My neodymium magnets exploded.

[Zhangliqun]

I have the Stewmac disks about 2" apart in a vice. Have had them stuck together or even grab each other many times. Never had anything like that happen. Maybe they're too small (+/-1" diameter) or the chrome (or whatever it is) coating is too thick.

[pupoholic]

mine were loosing the plating too..
cause of this thread
I put them in bags and put them away in a box

did not need them any longer

I had already found a 70'sSIMC magnitizer that looks like G&L's Guitars Magnetizer
big silver Grey metal boxed unit with two huge coils and adjustable heads.

[corduroyew]

^yeah, why take a chance if you don't need to right? Although possom is probably right and they just got attracted to each other, I'm still going to coat my new ones in a thin layer of epoxy just to be a little more safe because in then end, I'm still not 100% sure what happend.

I'm just waiting for the day that I can afford a magnatizer and don't need to use neo mags.

[NightWinder]

No, they are radias the centers being fattest with a taper to the end that are half as thin. Kid said he bought them at Kroger......Now I know where he gets his weed...J/k. I honestly thought the same, and they scared the shit out of me when he did them. They make a horrible noise....I'd think they would be safe, but you never know....

[DrStrangelove]

MSDS

Material Safety Data Sheets for neodymium and its oxide are at:

http://www.espi-metals.com/msds's/neodymium.pdf
http://www.espi-metals.com/msds's/neodymiumoxide.pdf

-drh

[DoctorX]

The Big Ouch....

Many years ago, I was picking up a run of pickup magnets from a magnet manufacturer in Hicksville NY, and I asked the guy who worked in the lab if he could spare some samples of Neodymium magnets. He comes out with 2 blocks, each one 1 inch square, by 3/4 inch tall, on a piece of steel, with a layer of corrugated cardboard for a separator between the magnets and the steel. He says to me, "don't hold these in your hands, because they will fly out, smash together and cut you". I thank him, take my material and head back to the shop.

That night I couldn't resist. I took each one off of the metal sheet, and held one in each hand. OK, no big deal. As I brought both hands together, the little bastards tore out of my hands, slicing across both palms and whatever fingers were in the way before smashing together. Great big honking deep cuts, with the accompanying loss of a good deal of blood. Fortunately I didn't slice any tendons or ligaments, etc. Just....flesh.

Weeks later, after the cuts healed, I went back to the blocks to try and separate them. It took every bit of strength I had to get those blocks apart.

Won't be doing that again....ever.

Doctor X

[Jedd]

Precautions...

I'm new here and have been reading all these threads for the first time. I know this is a very old thread but felt like writing something in here. I've been wanting to build my own pickups for S & G's and because I don't want to pay Mr. Seymour's mortgage anymore. I have been researching Nd magnets and asked my friend about them (he's a material scientist, aka geek) and he warned me of two things...
1) Neodymium dust is explosive AND combustible... this is more than likely what happened to your magnets
2) Don't stand in between them.

[Electricdaveyboy]

Yeah, that is why I perfer electromagnet magnetizers.
I do not want to loose fingers,I need them for some thing else.

[RedHouse]

It sounds like the nickel coating on your magnets rubbed off, let air and moisture in. While powdered iron can spontaneously burst into flame, powdered neodymium may explode in air.

You may be at risk so clean up carefully.

Neodymium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

-drh

I'm not sure it's accurate to extrapolate Neo's will explode in air.

For instance, I have some Neo's that were removed from hard drives about 6 years ago, the nickel peeled off one side completely, none have EVER exploded, and I still use them today.
(one keeps my drill press chuck key handy)

[tedmich]

When I was in my workshop today there was a flash of blue light, followed by a bang. The next thing I knew my 2 large neodymium magnets that I use for charging pickups were in pieces all over the room. I even ended up with holes in my clothes and bits of magnet stuck in my arm. They were just sitting on an empty work bench... Anybody ever hear of something like this happening before? It's got me a little freaked out and I'm trying to figure out what happened so that it doesn't happen again.

I had the exact same thing happen with my N45/Wintergreen Lifesaver bobbin pickups!

Levity!

is there really triboluminescence in Nd alloys?

[Shepherd]

Dont know if this has been posted before. Anyone missing a finger tip?

[David Schwab]

Dont know if this has been posted before. Anyone missing a finger tip?

Ouch!

Even the smaller ones hurt if you don't watch yourself!

[Mags]

I just aquired some neodymiums today. They are not too big (a little wider than a penny) and only have to potential to give you a nasty pinch. I was looking forward to messing with them for fun, which is why i got them but they just broke! I had them about a foot apart and they slammed together and chipped, not just the nickle coating however. Part of the magnet itself came off, not much but some. A while later another inhabitant of my house moved them off the table. They dropped one though and then they slammed into eachother again and one flat out broke in half...
My questions are:
1. Is this normal or did i get a crappy product from the supplier (not going to mention names)
2. Are these magnets now dangerous because of the exposed neo?

Thanks and sorry if this is a little late/off topic

[David Schwab]

Yeah, that's normal. I've had some 1/4 x 1/4 x1" bars break in half, and had some other chip. They are pretty brittle, so you should not let them sit around where they can slam into each other.

I keep mine in a single row stack stuck on a piece of steel, and peel a few off as I need them.

They are fun to play with when you first get them, until you break a few or pinch your fingers... then the party's over!

I wouldn't handle the big ones like in that photo below.

[walcen]

neodymium magnets?

Ok guys I'm sorry for being off topic but you've aroused my curiosity.

What's a neodymium magnets and how do you use them to charge pickups?

Oh and sorry to hear about the bang.

regards

Wal