Demagnetizer

[Dave Booth]

A while back, I was having problems with small parts sticking to my tweezers and screwdrivers, so I decided it was time to create a demagnetizer. A little digging around in my junk box turned up an old Black and Decker pistol drill from the mid 1950's, with bearings that were nothing more than a fond memory. So I snatched out the field coils, and wired them together in series. Coming up with a suitable power supply was a little harder, but then I remembered I had a Sola Constant voltage transformer in the basement, that had a 110 V primary, and a 19V secondary. A few pieces of scrap brass as non-magnetic standoffs, and a piece of angle iron, so the thing would stand up with the coils horizontal, and I was in business. It isn't very elegant, but it does the trick. And, it turns out the inside of the coils is just the right size for a medium sized pill bottle from my local pharmacy to slide in, so when I want to demagnetize small parts, I just put them in that and seal the cap so that they don't "dance" out onto the floor.

[willofiam]

Hey Dave....Thats fantastic, Thank you for sharing this. unfortunately for me....anything to do with electricity shockingly leaves me in the dark William

[Dave Booth]

They say electricity is like water. In my experience that is pretty much true, but with one scary exception; by the time you see a leak in electricity, it is too late!

I was fortunate in that both my father and his father were Westinghouse engineers, so I learned just enough about electronics to be dangerous.

I keep thinking that one of these days, I really ought to cut that power cord, and install a fuse and a switch. Right now I turn it on and off by inserting and pulling the plug. But I figure that is better than it was when I first made it - at least I am no longer just sticking the bare ends of the wires into each side of the socket.

[planarus]

Hi Dave,
Great Idea. Is there any special reason you dropped the mains voltage down to 19v?

Thanks, Murray