# Magnetic swarf remover



## Philco (Dec 24, 2012)

I saw some of these magnetic swarf removers on the net somewhere & not only were they overpriced they looked simple enough to make. The large one is a piece of 3/4 copper water pipe with cap soldered on the end. The magnet is a neodymium from K&j magnets and the plastic rod came from Fastenall. The outer ring is a piece of plastic, bored for a press fit onto the outer diameter of the pipe. I fastened the magnet to the plastic rod with a drywall screw.
The smaller one is a piece of 1/2 copper pipe. The small one fits the T-slots on the mill. They work great!


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## xalky (Dec 24, 2012)

Just slide the plastic rod back to release the swarf into the garbage. Cool.  That's next on the todo list. )


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## Rbeckett (Dec 24, 2012)

Or you can cover the rod with a newspaper bag and then pull back the inner rod and dump the swarf into a bag to keep it all together and in the trash or recycle bin.  You will be amazed at how much weight you end up with pretty quick, so give a though to recycling it if you havent already.  I love a cheaper effective home made tool over a store bought anytime.  It's just more fun all the way around.
Bob


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## churchjw (Dec 25, 2012)

I made one of these from PVC  but the copper looks so much better.  I think I have to redo mine.  Very nice project.

Jeff


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## bcall2043 (Dec 26, 2012)

Great job Phil.

The one I have was made by and given to me by Charley. I like your design better, sorry Charley. I like the one that fits into the mill slots. I will copy it first. Do you recall the magnet "pull/lift" specification?

Benny


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## Pitchfire (Dec 27, 2012)

Better than my plastic bag over pick up magnet approach for sure!


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## Tim655 (Dec 28, 2012)

Nice Job! saves you, always want to grab that stuff with your fingers....


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## Philco (Dec 28, 2012)

bcall2043 said:


> Great job Phil.
> 
> The one I have was made by and given to me by Charley. I like your design better, sorry Charley. I like the one that fits into the mill slots. I will copy it first. Do you recall the magnet "pull/lift" specification?
> 
> Benny



Benny I don't know the specs. The large magnet is 3/4 od x 3/4 long if this helps. Phil.


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## dmosser (Feb 21, 2013)

They may already make one, but using a thin walled plastic or copper tube as a "condom" over a strong magnet ramrod would allow you to grab the material and release it all cleanly and Quickly.  Kind of like a pump action.

If they already make one like this, forgive me, I'm kind of new.

But nice work!!


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## dmosser (Feb 21, 2013)

Please ingore my ignorance, that it what you were doing the whole time.

 Duuuuh!:*****slap2:

Very sweet stuff!


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## Daver (Feb 21, 2013)

I built one of those... but for some reason it wont pick up any of my chips.
Why wont it pick up 6061 ?
:lmao:
(I am just kidding here!)


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## Dr.Fiero (Feb 21, 2013)

^^^   Or use one of those special aluminum magnets.  



I was just thinking (over thinking?) - why not wrap a whack of wire around a pipe, stick a momentary pushbutton in the top of the pipe, and poof, you've got an electromagnet!
Could be 120 powered (through a rectifier of course), or some sort of DC supply.

Push button, pickup crap, release button, crap falls in can!


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## Daver (Feb 21, 2013)

Dr.Fiero said:


> ^^^   Or use one of those special aluminum magnets.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



With the right sized piece of pipe... You could hide either a couple of D cells or a 9 volt inside and make it totally self contained.   Hmmm. Juices are flowing...


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## kd4gij (Jun 11, 2014)

Dr.Fiero said:


> ^^^   Or use one of those special aluminum magnets.
> 
> 
> 
> ...





 The problem with that is the pipe would become magdetic. and defete the purpos.


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## Dr.Fiero (Jun 11, 2014)

Ok....  Use a dpdt switch. On/off/on, centre off.  Each time you use it, flip it alternate ways.
Then each time you use it, you're reversing the field, and demagnetizing it!


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## Cactus Farmer (Jun 12, 2014)

kd4gij said:


> The problem with that is the pipe would become magdetic. and defete the purpos.




Copper pipe would become magnetic? Good trick! I need a brass magnet too.


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## chips&more (Jun 12, 2014)

Cactus Farmer said:


> Copper pipe would become magnetic? Good trick! I need a brass magnet too.




I want a magnet for gold to use in the California Hills!


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## hvontres (Jun 13, 2014)

Daver said:


> I built one of those... but for some reason it wont pick up any of my chips.
> Why wont it pick up 6061 ?
> :lmao:
> (I am just kidding here!)



Have you tried with 7075? :roflmao:


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## uncle harry (Jun 22, 2014)

Dr.Fiero said:


> ^^^   Or use one of those special aluminum magnets.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



How about a contacter coil from a 24 volt ac relay (maybe from a furnace control or an old door chime) and a door bell transformer.  I'm thinkin' that AC might cause less residual magnetism in the swarf.


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## Ken from ontario (Sep 14, 2017)

Only If they could make  magnet for Aluminum .wouldn't that be something.


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## Cactus Farmer (Sep 15, 2017)

Or brass,bronze, and such. Aluminum/bronze has enough iron in it to be ever so slightly magnetic but I haven't tried to "sweep" it with the magnet.


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## Frank Ford (Sep 17, 2017)

Or you can go completely nutz as I did.  I made a magnetic pick-up tool from one of those long reach grabbers:










Here's a link to the whole project:

http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/Magnets/MagPickupTool/magpickuptool.html


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## kvt (Sep 17, 2017)

That looks pretty good,  what keeps the swarf from following the mag up the side instead of falling off.


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## Frank Ford (Sep 17, 2017)

kvt said:


> That looks pretty good,  what keeps the swarf from following the mag up the side instead of falling off.



The lightest little dust-like particles do cling a bit to the sides, but are not significant - they jump off with a light tap or wipe.  The reason chips don't follow the magnet up the side has to do with the almost 1/8" thickness of the aluminum tube wall.  When the magnet is at the bottom it touches the much thinner end cap so ferrous stuff sticks well until the magnet is retracted.

But the really big deal is the way the magnet is mounted.  In its little steel enclosure with the copper insulation between the magnet sides and the steel, both poles are directed to the end.  Mounted this way, there's effectively no magnetic attraction at the back end or sides of the unit compared to the "business" end.

For those who didn't read the article, here's a view of that magnet end:






As entertaining as it was to make, this tool is not the pickup tool I use the most.   THAT one is a simple 2-foot section of broomstick with a strong neodymium magnet set flush into the end.  It's super handy for picking up drill bits, screws, and other steel items that hit the deck.  I use it more and more these days as the ol' Arthur-itis progresses. . .


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## GarageGuy (Nov 4, 2017)

I watched Mr Pete's video, then made one almost like it.  I use it all the time.  Made another one for work because it worked so well.  The spark plug is just for size perspective.


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## xman_charl (Nov 5, 2017)

use a golf club, 6 inch aluminum disc, magnets from cpu hard drives.

Gets some of the metal chips, out of our carpet too.









Charl


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