Floating miniatures with magnets

[Minigiant]

Being mainly a warhammer collector and looking accross my models on flying stands, i suddenly thought has anyone tried to get models to float using magnets? and have you had any success with it?

 

[airhead]

I have a "floating" pen and a "floating" photo cube. In addition to magnets repulsing on the bottom, they have magnets attracting on the top. Otherwise the item would just fall over to the side once it was repelled by the magnets.

Probably not good for the long-term durability of the model for it to be constantly falling over.

 

[Tercha]

Not really practicable
http://www.sparkbangbuzz.com/els/levmag-el.htm

 

[freakinacage]

It's easier with the pens as they are symmetrical. A model would be very difficult to sort out that way

 

[RuneBrush]

I've considered something like this before and pretty much as freak says for an irregular mini it would be really difficult. I do think you could use magnets to float regular objects - a sphere that's part of a power plant or something as part of a diorama. As said the floating pens and what not work because you have magnets repelling and attracting - hence how you can fire a pen across the room if you nudge it in a certain way

 

[QuietiManes]

Free floating is really unstable at the best of times, add the extra weight of a model, the height of a model and moving the model, especially, it spells disaster. Of course if you secure it around a shaft or tie it to the base so it can't slip away, it might work great, but at that point, just glue it, right?

Another link to peruse:
http://www.kjmagnetics.com/blog.asp?p=diamagnetic-levitation

 

[Shawn R. L.]

If the mini isn't too heavy, you may be able to use some stiff wire like guitar string to hold the fig up. Still shows but I prefer that to the clear posts usually used.

 

[Einion]

This is totally doable, has everyone forgotten about quantum locking? Some teeny obstacles though... requires the base be made out of sapphire, coated on both sides with a Type II superconductor and cooled with liquid nitrogen :rotfl:

Einion

 

[Bloodhowl]

This is totally doable, has everyone forgotten about quantum locking? Some teeny obstacles though... requires the base be made out of sapphire, coated on both sides with a Type II superconductor and cooled with liquid nitrogen :rotfl:

Einion

Didn't McGyver build a Type II superconductor with a half dozen 9 volt batteries, duct tape and some used chewing gum? Completely do-able! :rotfl:

 

[Tercha]

Compressed air jets?
or
Have the entire (box) diorama underwater and a fig with neutral buoyancy would appear to fly?

 

[kittykat23uk]

Or some strategically placed scenery to make it look like the model is flying but is still attached to the ground in some way? I tried that with this mini, which is meant to be underwater.

 

[Bruglyother]

I had the idea of doing something like this for my Necron Monolith. I was planning on floating the big crystal, or possibly a sphere in it's place. But after some research I found that while it was theoretically possible, it was hugely impractical for me. Someone with a lot more technical know-how might be able to pull it off, but likely only for a display piece....maybe.