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 Post subject: neodimium sculpture
PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2021 10:55 pm 

Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2021 6:29 pm
Posts: 39
Five pounds of hard drive magnets with the metal they were attached to in the hard drives. Is there a market for these things ?


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 Post subject: Re: neodimium sculpture
PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2021 11:17 pm 

Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2014 9:44 pm
Posts: 1138
Location: I'm right here :D
The backings are made of a high nickel allow that shields other components from the magnets. So find a scrapyard that takes nickle... yeah I spelled it both ways...

The magnets themselves I'm not sure on off the top of my head but the outer coating is also nickel. And if you want to store them without worrying about the magnetic field damaging something run a propane torch over the magnet until it pops and the magnetism will be gone.

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 Post subject: Re: neodimium sculpture
PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 1:20 am 
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Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2015 6:57 pm
Posts: 9752
Location: Low DOS
The backing mount/shield is called permalloy. Yards that buy high-grade-separation stainless pay well for it. From $0.75-$1.50 averages now.

The magnet is a different story.
There is almost no consistency even from the same manufacturer and same model.

I’ve seen everything from junk iron-ferrite to high end clean cobalt.

Cobalt has some properties that with research and training you can learn to check for.

Aside from cobalt I tend to “donate” drive magnets without the backing to my local yards.

One of them has some employees that have taken to building an actual pyramid out of them in a corner. It’s roughly 7 feet square across and close to 8 feet high now.

How they ever intend to move it is another issue entirely. But it’s wicked to look at and powerful enough to require a small rope off area. Lol. :)

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 Post subject: Re: neodimium sculpture
PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 2:02 am 

Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2019 6:55 pm
Posts: 555
How do you get the magnets off of the permalloy backing? They seem to be quite hard to get off without destroying either the magnet or the coating/ plating on the magnet.

Any pictures of the magnet pyramid? It sounds cool! ;)


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 Post subject: Re: neodimium sculpture
PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 3:37 am 
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Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2015 6:57 pm
Posts: 9752
Location: Low DOS
Any coating is either nickel or chromium.

Gently bang at it with a large screwdriver.
If the magnet crumbles it’s a ceramic. Just stop: it’s not worth the trouble.

I use a commercial heat gun at 1600 to the permalloy side. Melts most organic glues.
Then slide the mag off with lockjaws and a long screwdriver.

And no, but because it’s not public access. I asked once what they do with them. Floor master showed me.

I have no idea where the pyramid idea came in but it is as kool as it sounds. Egyptian version of the ROJ Death Star sort of thing.

I’ve never asked to take a photo but I will next time I go.

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 Post subject: Re: neodimium sculpture
PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 9:08 am 

Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 11:09 am
Posts: 483
I see them for sale on E bay for about $1 each, but I've never tried to sell any. I thought about making a wind powered generator with them at one time. I do have several taped to a piece of 1"X2" board to pull nails out of the fire pit. It works great!


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 Post subject: Re: neodimium sculpture
PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 9:35 am 

Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2021 6:29 pm
Posts: 39
marked141 wrote:
And if you want to store them without worrying about the magnetic field damaging something


Too late for this I think. My old digital camera was sitting next to the magnets for a while and now the screen won't function.


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 Post subject: Re: neodimium sculpture
PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 9:40 am 

Joined: Thu Dec 09, 2021 6:29 pm
Posts: 39
lostinlodos wrote:
I’ve seen everything from junk iron-ferrite to high end clean cobalt.


I thought these magnets were neodymium


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 Post subject: Re: neodimium sculpture
PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 10:23 am 

Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2019 4:21 am
Posts: 12
AAK2 wrote:
How do you get the magnets off of the permalloy backing?


just bend the "backing" plate a bit with pliers - so that there is space where to put the flat head of screwdriver under the magnet - put it in and just twist it off - it comes of relatively easy that way. sometimes will damage the coating, though


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 Post subject: Re: neodimium sculpture
PostPosted: Thu Dec 23, 2021 11:41 am 

Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 11:09 am
Posts: 483
Arturs wrote:
sometimes will damage the coating, though

From what I have seen more than half of the magnets break or tear the coating when I've done them this way. Especially newer magnets which are thinner.


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