1001 Uses for Magnets

#059: Got an itch under a plaster cast??

Thu, 12 May 2011 14:31:06 +1000

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!! :-)

Brilliant…!

Magnets for Blood Flow, Pain Relief?

Wed, 11 May 2011 22:27:51 +1000

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 back …now 6 years ago. I believe the magnets increased the blood flow to some possible nerve problem.

I made up a coiled band with rare earth ball 2mm magnets, 74 of them in a long chain and coilded them around my wifes index finger and taped them in position. She had stabbed hershelf with a sharp knife while parting frozen hash browns AND THE FINGER HAD TURNED BLUE AND STAYED ICE COLD. There was no blood circulation. The magnets on the first morning after wearing them reduced the blue down to 50% and the finger warmed up again. After 3 days her finger was back to normal… the knife had hit right into the bone …that’s how deep the wound was.

Hope others can experiment and try this out. It works.

Regards Ken Bornman

Well done, Ken! Magnets come to the rescue once more. There are lots of people who doubt the validity of magnets in health and pain relief (to be honest, we share some of those doubts), but it’s always fantastic to hear customers who have successfully cured their ails with a few simple magnets.

#059: iPad on a Fridge Fridge magnets are still the most boring...

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 23:13:37 +1100

#059: iPad on a Fridge

Fridge magnets are still the most boring of all uses for magnets (even though it’s the most ubiquitous use), but with all the fuss over iPad 2 recently we figured this was one way to slightly improve the usefulness of your fridge.

Why you need to be careful before switching on your MRI...

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 14:31:07 +1100

Why you need to be careful before switching on your MRI machine…

(Thanks to Ash for sending this through!)

#058: Magnet on a Stick

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 14:30:07 +1100

#058: Magnet on a Stick:

adambail has created ”Mankind’s greatest achievement : The magnet on a stick.” Love it!

WARNING: Magnets Can Be Dangerous

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:30:07 +1100

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 gun through his intestine.”

If Andre had not been able to tell the surgeon he had swallowed magnets then this could have been a fatal incident.

Take the time and make sure your family is safe: don’t leave magnets lying in reach of children or pets, and especially don’t give magnets to young children as a play toy. As fun as they are, magnets are not a toy.

namashco finds this super-cool magnetic key holder: via...

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:30:08 +1100

namashco finds this super-cool magnetic key holder:

via www.boettcher-henssler.de

deja-visite: I find this attractive. In Between - today and...

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:30:08 +1100

deja-visite:

I find this attractive.

In Between - today and tomorrow

Twenty-One Magnets in iPad Smart Cover

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:17:03 +1100

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.

#057: iPad 2’s Magnetic Smart Cover Apple has something of...

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 19:29:18 +1100

#057: iPad 2’s Magnetic Smart Cover

Apple has something of a love-affair with magnets, featuring them in their MagSafe Power Adapter, MacBook hinges, remote controls and now, in iPad 2’s Smart Cover.

The iPad Smart Cover attaches magnetically (there are magnets built into the side of iPad) and then folds flush over the display. Another magnet holds the cover in place over the display and switches it on and off when the cover is moved. It’s about the coolest use we’ve seen for a magnet, and definitely the coolest advertisement.

We’ve already ordered two iPad 2’s - what about you? What other magnetism does the iPad have?

#056: Real Hoverboards

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 14:30:07 +1100

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

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:30:07 +1100

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

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:31:07 +1100

#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

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:30:07 +1100

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 great. I have gone magnet mad since then, it is the easiest way to display all sorts of things on metal walls.

If you have the luxury of metal walls, magnets are by far the easiest way of showing your work or decorating. Nothing is ever permanent, as you can swap and change with minimal fuss.

Margaret has been using the 10mm x 16mm Rare Earth Rods, but would recommend something slightly smaller (but not too small, as they tend to stick together, she reports).

Thanks for sharing, Margaret! We love your use.

#053: Uteswag Tonneau

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 14:30:06 +1100

The Uteswag turns an ordinary ute tray into a functioning campsite, and features Aussie Magnets for added strength and easy setup.

#052: Cleaning Earphones

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:30:07 +1100

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 earth magnet can pull the stuff away, but you need to interpose a non-magnetic washer (aluminium sheet with a suitable hole is ideal) between earbud and magnet to stop them getting too intimate. It’s easiest and safest to fix the magnet to the bench and use the ‘washer’ to lower and raise the earbud.

Great idea! We’ve all got plenty of pairs of earphones sitting around the house, but have never thought to clean them rather than replacing them with a new set. Give this a shot and you might give your earphones a new lease of life.

Doug has been using 15mm x 30mm magnets (no longer stocked), but in theory you should be able to achieve the same result with any strong rare earth magnet.

#051: Holding Photos

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 14:30:07 +1100

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

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 14:30:07 +1100

Nobel Prize Winner Levitates a Frog With Magnets:

Here’s an interesting Nobel Prize result.

#050: Quattro is Magnetic Audi needed a novel idea to advertise...

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:30:06 +1100

#050: Quattro is Magnetic

Audi needed a novel idea to advertise their Quattro four-wheel-drive system, so they turned to magnets. Nothing sticks like a magnet!

#049: Magnetic Bike Bottle Holder

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:30:07 +1100

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.