Magnetic Swarf Wand Plans ?

Bob's Swarf Magnet
Here is what I ended up with. Super Magnets and 1" copper pipe and a copper end cap from Home Depot along with some nylon rod , a disk of UHMW, a pc of 1/4" rod (1018 steel) and a knob for the 1/4" rod.
It turned out great. I just posted in detail how I made it but apparently my computer ate my posting, so I am just posting pics of it now.

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seen them advertised and i looked like a good idea
i made one in about three minutes time.
piece of electrical conduit
heated the end with a ligther and squashed it
dropped in a neodinium magnet
put in a bar of steel
took a plastic lid of a jar and made a hole in it to fit the pipe
no need to attach the magnet to the bar it will cling on by itself

it works perfectly but is utterly useless!!!!!!!!!!!!

chips&more got it right!
every single little sliver on the mill that doesnt get taken away on the first stroke is magnetized and clings to the mill
it will get out the majority of chips but does make getting the rest out a lot more difficult.

i went back to the vacuum cleaner
 
janvanruth said:
seen them advertised and i looked like a good idea
i made one in about three minutes time.
piece of electrical conduit
heated the end with a ligther and squashed it
dropped in a neodinium magnet
put in a bar of steel
took a plastic lid of a jar and made a hole in it to fit the pipe
no need to attach the magnet to the bar it will cling on by itself

it works perfectly but is utterly useless!!!!!!!!!!!!

chips&more got it right!
every single little sliver on the mill that doesnt get taken away on the first stroke is magnetized and clings to the mill
it will get out the majority of chips but does make getting the rest out a lot more difficult.

i went back to the vacuum cleaner
Click to expand...


I used Copper tubing as the main body of the tool so the tool never magnetizes. I haven't noticed swarf or steel slivers magnetizing and sticking to the machinery. My new tool seems to work great for me on my lathe. A vacuum is sometimes is needed for final spotless cleanup.
 
i should have mentioned i made it for use on the mill...
on the lathe i use a cheap contraption with a couple of magnets and a ss plate to pick up the larger chips and the one i made for reaching into pockets
 
I've thought of these magnetic tools in the past, but realized that I would still need another method to clean up any non-magnetic chips, so I simply settled on using my shop vac and did not bother making or purchasing a magnetic tool.
 
Here’s my plan for a cheap and easy magnetic swarf pickup tool ...

Starting materials:
8mm diameter magnets
3/8” OD (11/32” ID) K&S brass tubing
Brass shim stock
Wire coat hanger
#4-40 nut - or- #10 or #8 FHMS
Soft solder (& flux a/r)
kHPIM3652.jpg
Cut the 12” “stock” length of K&S tubing in half. Soft solder a small piece of brass shim stock across one end. Just about any thickness will work. I think mine was .005”. Cut off excess shim stock with scissors, then smooth by sanding. I used a belt sander, followed by a Scotch-Brite wheel.
kHPIM3656.jpg
Cut out the straight section of a wire coat hanger and remove paint from one end. Solder on a #4 nut. Optional - drill a shallow 5/64” into the end of a #8 or #10 FHMS and solder on. If you use a #10 screw, you’ll have to reduce the head diameter a bit.
kHPIM3657.jpg kHPIM3661.jpg
Then “stick” one or two magnets to the nut or screw and mark where the coat hanger wire exits the tube. Bend a 1” or larger loop at this point.
kHPIM3658.jpg
Slide a rubber washer or suitable alternative onto the tube about 1” from the end, and you’re done.
kHPIM3659.jpg kHPIM3662.jpg
This swarf pickup tool is easy to use (and unload) one-handed.
kHPIM3660.jpg
 
When I was bored and felt like doing a little project, I made a chip picker from one of those long-reach grabber thingies:

magpickuptool15.jpg


Now it has an aluminum end, and with some nice neodymium magnets, it can retrieve a reasonable little load of steel chips:


magpickuptool17.jpg



I can reach way in the back of my lathe chip pan:


magpickuptool18.jpg


No plans because I don't draw. But I did do a little photo article of the entire project:

 
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