May 2011
2 posts
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#059: Got an itch under a plaster cast??
Doug writes:
I recently had surgery and have a cast on my right arm…and it gets VERY itchy after a week or so. Chopsticks and knitting needles are all too short…but a small magnet tucked into the underside of the cast and then ‘dragged’ along by a larger magnet was a great way to scratch those hard to reach spots. The workcover people think it’s a fantastic idea!!...
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Magnets for Blood Flow, Pain Relief?
Here’s a letter we received from Aussie Magnets customer Ken, who managed to cure a burning pain in his hand using Rare Earth Sphere magnets
Hi Folks,
I have used two flat bar magnets to cure a burning pain in my r/h thumb. One on the underside of thumb and the secound on top taped with sticking plaster. I left this cast on every night for 4 days and the pain disappered and never came...
March 2011
8 posts
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#058: Magnet on a Stick →
adambail has created ”Mankind’s greatest achievement : The magnet on a stick.” Love it!
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WARNING: Magnets Can Be Dangerous
As much as we love magnets, we have to remind ourselves that they have the potential to be extremely dangerous.
Case in point: 9-year-old Andre Bercerra recently swallowed two magnets which caused severe damage to his intestines:
“He did have internal injuries. There were two holes in his intestines from the magnets,” Bercerra said. “The surgeon said it was as if he had been shot with a BB...
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Twenty-One Magnets in iPad Smart Cover →
The gadget-gurus at iFixit tore apart the new iPad Smart Cover to see how it works. Result: there are twenty-one magnets inside the cover and a further 10 inside the iPad to make the magic happen.
Take a look at the link to see how it works - there’s some clever trickery going on with the geometry of the magnets to ensure it aligns perfectly every time.
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February 2011
13 posts
#056: Real Hoverboards
Woah. Remember the hoverboards from Back to the Future? French artist Nils Guadagnin has made it a reality:
Integrated into the board and the plinth is an electromagnetic system which levitates the board. A laser system stabilises the object in the air.
Check out more photos and a video here and dream away.
#055: Protecting Astronaut's In Space
We’ve already heard about magnets collecting space dust on Mars, but now comes news that NASA engineers are using electromagnets to produce a “sphere of plasma” that supposedly protects astronauts from deadly radiation.
The full article unfortunately requires a subscription, but there’s enough interesting material in the preview to pique our interest. Fascinating.
#055: Blob Motility →
We’re not sure we understand what’s going on here, but it features magnets and is very cool… that’s enough for us!
#054: Art Displays
Margaret of The Stockyard Gallery writes in to show us her art gallery and cafe in Mataranka (Northern Territory). Her walls are made from corrugated iron, so she hangs her artwork magnetically using Rare Earth rods.
It came about because I don’t have anyone here (400kms south of Darwin) to make temporary wooden frames to display the art, so that is when I thought of magnets and it is...
#053: Uteswag Tonneau
The Uteswag turns an ordinary ute tray into a functioning campsite, and features Aussie Magnets for added strength and easy setup.
#052: Cleaning Earphones
Doug writes in to tell us how he’s using magnets to clean his earphones:
Good earphones are expensive and easily incapacitated by picking up fine particles of iron or rust. The magnetic debris is attracted to the annular airgap and pulls the fine plastic diaphragm home (“poling”). The earphone still works but with lower efficiency and higher distortion. A decent size rare...
#051: Holding Photos
Aussie Magnets customers are using 8mm x 5mm Rare Earth Disc’s to hold photographs to the wall. Combined with blue-tack and a washer they’re a great combination to decorate your home, or to take a portfolio show on the road.
Nobel Prize Winner Levitates a Frog With Magnets →
Here’s an interesting Nobel Prize result.
#049: Magnetic Bike Bottle Holder
Vincero Design has used magnets to create a water bottle cage for cyclists. Where weight is a primary consideration, the magnetic holder reduces the weight of the cage to only 16 grams.
Check it out at GearJunkie.
#048: Magnetic Art
Here’s a beautiful magnetic art installation from an Aussie Magnets customer.
November 2010
1 post
October 2010
3 posts
4 tags
#046: The Ultimate iFridge Magnet
Woodford Design have combined our three favourite things (the iPad, our refrigerator, and magnets) to produce the FridgePad - perhaps the ultimate fridge magnet? FridgePad is an iPad case with sturdy rare earth magnets embedded in the back, allowing you to attach your magical and revolutionary device to the fridge, right alongside take-away menus, ignored notices and pictures from kindergarten....
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#045: Creative Magnetic Walls
Cisco’s WebEx.com design team came up with a creative method to brainstorm and share their designs - magnetic walls:
They painted the long wall with several coast of magnetic paint, covered it with a coat of color to match the other walls, let it dry, and then posted designs all over on the wall using small magnets.When a design is declared complete, they can quickly move it to the end...
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#044: Home-made Wind Turbine
Lots of Aussie Magnets customers come to us with plans to build wind turbines, but very rarely do we get to see one that’s actually functional. When Maurice emailed us with pictures (and video) of his working wind-turbine, we were thrilled. He took an old ceiling fan, some coils, some glue, some magnets and lots of ingenuity and created a working turbine:
The turbine was producing up to...
September 2010
8 posts
4 tags
Magnets make left-handers right-handed →
Researchers at the University of California have been using magnets to influence which hand volunteers choose in everyday situations:
According to the scientists, the magnet generates a magnetic field on a small part of the skull which creates weak electric currents in the brain. The currents interfere with nearby brain cells and prevent them from firing normally.
…
When the magnet was...
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#043: Greg's Magnetic Workshop
Greg has found a whole series of uses for magnets in his workshop. As a busy engineer running, he’s always in need of an extra pair of hands, which is where Aussie Magnets comes in!
What I use them for is in my workshop for holding down plans, tools and equipment. Also, they make use as another set of hands while welding, making sure that the heat isn’t conducted into the magnets....
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WatchTake a look at Maurice’s wind-turbine in action. In reasonable wind it picks up speed rather quickly and is generating up to 35 volts AC in no time at all. Very impressive.
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In the News: Girl magnet so attractive
From Melbourne’s mX newspaper:
Girl magnet so attractive
A Serbian schoolgirl has amazed medics with her astonishing magnetic hands.
For the past five years, Jelena Momcilov, 10, has been picking up cutlery, metal furniture and coins just by touching them.
Experts at Nis University have urged scientists to investigate this “unknown form of biomagnetism”.
13th September,...
August 2010
6 posts
4 tags
#040: Magnetic Salt & Pepper Shakers
crimsonedgeevents finds these super-cool magnetic salt & pepper shakers:
Designer Mike Flache has created a high-class magnetic salt cellar and pepper pot made of stainless chromium steel.
Inspired by hundreds of breakfasts around the world he transformed the natural shape of a simple egg into a stylish accessory.
Magnets on each part of the ‘Spice Egg’ stick it together and makes the...
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July 2010
9 posts
3 tags
Magnetic Imagery of Foods
‘Inside Insides’ have been shooting Magnetic Resonance Imagery (MRI) of food. See if you can guess which foods are shown below, then see more at http://insideinsides.blogspot.com/:
(Via tacit-laconic)
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“Electricity and magnetism are those forces of nature by which people who know...”
– Egon Friedell (via trentengland)
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Changing Faces Of Magnets →
BoostUp reports that a former NASA engineer has developed customisable, multiple-pole magnets.
Programmable magnets could be used to seal spaceship hatches, to create friction-free prosthetic ball joints and to make long-lasting gears for engines.
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#032: Storage for Paper Cutting Dies →
Aussie Magnet-er Tammy magnetised the inside of her doors to save space and keep things in order. It’s certainly one of the more creative uses we’ve seen for our Flexible Rubber Magnets, and sure seems to have freed up some space.
Well done Tammy, we love it. A free gift has been posted out, let us know what use you find for it!
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#030: Display Box for Knives
Paul writes in with a use for his Aussie Magnets:
I built a display box for a collection of knives I am proud of and used your magnets to secure the knives against a tin backing covered with felt. Very effective and the knives can be easily removed for examination and discussion.
Choosing the right magnet for this job is no easy task:
Since tin is thinner than steel, the effective pull...