DIY: Storage Box For Magnets
Taking care of your magnets is crucial, as you don’t want them to chip, crack, or shatter from slamming into each other. They must be stored carefully so that doesn’t happen, but what is a good solution to prevent this? Today, we are creating a magnet storage box that will protect your strong neodymium magnets and guarantee safe storage until they are needed for your next project.
Supplies
Most of the materials for this project can be found in your workshop, but you may need to purchase some plywood or a wooden box to house your magnets. Here is what you will need:- Drawer box (can be old or new)
- Rags
- ½ thick plywood
- Packing/tissue paper
- Rubber bands
- Saw
- Ruler
- Masking tape
- Sharpie
Steps
The exact details of the project will vary depending on the size of your magnets and how many you need to store, but this will give you a baseline for creating the storage containers. Follow these steps:- Determine how many magnets you need to store.
- Measure your drawer box to establish how much room you have to store your magnets.
- Cut out squares of plywood that measure two inches on all sides. This is where the sizing may very, depending on your needs. Should someone have 4" or 6" discs or blocks, their strength and pull to one another may mean that the 2" pieces need doubled or tripled to 4" or 6" thick to ensure that the magnets can be separated easily.
- Similarly, cut four longer pieces of plywood. These will measure around 8in x 4in.
- Lay your first small square down flat and place a magnet or two on top. Repeat this with your remaining small squares.
- For each "section" between the 2" divider, place all discs in a section, all rings in a section, all blocks in a section, etc. to create a row.
- With your plywood serving as a spacer, stack your small squares and magnets. The magnets will still attract each other, even with the spacers, holding everything together.
- Lay down a piece of your 8in x 4in plywood and place your stack of magnets on it.
- Use your other 3 pieces of 8in x 4in wood and make a ‘box’ to keep your stack secure.
- Tie a rubber band around the larger pieces of wood to hold everything in place.
- Repeat these steps until all of your magnets are stored away.
- Place masking tape on the outside of each container and label them.
- Wrap each container in a rag or cloth before laying them in your drawer box. Then place packing or tissue paper around them to further prevent attraction from the magnets.
- Enjoy your new magnet storage box!