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So I'm looking to magnetize some of my Tau crisis suits and some of my Tyranid models (a Tyrant to start and probably more in the future). I'm trying to figure out a good way to attach the magnets and the best I've come up with is to drill holes in the model. I was wondering what type of drill you guys would recommend, whether I should use a mini power drill or a non-electric one, or whether I should just carve out spots for the magnets with a hobby/utility knife (this option seems the least productive).

Also, how do you attach them? I saw somebody used green stuff, but I don't see why glue wouldn't work. Is one better than the other?

Any other tips on magnetizing are very much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Use a Pin vise. To much potential for error with a power drill.

Check out
http://www.themanufactorum.com/index.htm

Yeah a Pin vise is the best way to go.

I would also recommend getting a pin vice. It's really an invaluable hobby tool. I'd recommend getting one with a swivel/ball cap and interchangeable collets. It will make drilling easier on your hands, more controllable, and allow for all sorts of bit sizes to be used.

As for attachment, you're correct in wanting to drill holes to seat your magnets flush and they should be glued in place. In using GS to seat the magnet, I would imagine that the purpose was to fill gaps and seat it tightly, not as an adhesive. I've gotten by just fine with nothing but careful drilling and superglue.

My advice would be to pm Bloodquest. http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/user/profile/7192.page

He does lots of tutorials on his site http://www.themanufactorum.com/. I believe he has a tau crisis suit in the works.

Awesome, thanks for the feedback! I was kind of thinking you guys would suggest that, I was just being lazy looking for a small power drill, hahaha.

Do you know how big of a bit the pin vise can hold? I figured out I need about 0.25" bit for the one size of magnets I got and it didn't look like too many pin vises came with that size bit.

Yep, pin vise with a 1/32, 1/16 and 1/8" bit

I do stock a basic pin vice. Alternatively, Gale Force 9 has a nice one with the wooden ball grip as mentioned above.

GW's looks nice, but it's pricey and I've heard mixed reports about it.

Pin vices generally take up to a 1/8" bit (or shank). I've occasionally used a dremel bit in mine for enlarging holes, but usually any time I use a magnet over 1/8", it's inside the model or flush with the surface. I'll upload a picture in a minute...



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The shoulder magnet is 3/16" x 1/32" - almost an exact match for a raised area on the Terminator's shoulder*. So, I shaved away the plastic and put the magnet there.

The arm has a 1/8" x 1/32" - enough to grip the shoulder and as big a hole as I could drill without a lot of jiggery-pokery.

Also, if you look at the instructions on my site for the Venerable Dreadnought, you'll see a lot of instances of larger magnets fitted inside a model without any drilling needed.

Hope that helps,

Simon

And I do have a Tau Crisis suit underway - will see if I can re-jig the schedule a little, but I have half a dozen Eldar models sitting here - War Walker, Falcon variants, etc., and I've been promising to get the Predators done for ages!

*edit - so you get a degree of mechanical fit as well as magnetic force.

I wrote a pretty detailed blog post about magnetizing Tyranid Warriors, which you can find here:

http://adventuresinminiaturegaming.blogspot.com/2010/03/magnetizing-tyranid-warriors.html

Having just fully magnetised my first mini (a 'fex), I'll offer up what I found as a newbie. I used a 1.5mm-ish hand drill to drill out a guide hole for the Bosch power drill. Emphasis on the word 'power'. No disaster to report, everything was clean as a whistle... Just be careful if you're using a mans' drill.
This was using 3.5 and 5.5mm bits.
To seat the magnets, a lump of GS and and blob of superglue. Marvellous.

Okay, good deal. I'll probably end up going with the hand drill to make the holes. The 1/8 bit will be slightly bigger than my 3mm magnet, which is perfect, and a 1/4 bit should be big enough for my 6mm magnet.

I haven't had a chance to thoroughly look over all of your links yet, but I'm definitely going to look them over in great detail before I do anything. Classes have been hectic anyway, so it may be a while before I get into magnetizing anyway, hahaha.

Also, while this isn't related to magnetizing, where/how do you attach the toxin sacs to the Genestealers? I've been messing around with them for a while and cannot find a good place to put them. I was just curious to see what you guys do.