This Article was made by mwnciboo
I am a big fan of magnetising Vehicles, I do not however feel that it is worth magnetising individual models IMHO. Here are some of my Magnetization experiments and experiences. I will create an article on this, many thanks to all of you who have saved me hundreds of pounds by sending and selling individual parts and components.
here it is:- My Dreads and Rhino's/ Whirlwinds/Razorbacks/Predators/ (you get the idea) Magnetizing is a great idea if you have a limited budget but want to make the most of your Models! I bought 8mm x1.6mm Rare earth disc magnets off e-bay (30 in total for £7 + postage).
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/picksoft/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686
AOBR Dreads are cheap off Ebay, so if you magnetize you can buy a load of new arms and then simply magnetize them it is very easy. Chop off the "pegs" and file it down to a smooth flush finish. Use a good super glue and glue on your 1st magnet, then glue your 2nd magnet to the inside arm.
[b]NOTE always check the magnets are orientated correctly or they will repel each other and your arm won't attract to the body, you must carry the same convention through all your arms and your other dreads or they won't work either![/b]
With some extra arms you will get these kind of options, they are both AOBR Dreads converted with Magnets easy 1-2-3.
This is a really simple and cheap magnetisation and makes a good 1st project for a budding Magnet modeler!
The next level is to consider a Rhino, you can cheaply buy a crappy old rhino and strip it. If you buy new, you can still convert it. I build my Rhino's and glue a Square of Plasticard under the turret ring. Once dried I glue a Magnet in the centre. I can then buy Razorback turrets, Whirlwind launchers etc off Ebay or bit stores and glue a Magnet under the turret and viola, a Rhino Razorback/Whirlwind that can be changed in 5 seconds.
A more advanced magnetization, is to do the inside doors of a Rhino so you can swap them for Predator Sponsons, and the sponsons themselves this allows you to change a Rhino to a Razorback to a Predator. As per the following Photo's just be aware of the Polarity of the magnets. The Predator Turret, so I can have Twin Las or Autocannon
Do the Sponsons so you can change them out
And Magnetise your weapons so you can swap them out! So now i have 4 x Rhino's that i can change around at a whim? Change their weapons loadouts and their battlefield role. I sometimes get bored and used Razorback turrets as Predator turrets (TLC for example!)
How about a Landraider that I can switch out to a Terminus Ultra? Or maybe a Crusader? How about Drop pods where the doors can opened or shut.
I am attempting to magnetize my Landspeeders so i can typhoon them, or add assault cannons as secondary weapons etc. I am always happy to help anyone with any magnet modeling queries, half the time the problem just needs a fresh set of eyes, just PM me. I must also thank many people on lots of sites and forums for all their advice on using magnets, i have tried to bring all the advice together so that others can benefit and can make a foray into the world of magnetization.
If you are confident in your ability to do medium difficulty magnetization (and really it's not that hard), you can attempt going for characters. One of the first things you will notice when gluing large limbs to small joints is that to fit a small enough magnet on to be easily hidden, the limb will sag. While the magnet is strong enough to hold on a part, there is not enough friction in the hold to support the leverage of weight. Also, smaller magnets particularly with thin holding points can be a real pain. Some articles will tell you to glue a line of very small magnets when you have a thin, long attachment point that needs real strength, but I have noticed that this can be very difficult and messy, unless you REALLY know what you are doing. Placing magnets side by side is asking for one of them to get pulled on top of another and out of place, making a mess of your magnets and super glue application. Fortunately, you have a few options.
Diesel7270's Guide to Magnetising Eldar
1. If you can do so, find a drill bit at just the right size, and drill into limbs and torsos just deep enough to completely embed a flush magnet. This is the preferred choice but we can easily run into the sagging limb problem. This is the cleanest, easiest option but it only works if your magnet it strong enough to support the weight of the limb.
2. If the magnetized part is supported at two points, a weaker magnet should do fine. Take for example, my Guardian Weapon's Platform. Pardon the awful paintjob and blurry picture - it was designed only to show magnet placement.
The blast shield holds the weapon in place. and the magnet keeps the part adhered to it. This way, I can swap out different weapons instead of buying 5 different platforms.
You can also do this with two weak magnet points instead of one large one, useful when you have a long, thin application that will likely wobble, and all but the smallest parts will.
3. In, you also have the option of combination magnet pinning. At one point a magnet small enough not to be obvious, but combined with a discreet pin to keep the part from sagging or spinning. If you do this, use a pin glued only to one side. The second side should be an empty hole just barely big enough to fit it. You don't need a long pin, just a snug fit. The advantage to this is that it does not require as wide of a point as a magnet does, but it is difficult to attach loose parts to quickly, and it tends to still keep some wobble. Check out this example:
Here we see what it looks like apart.
And here it is together. This can be, as you see, a bit of an eyesore but it is something to consider if you have no alternatives. And it is definitely prettier than option four.
4. In case no other options are available to you, you may have to do some rather invasive surgery. You need to decide to yourself if you would rather noticeably alter your model to have interchanging parts, or spend the extra money on keeping your models closer to their intended look. It may not be that bad, but consider the words and pictures below.
Character models - particularly monstrous creatures or pewter pieces - tend to place such large limbs on such small joints that it is simply impossible to disguise the magnets. Take for example, the wraithlord arm and torso below.
The "shoulder" and "collarbone" joint both have plastic areas either too narrow or too thin to hold magnets strong enough to keep this arm hold forward. I did try with other magnets and it barely held the joint, much less keep it from sagging or wobbling. And so, I realized that I was just going to have to place the magnets and paint it to look as natural as possible. Look at the "collarbone" part. To keep the thick magnets from jutting the arm far out, and to have a solid base for the magnet to blue onto, I clipped off the rounded end.
To give the arm some angle, I specifically glued the other magnet into the arm in a crooked way. Check it out:
Here,
And here,
In the last image, you can see that to someone not actively handling your model, you can't even see the magnets. This will not always be the case, though. Especially if you are going to do this for the forearm or shoulder mounted weapons a wraithlord has.
(By the way, these are 3x1mm magnets. Thanks to poster Gac666 for the tip on size.)
Additionally, doing infantry can be a challenge, but with the right skill it should look wonderful. Take a look at my example below for visual references.
These use magnets 1/32" wide and 1/16" thick. They are strong enough to keep the arms fastened and rotatable, but because of their small size it can be easy to bump them or pull them off, so watch where you put your fingers when you play with it.
The only way you can really do this is to get a drill-bit in the exact size and embed the magnet flushs with the surface of the shoulder-sockets of the infantry torso, and the beginning of the arms. You can not have any of the magnets sticking out because with a join so tight as infantry limbs, carelessness will make your arms look like they're not actually attached to the torso.
That being said, it is very much like the wraithlord above. You only need to worry about a couple of extra concerns. The first is, since you are drilling into your model, you cannot undo it nearly as easily as a magnet glued to a model's surface. Make ABSOLUTLEY sure that wherever you start drilling will put these limbs in the positions that you want before you start. Get a sharpie marker and note where you want the magnet so that you can drill accurately. The second thing you have to worry about is drilling into the small limbs on rounded surfaces can be a huge headache. Your drill but can easily slip and stab your hand. To prevent this, use a file - preferrably the triangular one Games Workshops makes - and use the narrowest point of the file to create an "X" on the arm. The lines in the "X" should meet where you want the magnet, and it will hold your drill bit in place to get your hole started. Still, be careful until you are sure your drill bit will not slip.
And here's the end result:
