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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

My vise jaws are magnetized. Anyone know why?

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Alberta Mike

12-08-2003 16:23:47




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Strange sort of a thing happened maybe a month or so ago. I noticed that the jaws on my metal vise are magnetized. It's a regular (Record Mfg.) cast iron 4" machinists vise with steel jaws. Didn't do anything with magnets or anything, no welding, etc. Just can't figure out what happened. It is a bit of a pain, everytime I use a hacksaw or file something I get a mess and have to work at cleaning the vise up every time. Any ideas as to how this happened and how I can get rid of the magnetism?

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Jerry B

12-11-2003 06:17:37




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 Re: My vise jaws are magnetized. Anyone know why? in reply to Alberta Mike, 12-08-2003 16:23:47  
hhhhmmmmm..... too close to the North pole I guess.

What has happened is that you have inadvertantly aligned the jaws in a NOrth-South position and then hit it with a hammer while working on something. This has given it a residual magnetic field.

Don't believe me? Try this: Take a piece of soft iron or steel and using a compass for alignment, point the end of the rod directly in a North-South line. Hit the end of the rod a few times with a hammer. Hold the end of the rod next to the compass and watch the needle.

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Jerry A.

12-09-2003 18:59:30




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 Re: My vise jaws are magnetized. Anyone know why? in reply to Alberta Mike, 12-08-2003 16:23:47  
I seem to remember from high school science class that any reasonably sized chunk of ferrous metal will be slowly magnetized if left in the same position for long periods of time. Intense striking will remove some of the magnetism (I think).

Good question for Dr. Science!



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Glen in TX

12-09-2003 13:25:08




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 Re: My vise jaws are magnetized. Anyone know why? in reply to Alberta Mike, 12-08-2003 16:23:47  
A armature growler will work for demagnetizing things also. Just pass the piece thru the jaws while the growler is on or place a plate across the jaws and drag the piece across it to demagnetize. The other commercial demagnetizers the guys are talking about are made similar to a a growler with just a metal or plastic cover over the coil.



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Fred OH

12-09-2003 09:38:15




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 Re: My vise jaws are magnetized. Anyone know why? in reply to Alberta Mike, 12-08-2003 16:23:47  
Rumor has it that if you throw something magnetized down real hard...it will lose it's magnetism. If that doesn't work...an air hose will get the iron filings off clean. My uncle had a watch/clock repair business and when he was demagnetizing something...his first words were "now get back"! So I had to watch from a distance. He dragged it over a metal degauser and swung it out through the air...like he was gonna throw it. Just reminiscing here...but if there is someone with the knowledge to build a degauser...I wish they'd give us all a sketch of how to build it. Fred OH

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Red Dave

12-09-2003 08:13:22




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 Re: My vise jaws are magnetized. Anyone know why? in reply to Alberta Mike, 12-08-2003 16:23:47  
Radio Shack used to have degaussing coils for bulk magnetic tape erasing. Haven't bought one in years and I don't know if it would be big enough, but it's worth a try.



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Davis in SC

12-08-2003 21:50:20




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 Re: My vise jaws are magnetized. Anyone know why? in reply to Alberta Mike, 12-08-2003 16:23:47  
Demags are cheap..... All tool houses, Travers, J&L, etc, should have them for 40 dollars or less. I have one, use it several times a day for 8 years..... still works good.



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john

12-08-2003 18:03:35




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 Re: My vise jaws are magnetized. Anyone know why? in reply to Alberta Mike, 12-08-2003 16:23:47  
they make a tool to magnetize and demagnetize but I think it would do you no good as it is for screw drivers.
maybe this will help you..... ...



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Mac

12-08-2003 17:25:25




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 Re: My vise jaws are magnetized. Anyone know why? in reply to Alberta Mike, 12-08-2003 16:23:47  
Maybe you drilled a pc of metal in the vise? They make demag. tools, I used to magnetize screwdrivers for a purpose, then demag them. I dont know but degaussing comes to my mind. Seen coils that were used for degaussing TV screens, maybe something like that would work. I dunno.



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Ray,IN

12-08-2003 18:52:00




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 Re: Re: My vise jaws are magnetized. Anyone know in reply to Mac, 12-08-2003 17:25:25  
Yep! We used one in the tool room. It resembled a two burner hot plate in size, with a smooth surface. You switched it on(120VAC) passed the item you wanted to demagnatize across the flat surface a few times and the item was demagnatized. I ruined a good electronic watch using it the first time. It was heavy but you could pick it up and use it if the item to be demagnatized was to large or heavy to pass over it.

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Alvin n Ms.

12-09-2003 11:33:12




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 Re: Re: Re: My vise jaws are magnetized. Anyone k in reply to Ray,IN, 12-08-2003 18:52:00  
Fred, all the TV repairmen owned a degassing coil back in the 50s. I have one laying around here some place if Martha didn't put it in a yard sale. alvinnms



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