Degaussing an Altoids tin?

L

lunumbra

Joined
Jul 4, 2002
Messages
571
So, I bought a bunch of the 20mm compasses for me and for stocking stuffers for my friends. I went to put mine in my Altoid tin USP and noticed the disk swing away from North. Weird, so I took everything out and one at a time circled the compass around each item, and then around the tin itself. I found that both my Bic mini lighter and the Altoid tin itself draw the disk away from north.

So, I'm not sure if that means that the lighter and tin are magnetized or just that they are metal and the magnetism of compass is pulling itself toward metal.

MMmmm (thinking out loud now. . . . ) I guess i could test the lighter and tin at work, we have lots of metal filings around . . . .

If I find that the lighter and tin are magnetic. Does anyone know how to demagnetise something like that? Is it possible that the lighter has a magnetic fitting, for the flint maybe?

Does it matter? Will the magnetic field of the compass be damaged by being stored in the tin, and / or next to the lighter? Or will it live happily forever?

Jump in with any ideas folks . . ..

Lunumbra
 
Does the tin attract the lighter?

It is the metal in the tin and the reaction of the magnet in the compass most likely...:thumbup: No worries...
 
When storing a compass, you must take care not to expose it to a magnetic field such as from speakers, computers, and other electrical or electronic devices. For example, storing a compass in the glove box, or on the dash of a car would not be recommended. There are usually speakers, and electrical wiring located near these areas. If you put a compass in your pocket make sure that it is not near to a cell phone, scanner, or pocket radio. The speaker in these units can wrongly re-magnetize the needle. Storing a compass in a hot car can also damage it because the liquid inside may expand, thus rupturing the seal and start leaking. There may be some air bubbles formed inside thus impeding the performance of the compass.

If you want a compass to store in a car, you should get one that is designed to take very warm storage temperatures, or not use a damping liquid inside.

http://www.zoom-one.com/navigati.htm

I wouldn't store it in something that throws it off as you may permanently affect the magnetized needle.

Everything I found by Googling says that if it affects the needle, either a regular compass or the electronic ones, then you shouldn't store it in it or with it.

AND THATMGUY!!! PM me with your address again. I have a Kenny Rowe IWB sheath sitting on my desk that needs it's proper home. :D
 
Have had my EDC tin with a Suunto wrist compass in it for years and never a problem even tho it reacts with the needle, not enough to throw it off permanently.

I check its trueness every 6 months or so.

Skam
 
An Altoids tin is made from mild steel and not tin the element. Will not hurt it even if it is slightly magnitized because it is a Faraday cage. An enclosed metallic box electrically and magnetically neutral. No worries.
 
regardless tho' when using the compass keep it away from the tin or bic lighter to get good readings. once doing some biological work i was setting up some observation points, i had a map folded over a piece of cardboard to mark my points from my compass bearings. when i double checked them they were all off!:mad:

ummm i soon discovered that the small paperclip holding the map to the cardboard was offsetting my compass.... DOH!:rolleyes:

dhawk
 
I had my neck knife demagnitize a button compass that had been stored on it. I checked all the other knives with compasses and they were all OK. Keep an eye on it. Mac
 
Will not hurt it even if it is slightly magnitized because it is a Faraday cage
Click to expand...

Not quite so easy, all ferromagnetic steel affects the compass, only permanently magnetized'll cause problems. Faraday cage means that in principle there are no magnetic field inside a conducting cage but if the cage itself is magnetized things are a bit more cagey, might cause problems. Any mild steel can only be magnetized milddly so propably it'll not affect the compass permanently.

TLM
 
I'm talking about external influences. If there is a strongly magnetic material inside the box it will be a problem. A magnitised knife blade inside the box will definetly mess with it. Ordinary precautions will keep the compass free from trouble and being inside of a metallic box will keep electromagnetic fields from messing with it. I use a tobacco tin and never had any problems.
 
assuming that it is not too magnetically 'hard' one way to demagnetise stuff is to give an few hard knocks. this shakes all the magnetised particles out of alignment, hence less then eventually no magnetic feild...
 
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