Magnets

[user 30781]

I haven't had to use screens on any of my trips yet but in late September all my kids and are going on a camping trip to a place where there are, gasp....mosquitos.

I have some screening material and I ordered a pack of 16 rare earth magnets, 1.25" round N52.  Well, they came today and I cannot even get the freaking things to pull apart. 

Can someone please suggest a type of magnet to hold this lightweight material to my van?  The only magnets I could find in town here were like lightweight craft magnets.

Man, I can't believe these ones I got.  You could put a rocket together with them, shoot it into space and it would hold together.

 

[TravelingZombies]

I've tried finding magnets before going on a trip and couldn't find any except lightweight type in arts and crafts so tried using gorilla tape. Not recommended, it leaves residue behind and I took it off at night and saw blueish light when it came off which was kinda neat.

 

[desert_sailing]

Man, I can't believe these ones I got.  You could put a rocket together with them, shoot it into space and it would hold together.

The rare earth magnets are very strong. Sliding them apart is easier than pulling them apart.

 I used them to attache my screens. I gorilla glued them to the screens and then just toss them up.

 I initially used an ironed on a small patch of a patch to secure them to the screens... but... high heat destroys rare earth magnets... even hot glue can ruin them. You can find the temperature range online.. I don't recall..I just don't use heat on then at all.

Best choice for magnets tho imo. I'd rather too strong than not strong enough.

 

[user 30781]

^^I tried sliding them apart. I will again tomorrow. Damn, those things are strong.

 

[bullfrog]

Maybe try using a piece of thin plastic under them to make a slick surface you could slide/pry them off with like a piece of an old credit card or slick cardboard.

 

[user 30781]

^^That's a good idea and I have something right in front of me.

When I got them earlier I thought, well, I'll just pry them apart with the tip of a sharp knife!

Ahhhhhhhahahahahahahaha

Thin, slick plastic not working. :/

 

[bullfrog]

Well at least you didn't cut yourself1

 

[bullfrog]

How about a pair of pruning shears, the kind that have a sharp edge that passes by a blunt opposite edge to slide them apart.

 

[user 30781]

What I need is my middle daughter's boyfriend who is a pro wrestler and very strong. Lol

I have a project for tomorrow. Separating a stack of magnets.

 

[TravelingZombies]

I was looking on ebay and found vehicle screens that slide over doors like a sock and are held with Velcro and is elastic.

 

[user 30781]

I saw those, good for front windows!

I'm going to try a less extreme magnet before I make a decision on these N52s. They scare me. lol

 

[ckelly78z]

Has velcro been mentioned for holding screens in place...seems like a easy, cheap, and non-messy solution ?

 

[user 30781]

I finally got one off the stack, they're stacked with a plastic ring between each one. Looked at it, felt it, went to put it back on the stack and that thing FLEW out of my fingers about 5 or 6 inches away from the stack. I think these things are possessed.

Velcro won't work where I want to anchor this at.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Magnets are rated by holding power, yours sound like about 30 - 50 lbs.  Way too strong - will just tear the screening when attempting to remove.  You need magnets with about 1 pound of holding force (refrigerator magnet strength).

 

[user 30781]

^^ Thank you.

Yeah, I realized they were going to be way too strong when I couldn't get them apart. Someone (on Reddit?) said they'd gotten N52 magnets for their screening and they held really well. Yeah they hold really well, you can't get them back off.

I'm sending them back to Amazon. They're sitting on top of my bed in the back of the van. I hope they don't suck up
the exhaust system through the floor or something. lol

 

[nature lover]

If my memory serves me correct, and it quite often doesn’t. I believe Bob mentioned ceramic magnets from Harbor freight. Very in expensive. They occasionally break but then you got two for the price of one. Even if you have to go back and buy more to replace it eventually it still cost less then strong ones. It is much easier to use more less powerful magnets then one super strong one That might damage your screen, Or even scratch your paint when removing. IMHO

 

[user 30781]

I stopped by Lowes when I was on the hunt and the cashier suggested either Harbor Freight or Hooked on Toys (a locally owned sports store) because that's where he gets his magnets for magnet fishing. I had already passed by both of them, was on my 4th hardware store and didn't feel like going back. I'll have a look at Harbor Freight Monday, thanks!

 

[Sofisintown]

high heat destroys rare earth magnets... even hot glue can ruin them.

Rare earth magnets are permanently destroyed if exposed to temperatures above 212 Fahrenheit.
That's 100 degrees Celsius.
The temperature that water boils.

They can take temps up to 176 F, and they will temporarily degrade from there up to 212, but return to full strength once they cool down again.

 

[KaLvan]

I have had success making screens with ceramic magnets sewn into an edge binding. I initially purchased a pack of 8 magnets at Walmart and once I realized they were sufficient for the project found packages of about 50 at Michaels. Brand was ProMag, 3/4 inch ceramic magnets. I recently bought a box of 100 ceramic magnets of similar size off of Amazon from Xbet Magnet. They appear to be of the same strength as the ProMag brand but less expensive in bulk. I cut fiberglass screening and then sew a fabric binding on it, inserting the magnets into the channel of binding and then stitch lines across the binding to keep the magnets in fixed locations.

 

[user 30781]

Rare earth magnets are permanently destroyed if exposed to temperatures above 212 Fahrenheit.
That's 100 degrees Celsius.
The temperature that water boils.

They can take temps up to 176 F, and they will temporarily degrade from there up to 212,  but return to full strength once they cool down again.

This is very interesting!  I'm going to look up why and how.  I had no idea.

I ordered some 1" magnets from Amazon,  a pack of 30, see how those work.