Fun with Magnets

Not the rocket engine, nor the high powered amplifiers, or even the band saw can beat the Neodymium magnets as the most dangerous  thing in the shop.  Regardless of how careful we handle them you always get bit one way or another.

I went to get the  magnets to put them back on the MHD generator.  Each set was wrapped in three inches of bubble wrap then double wrapped in woven nylon bags then put in a box of packing peanuts. They had been in this box for about a week. All the while the pair had been slowly popping the bubble wrap and inching closer together. When the bubble wrap was gone they started compressing the plastic into a thin film. When I opened the box instead of finding two magnets six inches apart I found one solid block separated by 1/32 inch smear of plastic.

Two vices, four large plastic wedges, a pry bar and  hour and a half later they were separated once again ready for mounting on the generator.

3 Responses to “Fun with Magnets”

  1. Cameron says:

    Haha! What an unusual problem!

  2. Cameron says:

    Okay, there was another comment here.

    They suggested that the crew keep the magnets on opposite ends of the shop.

    Not very offensive in my opinion, that’s why I’ve reposted it. ;)

  3. Administrator says:

    Sorry about the deleted comment. The spam getting through the filter is just incredible. I have to hand delete them all an sometime I wipe out the real posts too.