Sanding with magnets?

oic0

oic0

Joined
Jun 16, 2012
Messages
368
I've heard it talked about before. I have a 290lb rated magnet about the size of a deck of cards. I keep trying to sand with but the dust sticks to the blade and slows things down, even after I take the magnet off, the steel has become a bit magnetized and is from then on a pain to sand. Am I doing something wrong or do you just tolerate it?
 
Oico,

To make things clear.... Are you using the magnet to hold the blade while using a belt grinder?
 
AVigil said:
Oico,

To make things clear.... Are you using the magnet to hold the blade while using a belt grinder?
Click to expand...

Nope, my platen is metal so I can't. Am using it to hold the blade and apply pressure when sanding on a flat surface.
 
I just use my hands. Never been able to grind with a magnet...

Edit to add; I think I misunderstood, Hand sanding? A magnet would suck for that.

I use a piece of angle iron with leather on it and a C clamp.
 
Try some rare earth magnets, I've been getting double use out of my bubble jig using it to hold blades flat against the platten.

edit never mind I thought you were wanting an option for the grinder.
 
I would never use a magnet during hand sanding as it would attract too much metal dust and cause scratches.
 
Just in case what you are actually trying to do is grind, not in fact hand sand, using a magnet- I've ground with magnets too, but only when I need to do flats on a small folder blade that I can't really hang on to well. Then, I use a strong magnet and tape the surface with masking tape so as not to scratch the magnet side of the blade. This is the only instance where I've found a magnet to be handy for grinding. I grind bevels on folder blades mostly with the blade in the frame, in a hand held clamp.
 
Are you talking about hand sanding or grinding? I use a magnet for grinding my flats occasionally, but I also have an electric demagnetizer for afterwards.

If hand sanding, I'd just use a piece of double sided carpet tape to hold the blade if sanding the whole length, or I'd clamp the tang to a board if just sanding the blade.
 
Yes, I was trying to hand sand the flats with it :D I now get why that wont work lol. I originally bought the magnet for sanding the flats on small blades on the grinder, but even with the ceramic plate on top of my platen it, it attracts the metal plate under that and brings the grinder to a stop instantly. I'm not sure if it only works for people with non ferric platens or if my magnet is too strong, regardless its no go.
I may attach it to a mild steel plate to make something sort of like a magnetic chuck to help with straightening blades.
 
I should probably add that my magnets are significantly smaller than the 290lb you are using.
 
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