How to Make a Screwdriver Magnet

One of the most frustrating things when trying to screw something together is not having a third hand. It always seems that you need just one more hand to hold the screw in place while you screw it in. Solve this problem easily by magnetizing the tip of the screwdriver. Then you can hold the screw right in place as you begin to turn the screwdriver.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Screwdriver
• Wire
• Hammer
• 12 V battery

1. Make your screwdriver tip magnetically charged by striking it with a hammer. Use a hammer to hit the tip of the screwdriver. Make sure you are hitting only the tip or end of the screwdriver.

2. Increase the strength of the magnetic field by striking the tip repeatedly. Avoid breaking the tip off the screwdriver or damaging the tip of the screwdriver. By localizing the impact of the hammer on the tip of the screwdriver, you will hold the screw on the end of the screwdriver rather than letting the screw fall over and roll around the shaft of the screwdriver.

3. Magnetize the blade of your screwdriver by wrapping a length of wire tightly around the blade of your screwdriver. Connect the end of the wire closest to the handle to the positive terminal of your car battery and the other end to the negative pole of the battery. If you connect the positive terminal of the battery instead to the piece of wire at the blade end of the screwdriver and the negative terminal to the wire closest to the handle, it will reverse the polarity of the magnetism. Be cautious when performing this procedure as it is similar to shorting out the terminals of the battery. There will be a large amount of current passing through the wire and it will generate a great deal of heat.

Tips & Warnings

• You can increase the strength of the magnetic field by wrapping more coils of wire around the area that you want to be magnetic.
• Use proper safety measures such as wearing leather gloves.