Has anyone used rare earth magnets instead of pinning before?

[holmcross]

So I\'m modeling a few warhammer 40k Carnifexes and a Hive Tyrant, and I want to be able to remove their arms/weapons for transport and so I can swap the weapon configurations around. Pinning is an easy way to do this, but the downside is that the arms/weapons just dangle at their sides... I want to keep him pointed straight out.

So I had heard about using those rare earth magnets instead of pinning, it should be strong enough that the weapons stay in place and posed correctly. Has anyone ever used these before?

I was thinking that the Diameter 0.125\" (3.2mm) x Thickness 0.063\" disc-shaped magnets would be the best for modeling. I\'ll probably have to grind the rounded joins on the arms down so I can fit them on.

Does anyone here have experience using them?

 

[DaN]

Yeah, they\'re good - just make sure you know which way round the poles are before you glue them in place - you don\'t want the pieces to repel each other!

 

[PegaZus]

One other problem would be ensuring that they STAY in the arms! Damn things are liable to rip out if you don\'t properly epoxy them in. Just be sure to leave enough of a gap to bend the arms to break the magnetic attraction.

 

[Bigdennis52]

There is a company called \"amazing magnets\" that has several options available. I have used them in larger models, mostly for tank turrets, and large scale games workshop stuff

The things that you need to think about

1.) the strength of the magnet, sometimes you try to put it on and it just does not have the right amount of pull to keep the limb on there, the other side of that is sometimes you have too much pull and the magnet comes out or you damage your paintjob trying to switch limbs

2.) use the same magnets for each limb for the same mini, I have found from experience sometimes they act different even though all the characteristics are the same

 

[Aliengod3]

Ihave some rare earth magnets. Dear god they are hard to separate! I have not used them in place of pinning but I imagine they would work great. I use mine in order to keep a mini from sliding of a display base at painting competitions.

 

[holmcross]

http://www.rare-earth-magnets.com/SearchResult-CategoryID-28.html

The .125\" diameter ones were what I was thinking of. The .25\" ones would be slightly too big.

I wish I had access to a grinding wheel... it would make flattening out the balls at the end of the arms very easy.

My number one concern, though, is that I\'ll need to be very precise when I grind it, because the weapon tube from the left arm needs to allign with the hole in the venom cannon / barbed strangler on the right arm....

So, I\'m assuming that its going to take more then zap-a-gap to keep them on...

 

[generulpoleaxe]

Originally posted by holmcross
http://www.rare-earth-magnets.com/SearchResult-CategoryID-28.html

The .125\" diameter ones were what I was thinking of. The .25\" ones would be slightly too big.

I wish I had access to a grinding wheel... it would make flattening out the balls at the end of the arms very easy.

My number one concern, though, is that I\'ll need to be very precise when I grind it, because the weapon tube from the left arm needs to allign with the hole in the venom cannon / barbed strangler on the right arm....

So, I\'m assuming that its going to take more then zap-a-gap to keep them on...

pm Hotwerth, he does loads of things like this, he is on warseer a fair bit as well, realy helpfull chap)

 

[markstorch]

I would actually suggest a magnet and a pin.

The magnet with stick the two pieces together just fin, but does little to stop them from rotating. In essence, if you don\'t want an army full of knuckle-draggers, you will need some way of positioning the arms you magnetize and a simple pin is the easiest way.

This is especially true for metal bitz that are heavier and, therefore more likely to droop.

 

[The Lord of Sol]

Having some pin to lock it in place would be a wise choice because the magnets can keep the arm connected to the body, but has very little control of vertical pitch.

Overall though the magnets work great, I have some 1/32 on an inch ones that do just about anything I want, they hold about a pound of weight each. To secure them I\'d suggest the the glue Goop. it\'s an all arund adhessive that has a bit of stretch to it and will stick to anything...just about.

 

[cfx]

Just use square magnets and the problem with rotation is solved. Or use two small ones, but thats quite hard to fit in most minis.