smellyfox Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 I'm brand new to the forum so greetings fellow unforgiven! I have just got back into the hobby after a 10 year gap and have just got hold of my first models! 5th Battle company and DW, RW and armoured support here I come! I am very keen to make my force as flexible as possible by magnetizing arms, vehicle weapons etc. I've ordered a bunch of 3x1mm magnets and a pin vice, and have a couple of queries for those in the know... What type of drill bit should I use in the pin vice? Also what glue do you recommend sticking the magnets in with? Would superglue be OK or should I use something more hardcore like araldite? Should I use the same glue for plastic and metal? Many thanks in advance! Smellyfox Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/227029-magnetizing-models/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Droma Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Super glue works fine. I haven't found a good way of creating the hole they need to sit in to stay flush as if they were glued yet. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/227029-magnetizing-models/#findComment-2719383 Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartanacus Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 It's pretty straightforward actually. I've magnetized just about everything down to my assault squad plasma pistols. Superglue works fine on the smaller magnets as their pull force won't overpower the superglue. Roughing up the shiny surface of the magnets with sandpaper or a file may or may not make a big difference, but the thought is that it will give grooves for the superglue to bite in to. I always do this if I'm mounting a magnet on the surface of something, like the underside of my speeders as I don't drill holes there. A drill bit is a drill bit when you're considering soft pewter and plastic. Though, one thing that helps when drilling is to start a small pilot hole (either with a tiny bit or an exacto knife) before moving on to the larger 3mm bit. It gives the larger bit a target and will prevent it from wandering around and drilling where you don't want it to. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/227029-magnetizing-models/#findComment-2719390 Share on other sites More sharing options...
smellyfox Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share Posted April 10, 2011 Thanks for the tips Droma and Spartanacus. Would you recon that if I drilled the hole just slightly deeper than the thickness of the magnet it could create a more flush join? Or do the magnets have to be in contact to work (I'm using neodynium discs)? I'll give it a go and see once I receive them. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/227029-magnetizing-models/#findComment-2719414 Share on other sites More sharing options...
puck Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 Thanks for the tips Droma and Spartanacus. Would you recon that if I drilled the hole just slightly deeper than the thickness of the magnet it could create a more flush join? Or do the magnets have to be in contact to work (I'm using neodynium discs)? I'll give it a go and see once I receive them. Speaking strictly from a physics standpoint, the magnets don't have to be in contact but the closer the two surfaces are to each other the strong the field between them. I've been thinking about magnetizing too and one point I've seen a lot of people make is to be careful with the polarity of the magnets so you don't end up having two pieces repel each other. I believe one solution to this is to use one magnet and one piece of magnetic metal though I don't have personal experience with that. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/227029-magnetizing-models/#findComment-2719459 Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartanacus Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 What Puck said, but putting two magnets together would probably be easier than trying to find lots of small bits of steel. And yeah, double check your polarity every time you're ready to glue. If you do it right, they should be super-difficult to remove. And try to get the magnets as flush as possible so they do contact. I use the back of my aluminum (because it's non-magnetic) exacto knife to press them in flush. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/227029-magnetizing-models/#findComment-2719553 Share on other sites More sharing options...
smellyfox Posted April 10, 2011 Author Share Posted April 10, 2011 Thanks again folks. I've plenty of magnets on order so will be using one for each side of the join. Great tip from puck about polarity! I hadn't considered that, you've saved me some tears down the line with that one I'm sure!! I think I'll stick one permanently to a bit of card labelled "body" so I get it right every time. If the magnet is to go on the model's body it should repel, if it is going on a weapon/arm it should stick. Smellyfox Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/227029-magnetizing-models/#findComment-2719578 Share on other sites More sharing options...
puck Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Glad I could help. Another method I was thinking about earlier today was to color code the side or each magnet with a sharpie so that you can tell at a glance weather the polarity is right. something like "reds" stick to "blues" but not to each other this will help insure that your polarities stay consistent throughout your project so the weapon arms from squad 1 will work on the bodies of squad 4375942 though if you were going to buy that many kits let me know so I can buy some GW stock :D Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/227029-magnetizing-models/#findComment-2719679 Share on other sites More sharing options...
skink Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 'll stick one permanently to a bit of card labelled "body" so I get it right every time. If the magnet is to go on the model's body it should repel, if it is going on a weapon/arm it should stick. I essentially did this with my Terminators, but used an actual body to orientate the magnets... It's hardly a pain to have the model sat on your mat; you can be absolutely sure that way that every arm will stick to every body (I can even stick Dread lascannons to my Terminators!). Cocktail sticks worked a treat for pressing the magnets in place if, like me, you don't have any non-magnetic tools, and as suggested by spartanacus making a little guide hole (I just used my knife) is very handy. The magnets bind a lot stronger when they are actually touching in my experience, so don't rush when drilling the holes (I just used the bit in my fingers when drilling plastic) to avoid making them too deep and you'll be fine! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/227029-magnetizing-models/#findComment-2719975 Share on other sites More sharing options...
smellyfox Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share Posted April 11, 2011 .... color code the side or each magnet with a sharpie so that you can tell at a glance weather the polarity is right. something like "reds" stick to "blues" but not to each other this will help insure that your polarities stay consistent... Good call! As for the 4 million squad idea, I'll let you know if I win the lottery, but I doubt the misses would be too pleased if I spent our winning lottery ticket on that :D (her face). And thanks Skink, it would make sense not to waste a perfectly good magnet. Can't wait to get cracking now... come on Mr Postman!!! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/227029-magnetizing-models/#findComment-2720299 Share on other sites More sharing options...
krewl Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Another small tip (most of the good ones have already been given :D ) When you drill to deep, you can always glue in 2 magnets, if you don't feel like greenstuffing the hole, waiting for it to dry and starting over. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/227029-magnetizing-models/#findComment-2720463 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanhausen Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 .... color code the side or each magnet with a sharpie so that you can tell at a glance weather the polarity is right. something like "reds" stick to "blues" but not to each other this will help insure that your polarities stay consistent... Good call! As for the 4 million squad idea, I'll let you know if I win the lottery, but I doubt the misses would be too pleased if I spent our winning lottery ticket on that :D (her face). And thanks Skink, it would make sense not to waste a perfectly good magnet. Can't wait to get cracking now... come on Mr Postman!!! No need to tell her..itll be a bigger suprise when the truck with GW stuff stops at your door :) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/227029-magnetizing-models/#findComment-2720465 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinister Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Welcome, Iv'e magnetized many of my DA army models. For tacticals troops, terminators and such I use 1/8th (0.125) inch rare earth magnets for the arms. The 1/16th inch ones are a little weak in my opinion. Just use a 1/8th inch drill bit to carve a hole in the arm and arm socket ogf the body. Use some super glue suitable for modeling plastic to metal and get some zip kicker (reagent to set the super glue faster) It has worked well for me. Note I only magnetize those models that I might change out weapons like assault terminators and so on, or the single teminator with a heavy weapon in a shooting squad. For larger models tanks and such I use a 1/4 (0.25) rare earth magnets for sponsons and so on. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/227029-magnetizing-models/#findComment-2722530 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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