's not permanently magnetizing.

What you need is heat, lots of it. When you heat something up you can get the domains to align a certain way. Cool it down and you get a magnetized material that stays that way.

Lots and lots of heat. More heat than you have ever felt in your entire life will be needed. Remember this.

So my BBQ grill won't do right? I have a blow torch. :D

I didn't think the directions for creating a magnet would be "Heat oven to really freaking high, bake for 2 hours"...

Well no, I don't know how well you can align the domains in heat. When you apply a magnetic field to a ferromagnetic material above the Curie temperature you will be experiencing a paramagnetic/ferromagnetic effect. But iono. You have a better chance at realigning domains at a higher temperature though.

AFAIK heat is both your friend and enemy when trying to magnetize something. Heat will randomize the domains, but also make them easier to change direction.

I guess what you want is a really strong magnet, a lot of heat, and heat your metal up good in the magnetic field, then cool it slowly while keeping the field on.
 
Dec 30, 2004
12,553
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Lol cerpin.....

If you wrap a wire all along the thing you want to magenetise, heat it up (maybe in on-its-way-to-boiling-temp water?), and touch the wires to a battery shortly, you'll get it magnetized. I think if you periodically touch the wire to the battery (take it off after touching it a half second) until the object is cooled, that should ensure the magnetic domains that you create stay there. IIRC, you lose them when you heat it up or drop the magnet, and keep them during cooling; but I'd continue tapping the wires while it cools just to make sure.
 

wwswimming

Banned
Jan 21, 2006
3,695
1
0
i used to work at Litton Electron Devices, who makes their own magnets, and
even ended buying one of their old magnetizing machines, just to take it apart.

basically you need a material that can be magnetized and a device that can
create a humongous magnetic field.
 

LordMorpheus

Diamond Member
Aug 14, 2002
6,871
1
0
I've seen devices in highschool science labs for this.

basically it's just a little box you can put something in, and hidden in the device there is a coil of wire around the box making the magnetic field.

The idea is to heat something up to loosen the domains, and drop it in the box and wait until it cools.

Excessive heat/shock/vibrations will cause your new magnet to loose so of its domain alignment.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,423
14,821
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Originally posted by: randay
you cant permanently magnetize anything, because you can demagnetize anything.

So then, the OBVIOUS answer is to stick in the demagnetizer backwards? :p