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Old 8th Dec 2017, 1:24 am   #3
Skywave
Rest in Peace
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Chard, South Somerset, UK.
Posts: 7,457
Arrow Re: De-magnetising Tools

Here, I have a couple of 'magnetizers / de-magnetizers'. They're about 2" square by 1" thick with an irregular-shaped hole that goes right through. They are red in colour. In one part of that hole, you insert the tool you want magnetized; in the other part, the reverse - for de-magnetization. I believe they came from Farnell or RS many years ago: may still be available; very useful gadget.

As for screwdrivers that seem to have strangely become magnetized, yes, I've had that - and, occasionally, still do. Why it happens, I don't know - and I've never attempted to find out why. I suspect that one screwdriver (or any other tool) gets in the zone of a magnetic field somehow and then with typical juggling around of tools on the bench, its proximity to other ferrous tools makes them magnetic, too. I suppose that the sudden collapse of a substantial a.c. current could have same magnetizing effect. In the old days of 3½" FDDs, that 'magnetic screwdriver' syndrome was a real hazard to us PC technicians! When in the field, I always carried more that one diagnostic floppy disk!

Al.
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