Neodymium Magnets and its strength
Neodymium magnets is made up of an alloy of neodymium, iron and boron. The neodymium are one of the most powerful magnets commercially available to buy. The strength of the neodymium magnets are defined by their grade. The grade range from N35 – N54, where
- N stands for – Neodymium
- numbers 35 to 54 stands for – Mega Gauss Oersteds (MGOe), measurement of strength of the magnet
If you are a magnet fisher you probably already own a Neodymium magnet and you are here to find out what is a safe way to store your neodymium magnet.
It is very important you take good care of your magnet so it can maintain its strength for long periods of time. You can store your neodymium magnet in special cases that are made for the magnet, or use an hard cooler box to store all of you magnet fishing kit.
Why Should I Protect My Neodymium Magnet & Store It Safely ?
Storing your magnet safely is vital to maintain the magnetic strength and also for safety reasons.
How Can my neodymium magnet lose its power ?
Neodymium magnets can break
Neodymium magnetic material are brittle and if dropped on hard surfaces can break into pieces. The magnetic strength depends on the size of the magnet so if your magnet breaks this will affect the strength of the magnet.
So you ask Anthony “If neodymium magnets are brittle, I am literally throwing my magnet around while magnet fishing why does my magnet not break?”
Great question, almost all of the neodymium magnet you buy for magnet fishing from the store are enclosed in a steel shell to protect the magnet.
This does not mean you should take good care of your magnet. After using your magnet you should always keep it in a safe, dry place so you magnet is protected even after using it.
Rusting of Magnets
Another common way of magnets losing their strength is due to rusting. You neodymium magnet is made up of an alloy of neodymium, iron and boron and when you are magnet fishing your magnet is in the water most of the time. This is a great recipe for rust to form on your magnet.
Also Read: Why is rust not attracted to magnet?
Good quality neodymium magnets are usually coated with nickel, copper, nickel triple layer to protect it from rusting. So before you buy a neodymium magnet make sure it does have the triple layer protection. This should ensure your magnet does not rust.
However it is always better to wipe your magnet clean after magnet fishing and store it in a safe, dry place.
Dangers of Neodymium Magnet
Neodymium magnets are extremely powerful. The larger the size the more powerful they are. They have some serious pull strength. When you keep one of these magnets near another magnet or other objects attracted by the magnet they can jump or pull with force and speed. You do not want to have your fingers in-between those objects. Your fingers will get severely pinched or squashed leading to serious injury or a lot of pain.
Also if you leave your magnet unprotected in your garage, the magnet literally fly and slam on your vehicles and other objects damaging them, leaving serious dents and scratches.
Hence is it always better to store your neodymium magnets some where safe and away especially from your children.
How to store my neodymium magnet?
Now that we know our magnets have to be stored safely and protected, we will see how to store your neodymium magnets.
Magnet Fishing Kits with Case
All you need for magnet fishing are a powerful magnet, rope, grappling hook and a pair of gloves. But if you can afford it pay a little extra and buy a kit with a nice solid storage case. The case, will protect your magnets for a long time. It is also helpful to transport your entire kit when travelling.
Take for example the Kratos magnetics magnet fishing kit above, it comes in a really thick plastic case. The case is well cushioned with a foam material and has slots for all of the items in the kit. This will not only protect you magnet but also keep everything really organized.
Do It Yourself Storage for Magnet Fishing Kits
If you already have a magnet fishing kit or magnets and did not buy a case then there are some simple DIY ways to store your magnet.
Using Ice Coolers to Store Your Magnet
Most of us have a hard cooler in our house. This is a staple item to carry our beer and drinks around. You could use one of these ice coolers to store your kit inside. Most of these coolers are well insulated and come in a thick plastic material and are perfect for storing your magnet.
If you don't have one you can buy some of these small insulated soft coolers, that don't have a hard case but come in thick insulated material. They can cost around $30.
Some of them come with wheels and telescopic handles so you don't have to carry the kit. This makes it easy to transport your kit around. This can be also be very useful if you have more than one rope, or hooks or even multiple magnets. These large ice coolers can accommodate all of them. Keep this cooler exclusively for the purpose of transporting you fishing magnet kit.
Using oven mitts for additional protection
If you have a good old oven mitts, you can use it to provide additional protection. The soft cloth cushioning helps to protect the magnet from falls.
Conclusion
While your neodymium magnets can be very powerful and they may serve you very well for magnet fishing, it is always better to protect it. One reason being to prolong the life and maintain the strength of you magnet. The other reason is to protect you from the power of the magnet and avoid any safety issues from using such a powerful tool. Follow these tips and enjoy your magnet for many years by keep them clean and storing it in a safe container or case.
