Magnetising JP's/backpacks

[1Drop]

Right so I want to magnetise the jp's/backpacks on my RAS for the obvious reasons so I'm wondering how I would go about doing this, do GW sell the magnets and if not where do I get them and also how do I go about attaching them to the said models?

 

I also wanna do this on my tanks so any advice for that too would be appreciated!!

 

Thanks.

[Taranis]

I think i bought at emagnets. Try google.

I bought 3 mm ones but i think smaller ones are better. Try 2 mm cirular ones. Use glue or green stuff. On youtube there is a video of a brilliant man who magnetises a baal predator!

[Rinion]

After much messing about, thought and failure, i think this is the best way to do it.

 

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa146/Rinion87/Warhammer/DSCF5168.jpg

 

I use 1mmx2mm n52 magnets from ebay (Seller varies, the one where i got my first lot from werent there when i wanted more), and some greenstuff/epoxy.

 

Fill up the entire recess in the JP, then before it's dry press the model to the JP as if you were glueing (To get the large hole for the standard peg on the back of the Marine) and cut it flat with a modelling knife. Then drill out the smaller recess for the magnet after it's fully dry. You might need to take a 2.5mm drill bit to widen the larger hole just a little (I just used my hands to twist it once or twice), but this should make it fit flat to the back and not move at all. Unlike my first lot (Where i just replaced the standard peg)

 

Hope this makes sense =p

[Sir Blayse]

Rinion's technique is very close to what I do to my assault troops. I bought 1mmX2mm rare earth magnets off a seller on ebay. I bought at least 100, but I will need to buy more, at some point I lost several that rolled off my table and dissappeared.

 

I drill mine slightly higher on the back above the peg, start with a small drill bit to start the hole and then work your way bigger. I'm using three bits to get to the right size. As for my JP's I originally started doing the epoxy/green stuff to fill in the space, but I have since started using a super glue gel. It is thick enough to hold the magnet in place and strong enough to hold.

 

The backpacks are really easy, just drill the holes like before and glue the magnet in. Just make sure you don't mix the polarity wrong.

 

Tips to make everything easier. Mark your drill bits with a fine tip marker to the length of the magnet. It's not fun to drill too deep and drill clean through your models. Also, it's a great idea to get all your magnets on the same side and then paint one side to mark the polarity. It's easy to drop these little things and just as easy to mix them up.

 

I have magnetized most of my newer models and find that it is worth a ton to spend a little effort to do this. Just take your time to get a good system together and then it will become easy to do several at a time.

 

good luck.

[1Drop]

Ok thanks.. Must I buy the magnets from eBay? Are there no places I can just go and buy them?

But if I do have to get them on eBay do you have a link for me please?

 

Also about the drilling, do I just use a regular powerdrill? I've never drilled models before!

And while I'm asking this what about drilling the barrels on my guns?

[brother varen]

Here is a site that i bought mine at:

 

http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=D101%2DN52

 

they are a good company to work with.

[Morollan]

Ok thanks.. Must I buy the magnets from eBay? Are there no places I can just go and buy them?

But if I do have to get them on eBay do you have a link for me please?

 

Also about the drilling, do I just use a regular powerdrill? I've never drilled models before!

And while I'm asking this what about drilling the barrels on my guns?

 

I wouldn't use a regular power drill. Try to use a pin vice (GW call them Hobby Drills) or, if you have one, a Dremel or something similar. I use a dremel stylus and find it to be quick and easy compared to drilling by hand.

[Brother Yorei]

I buy my magnets here.

 

http://www.rare-earth-magnets.com/?gclid=C...CFYp95QodjXsjxA

[Volcatus]

Ok thanks.. Must I buy the magnets from eBay? Are there no places I can just go and buy them?

But if I do have to get them on eBay do you have a link for me please?

 

Also about the drilling, do I just use a regular powerdrill? I've never drilled models before!

And while I'm asking this what about drilling the barrels on my guns?

 

I wouldn't use a regular power drill. Try to use a pin vice (GW call them Hobby Drills) or, if you have one, a Dremel or something similar. I use a dremel stylus and find it to be quick and easy compared to drilling by hand.

 

The chuck of most power drills won't tighten up on the small bits needed for this work anyway.

 

On the other hand, I sometimes do use a drill motor for 1/8" magnets that I put in heavy stuff, like the waist of my old Dreadnoughts. The smaller magnets will not hold the torso to the legs.

[Sir Blayse]

Pin vice is a must have for this. It only takes a few turns to get your hole made, don't go too deep as mentioned before. Also, start with a small bit and go up to the right size.

[Tabgoi]

Here is a site that i bought mine at:

 

http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=D101%2DN52

 

they are a good company to work with.

 

THIS^^^^

 

I have bought from them before and they are great. I use a D201 and that is strong enough to suspend a metal DC mini, metal arms and all in the air. If that is not enough you can use the D201-N52 and that will REALLY hold it on. Its just a bit much for my tastes as you can lift a tank with the N52s.

 

I have to highly reccommend that you do not use a drill or a dremel on plastic minis. It only takes a few turns and you are thru by hand, with anything motorized you have to be extremely careful in order to not go straight thru. I only use my dremel on metal minis and only then when my hand starts to hurt. You still go thru the pewter fast by hand, and by hand you get much better control. I use my smallest bit to drill a pilot hole right in the middle of my target and then just move to my bit that makes the hole for the magnet itself, knocks them out fast, though on plastic when I do the arms I tend to do it by increments as it prevents damage to the chest armor. On metal there is no reason to worry, they can take it. Once you do a couple by hand you will see what everyone means by going thru easy. You will knock them out fast.

 

Honestly the tutorials online, no matter how easy they look, make magnetizing magnets look much harder then it actually it. I just set up a refrence mini with one magnet in his shoulder, then I did one arm. Once I had those anytime I did an arm I would stick my magnet stick to the base mini stuck an arm or back pack to the stick and slide off the stick from the new piece. To do a new mini with the right polarity I just attach the stick to an arm and then put the other end into the mini and slide it off. I have not messed one up yet because I don't have to worry about keeping track of anything. If I did have to keep track, my minis would be six kinds of messed up. If this is not clear I can put some pics up to show you what I mean, even with my crappy blurry camera it would be pretty clear.

[1Drop]

Ok so 'pin vice' where do I get one of these and how much are they?

 

My brother has one of those dremal multi things, will that do?

[1Drop]

Here is a site that i bought mine at:

 

http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=D101%2DN52

 

they are a good company to work with.

 

THIS^^^^

 

I have bought from them before and they are great. I use a D201 and that is strong enough to suspend a metal DC mini, metal arms and all in the air. If that is not enough you can use the D201-N52 and that will REALLY hold it on. Its just a bit much for my tastes as you can lift a tank with the N52s.

 

I have to highly reccommend that you do not use a drill or a dremel on plastic minis. It only takes a few turns and you are thru by hand, with anything motorized you have to be extremely careful in order to not go straight thru. I only use my dremel on metal minis and only then when my hand starts to hurt. You still go thru the pewter fast by hand, and by hand you get much better control. I use my smallest bit to drill a pilot hole right in the middle of my target and then just move to my bit that makes the hole for the magnet itself, knocks them out fast, though on plastic when I do the arms I tend to do it by increments as it prevents damage to the chest armor. On metal there is no reason to worry, they can take it. Once you do a couple by hand you will see what everyone means by going thru easy. You will knock them out fast.

 

Honestly the tutorials online, no matter how easy they look, make magnetizing magnets look much harder then it actually it. I just set up a refrence mini with one magnet in his shoulder, then I did one arm. Once I had those anytime I did an arm I would stick my magnet stick to the base mini stuck an arm or back pack to the stick and slide off the stick from the new piece. To do a new mini with the right polarity I just attach the stick to an arm and then put the other end into the mini and slide it off. I have not messed one up yet because I don't have to worry about keeping track of anything. If I did have to keep track, my minis would be six kinds of messed up. If this is not clear I can put some pics up to show you what I mean, even with my crappy blurry camera it would be pretty clear.

 

Yeah bro if you could post some pics that would be awesome.. I need to get myself one o these pin vice thingys tho, where do I buy one of these?

[Volcatus]

GF9 sells a decent one.

[1Drop]

GF9 sells a decent one.

 

What is this?

 

Bearing in mind I live in the UK so if it's an American store I'm screwed on that front! :D haha.

[Morollan]

You can buy a pin vice from GW.

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/...dId=prod1095460

[1Drop]

You can buy a pin vice from GW.

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/...dId=prod1095460

 

 

Ah awesome, that's alot cheaper than I expected too, thanks :(

 

Also what size heads am I gonna need, does it come with the sizes or will I have to buy them separate?

[Morollan]

You can buy a pin vice from GW.

 

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/...dId=prod1095460

 

 

Ah awesome, that's alot cheaper than I expected too, thanks :D

 

Also what size heads am I gonna need, does it come with the sizes or will I have to buy them separate?

 

I think you get 1mm bits with the drill and it will definitely also take a 2mm bit although you'll need to buy that separately I think.

[1Drop]

So is that all I need, a 1mm and a 2mm?

[Morollan]

So is that all I need, a 1mm and a 2mm?

 

For backpacks, yeah. If you want to do bigger stuff you might want some bigger drill bits but otherwise 1 and 2mm are fine.

[Tabgoi]

Sorry, took me a while to get my camera to play nice, well ish. But here is how I do it. First up is one of my models that is in the painting stage (really early in it, so please excuse the mess), all of its magnets are good to go, they line up properly. I left the backpack off to avaoid clutter.

And here it is with the magnet stick in place, the photo is really blurry, but you can see the stick:

When i need to put a magnet in a new body, I just remove the stick from the body with the arm still attached and put the free end into the body. To do an arm leave the stick in the body and put the arm on the free end. I only used blue tac to keep him standing with the magnet stick still in. Normally you would just insert the stick, put your finger nail on the base of the plastic and slide it towards the mangets, pushing the stick off while leaving a magnet in the hole. You can just let it drop, or you can cradle it in your hand to catch it, which is what I do because I tend to do 20 to 30 at a time and it is just faster that way.

Here is my drill point for arms, it is a little off center, but not too bad, when the main hole gets put in you will not notice it.

Here is a finished unpainted mini. I moved to plastic because it stands out more than on the metal guys.

Now I have found that for painting purposes I actually prefer the magnets to not be flush. If you recess them slightly and put a smoth layer of green stuff on top that is level with the arm it will look prefectly seemless on the finished product. If you leave the magnet flush you will get a slight bevel that betrays the magnet. Its not a big deal since the magnet will be hidden by the arm, it is just something I noticed about 40 marines in when I started painting some of them. Its a bit too anal retentive to do for all my line troops, but on characters that is my plan. Hope this helps.

[1Drop]

Thanks man.. So I guess you can paint over a magnet and it won't mess with the polarity?

 

I think it seams pretty straight forward the whole process of making a whole then

Gluing the magnet in place and doing the same with the other piece.. I think if I'm still not sure I'll ask one of the guys at my local GW as if they know how to do it they will gladly show me their skills! Haha.

They always wanna get me in to paint with them and stuff.. Also I was wondering do the GW staff get commission for selling stuff or are they just the most helpful people in the world?

[Tabgoi]

With what we do with magnets, it would be almost impossible to affect the polarity of a rare earth magnet. I mean, you can use these little babies to restore polarity to other magnets.

[1Drop]

Nice.

[SamaNagol]

I have found that the larger burr head on a dremmel tool makes the PERFECT sized hole to accommodate a 3mm diameter ND magnet. That's what I use. And a lot of the GW standard 'holes' are roughly 3mm as well. Like the tabs for Razorback weapons or the actual marine backpack holes.