Easy to store idea

I was always looking for my pencil or the scriber, so came up with this idea. I have screwed some old magnets to the side of a wall mounted starage box. It is now easy to place the scriber onto a magnet. I was a bit challenged for the pencil and the felt tip pen. The solution was some very thin wire wrapped around them. I will still buy some large heat shrink and cover the wire winding with it just to make it look neater.. I also secured a round piece of plate to my tape measure and this has its own round magnet.

Attachment 21450Attachment 21451

The convenience of magnets is indisputable but be careful what you stick on a magnet, especially so in a shop where metalwork is done.

Anything stuck to a magnet will become mildly magnetized itself; how powerful this transfer is depends on the power of the magnet. Then the tool itself becomes a magnet for every bit of ferrous fuzz, swarf or chips it nears. Swarf stuck to a cold chisel or hammer may not interfere with its use but swarf on a prick punch or caliper jaws can be a royal PIA. Think about how metallic fuzz will affect the use of the tool before you get it near a magnet.

You'll want to learn about the various shop tools and techniques for demagnetizing tools. A search of the forum will probably produce a comprehensive list of same.

I know what you mean. I had a vernier that I finally gave up using because it picked up all the little chips of the abrasive cut off saw. Will search that demagnetizing tip and perhaps I can restore it to its forma glory as my main vernier. As you can see I restrict this to pens and pencils and the occasional power driver bit. The scriber is not too bad as a quick tap on the edge of the work bench and it is clean.

If what you describe as a "vernier" is the older all-metal style and not the newer version containing electronics (properly termed digital calipers), then a coil-type demagnetizer will be suitable. By coil-type I mean the style made from a transformer, commercial demagnetizer as used in shops with magnetic chucks, or a bulk tape eraser from the electronic antiques store. If the calipers contain electronics, then I would not use any of the aforementioned. They might survive or you might create an expensive paper weight.

Steel wool is a real problem around magnetized tools. If you use it, make a bench sweeper to clean the bench. A magnet in a plastic bag will gather up the fines. When finished sweeping, hold bag over trash can and carefully remove magnet allowing fines to fall away into trash.

Seems my measuring tape magnet is a demagnetiser as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTmRf4CldKQ

Yes old type, I prefer them but they seem to be more expensive these days as the "digital" versions.

And this one should handle my old school vernier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFsKUATGLH8

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Thanks garage nut! We've added your Magnetic Storage to our Storage and Organization category,
as well as to your builder page: garage nut's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

<div id="blocks"> <div class="block b1 pngfix"> <div class="bimg"> <div> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-magnetic-storage"> <img src="/uploads/208983/homemade-magnetic-storage.jpeg"/> </a> </div> </div> <div class="head pngfix"></div> <div class="left pngfix"></div> <div class="right pngfix"></div> <div class="blockover b1 pngfix"> <div class="title"> <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/homemade-magnetic-storage">Magnetic Storage</a> <span> by <a href="http://www.homemadetools.net/builder/garage+nut">garage nut</a></span> </div> <div class="tags">tags: <a href='http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/magnet'>magnet</a>, <a href='http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/storage'>storage</a> </div> </div> </div> </div>
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