Magnets find many uses in model making and engineering; aside from holding parts of finished models together they can be really useful aids during the construction of models. These application photos demonstrating the use of 8mm x 8mm cylindrical neodymium (N42) magnets kindly sent to us by a customer, who is also a member of the Guildford Model Engineering Society, show just how they can be used to aid construction.
This particular customer was in the midst of constructing a small-scale stream locomotive when he approached us and enquired about purchasing magnets that would allow him to hold a vital piece of his model in place while he spot-drilled the component in situ. As can be seen in the below image, four 8mm x 8mm cylindrical neodymium (N42) magnets were used to hold a thin steel plate to the locomotive coupling rods and the coupling rods to the locomotive chassis while two holes were drilled in opposite corners.
You will also notice that the magnets in the photo appear damaged or distorted, this is not actually the case and is in fact a trick of the camera. Rather, the magnets are covered in all of the fragments of metal dispersed during the drilling process, minimising mess and ensuring that unwanted debris doesn’t cause damage to other parts of the model. This is one of the wide variety of uses of magnets in manufacturing or construction applications. Read our ‘using magnets for metal lathing’ application to see how one customer used magnets on his workshop lathe for this very purpose.
As you can see from the following photos, the model locomotive is really beginning to take shape and by using magnets as a construction aid the customer has saved himself plenty of time while ensuring that the coupling rod is fitted perfectly.
Related products:
F418 – 8mm dia x 8mm thick N42 Neodymium Magnet – 2.5kg Pull