How to Mount a Neodymium Magnet
One way of generating your own electricity is to build your own electric generator. A generator uses wind, falling water or another method of turning a crank to make electricity. Generators do this by means of magnets, and the best magnets for this purpose are neodymium magnets--the strongest permanent magnets known. Attaching them to machinery can be a problem, because any nearby metal will be attracted to them. Fortunately, it is possible to use the magnet's innate strength to mount it somewhere and keep it there.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 aluminum plates, large enough to mount your magnets onto
- Marker
- Drill
- Steel bar as wide as your magnets
- Hacksaw
- Bolts with associated nuts
- Rotary grinding tool
- Neodymium magnets
Instructions
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1
Mark where your want your neodymium magnets to be placed on your generator's magnet plate by making dots on one of the aluminum plates with the marker. Mark the same locations on the second aluminum plate.
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2
Drill a hole at every mark you have made on both plates. The holes on one plate should be the same dimensions as your bolts. The holes on the second plate should be large enough to fit your rotary grinding tool into.
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3
Use the hacksaw to cut as many steel strips from your steel bar as you have magnets. Make them the same length as your magnets or slightly smaller. Drill bolt-sized holes in each of them. Bolt these strips to the first aluminum plate. Make sure that the heads of the bolts sit flush with the surfaces of the steel strips.
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4
Grind out the holes of the second plates until they are the same dimensions as your magnets. They should be exactly the same size and not larger, or the magnets may shift.
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Drill three or four holes in the same locations on each plate. Bolt the two plates together so the steel strips can be seen at the bottom of each magnet-sized hole.
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Pick up one magnet in each hand. Orient them so they try to push each other away when you try to bring them close. Do this slowly, and do not let them touch. Mark the sides that faced each other with a marker. Putting one magnet down and keeping the other, repeat this with one new magnet until all the magnets have a dot on one side.
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Put one of the magnets into one of the holes on the magnet plate so the dot is face up. Put one in the hole next to it so the dot is face down. Continue in this fashion until all the magnets are mounted. Because magnetic attraction increases the closer the magnet is to metal, no force from any other machine component can pull the magnets out of their mounts. The steel they are touching will always hold a greater attraction. The sides of the holes they are in will prevent them from pulled sideways from the steel plates.
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Tips & Warnings
Be very careful when handling neodymium magnets. They can attract each other and metal objects with enough force to pose serious risk of injury.
References
Resources
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