Small Magnets: I'm looking on Amazon for small, flat magnets to hold a lid onto a box. I see a conflict. These are attached to the item with 3M adhesive. So, what's stronger

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I'm looking on Amazon for small, flat magnets to hold a lid onto a box. I see a conflict. These are attached to the item with 3M adhesive. So, what's stronger - the adhesive of the magnet? I've avoiding the neodymium magnets because they'd be too powerful for my needs. I'd be gluing the magnet to the box and gluing a piece of metal to the lid. This will call for some experimenting.

Do any of you have experience with these dime-sized magnets?

EDIT: I just fund some 1/8" diameter magnets with no adhesive. I'll have to consider how I could use them. Epoxy, maybe.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

You can always use a SMALL dab of 3M 5200 sealant to glue the magnet and plate in the box.
(purportedly 2 minutes to install, 2 days to remove......)
It's primary used for sealing thru-hull fittings in boats.
It's white though.
Also, don't get it on clothes you don't want to throw away...

FL Streetrodder

Harbor Freight Tools is a good source for many sizes of strong magnets that don't have any adhesive on them.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Longshadow wrote:

You can always use a SMALL dab of 3M 5200 sealant to glue the magnet and plate in the box.
(purportedly 2 minutes to install, 2 days to remove......)
It's primary used for sealing thru-hull fittings in boats.
It's white though.
Also, don't get it on clothes you don't want to throw away...

I remember using a white goo on a boat years ago, and it never came off anything.

Thanks for the tip. I'll look for that.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

FL Streetrodder wrote:

Harbor Freight Tools is a good source for many sizes of strong magnets that don't have any adhesive on them.

Thanks.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

jerryc41 wrote:

I remember using a white goo on a boat years ago, and it never came off anything.

Thanks for the tip. I'll look for that.

Home Depot stocks it or the equivalent. Come in a caulk type tube and takes a LOT of pressure with a caulking gun to squeeze out. They don’t sell much of it, so occasionally I’ve gotten a tube that had hardened on the shelf. As an alternative, how about regular construction adhesive or clear gutter sealant?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

TriX wrote:

Home Depot stocks it or the equivalent. Come in a caulk type tube and takes a LOT of pressure with a caulking gun to squeeze out. They don’t sell much of it, so occasionally I’ve gotten a tube that had hardened on the shelf. As an alternative, how about regular construction adhesive or clear gutter sealant?

Home Depot also sells a 3oz tube of 5200.
Comes in black also.

Dik

3M 5200 is great stuff, extremely strong but takes a looong time to cure to full strength, (like maybe a week). High humidity helps speed the curing process, misting with a spray bottle of the bare surfaces as well as the finished assembly is helpful.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

TriX wrote:

Home Depot stocks it or the equivalent. Come in a caulk type tube and takes a LOT of pressure with a caulking gun to squeeze out. They don’t sell much of it, so occasionally I’ve gotten a tube that had hardened on the shelf. As an alternative, how about regular construction adhesive or clear gutter sealant?

Or epoxy? I already have that.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Longshadow wrote:

Home Depot also sells a 3oz tube of 5200.
Comes in black also.

3 oz is better than a large tube for my purposes.

mindzye Loc: WV

FL Streetrodder wrote:

Harbor Freight Tools is a good source for many sizes of strong magnets that don't have any adhesive on them.

Magnets in varying sizes strengths also available at most Ace Hdw. stores

starlifter Loc: Towson, MD

jerryc41 wrote:

I'm looking on Amazon for small, flat magnets to h... (show quote)

I use the magnetic strips from the inside of refrigerator door gaskets for a lot of small jobs.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

starlifter wrote:

I use the magnetic strips from the inside of refrigerator door gaskets for a lot of small jobs.

I tried that in the past, but I had to prop a chair up against the door to keep it closed. : )

tcthome Loc: NJ

Longshadow wrote:

You can always use a SMALL dab of 3M 5200 sealant to glue the magnet and plate in the box.
(purportedly 2 minutes to install, 2 days to remove......)
It's primary used for sealing thru-hull fittings in boats.
It's white though.
Also, don't get it on clothes you don't want to throw away...

5200 is pretty hard to get anything apart that it was used on.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Amazon has that 3 oz tube - for $15.00. For this project, that's overkill. I'll use epoxy or JB Weld. I'll experiment with both.