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So, I want to magnetize my minis when I start my grey Knights, but.... like how the hell do I do it? I'm sure there are tons of threads on here about magnetizing but they are all too specific. At what size/ speed do drills become overkill? Where do they sell magnets that small? Do I strictly have to use drill bits that are the same size as my magnets for everything to fit? Are you supposed to glue the magnets into the holes or is green stuff or something similar preferable? What do I do if I screw up really bad and drill through an important part? Since I won't be painting the whole mini all at once, and will have to pin the little parts, is it better to pin them and then put magnets in, or vice versa?

All you need to magnetize infantry models is a hand drill/pin vise, magnets, drill bits that match your magnet size, and some super glue.

You can find magnets online, K&J Magnetics is a good place to start, or you can check your FLGS.

its quite easy really; you will need a hand drill with various sizes of drill bits($20), round mags(1mm x 3mm, 1mm x 5mm is what I use, the strength of the mags don't really matter(1$10 for 500 on ebay), drill where you want to magnetize and super glue the mags, make sure you marker the mags on 1 side so you can tell + and -

Magnetizing infantry tend to be a waste of time and hard unless you're using 1mm x 2mm; most mags I use on its on vehicles, suits, weapon loadouts, tag glue works wonders as well on certain areas that aren't necessary magnetized but you want to be movable.

for example:



My recently finished battlewagon is magnetized so the ram could be movable, the main turret gun could be swapped; doors, hatches, crew, roof, stick chukka, scope, are all tag glued; track, wheels, hinges of metal were all painted separately then glue in after.

so after removing mold lines, you have to decide where you want the magnets and which parts you desire to be movable. use the drill to make sinkable space for the mags.

I have been doing this quite a bit, so I can share what I have learned.

1. Don't over-magnetise, it will slow you down a lot and provide no real benefit. Magnetise on things you want to swap or move.
2. Find a cheap place to buy magnets - I don't go FLGS, I go to a magnet place (frenergy, for you oz folks).
3. Higher the N number, the better. N52 is great, N50 is pretty good, N40 is not really worth it if you need a good bond.
4. Bonding is important, magnets touching is so much better than magnets close. 2x N40 magnets touching will (usually) be better than 2x N50 magnets only close together.
5. Make a jig to get things right way - a piece of sprue with opposite polarities on each end, then use that to test what end is what, and to actually place the magnets. Getting a glued magnet out requires damage.
6. SERIOUSLY DOUBLE CHECK THAT, IT IS TERRIBLE
7. Magnet sized depend on the role, I generally use 2x1mm, 1x3mm, and some fancy new 1.58x1.58mm. Those are my main "small" magnets, from there, 3x2mm, and 4x3mm for bigger things (like the battlewagon above).
8. Drilling through is never a big deal - green stuff is easy to fix tiny holes, otherwise it is free battle damage. In some instances, it is easier to drill from the opposite side of something and clean up the mess.
9. Don't be afraid to rip the hell out of bits you can't see, I magnetised the side door hinges on a rhino just recently, it looks untouched from the outside but hell from the inside.
10. You don't need magnets at both ends. Tiny bits of metal will work connecting to a magnet - but will small enough magnets like I have, I am yet to see that as a necessity.
11. Pin vice drills are the way to go, but I do have a cordless drill that can go really, really slow. I have never used the drill for magnet work (mainly for mounting the models to cork).
12. If you plan it well enough, you can use the magnets instead of pins. Glue a magnet to something, pin that something, then magnet to magnet contact on your small piece.

Good luck.

I’ve used a dremel, a full sized drill, and a pin vice. The dremel was a fixed speed one, so way to fast for easy use. My regular drill could be run slow, but is massive, so hard to use. The pin vice is hand operated, so I have full control. I think they do make little electric ones, that you can run slow, but the hand one works fine.

I’ve used both 2mm and 3mm magnets. 2mm are probably all you need for infantry work. You can do a wrist mount with them, but it’s a little tight. Easy in shoulders. I get them from my FLGS. You could probably get them cheaper online, but I like supporting my local. I think I pay $10 for 100, which is below my impulse buy/worry about cost threshold.

For drill bits I use both the ones that came with my pin vice and the normal bits I bought for my power drill. Just make sure you use a bit the same size (or a little bigger) then your magnet. If you can get an exact size, that’s best. You may want to try the fit on a spare bit of sprue before putting holes in your minis though, just to make sure it works.

If the hole is tight enough, sometimes you don’t even need glue. But a dab of superglue will ensure everything is set. You will need to greenstuff from time to time. If you are fitting a magnet into a larger area, you can drop a ball of GS into the hole, push the magnet in, and then shape the GS around it with a toothpick/bit of plastic.

If you screw up, it can be hard to fix. You might have to drill through the back and push the magnet out. Be careful and double check the fit and the polarity. You will also want to be consistent with what way your magnets are facing, so you get good interchangeability of parts.



Here is an example of a simple drill and glue (on the marine) and a GS mount (on the jump pack)

Magnetizing can be daunting to start, but once you work out your system, it’s not that hard. And it lets you get a lot more milage out of your kits.

Well timed thread. My first magnets should be arriving today in the post. I play Tau and I am thinking that magnets are essential. I also have my son's Necrons that I want to try and magnetize the main weapons. As for a source of magnets I got mine from e-bay.

"50 Neodymium Magnets 1/8 x 1/16 inch Disc N48"

You have to watch however as most eBay magnets are like N35 which I hear is way too weak for model work.

Wish me luck.
Thanks,
Duncan

N35 are perfectly usable... if you account for the comparative pull strength. Trying to follow a tutorial intended for N42 (or even N52, nowadays, when they're easier to find) with weaker magnets is what generally leaves people disappointed.

I'm using 3x1.5mm N35 disks to magnetize Mantic elves (very skinny plastics, so pretty light) to galvanized steel movement trays and a single magnet per base, mounted flush to the bottom, is strong enough that I can turn the tray upside down and shake it without losing a single model.

I used 3/16x1/16" N42 disks exclusively when magnetizing my Predator, whereas most people seem to go much larger. I developed my own method, though, which accounted for the strength of each magnet and supplemented them, where needed, with extra magnets or physical stops.

Smaller, weaker magnets are generally just fine for keeping parts from popping off. What they lack is the pull strength to make friction alone sufficient to keep larger/more unbalanced parts from sagging or spinning. Add a pin or two and suddenly cheap Chinese N35 lots can do a lot more.

Ok thanks everybody. This is a lot of info. I will likely read this thread 2 or 3 times.

Now, is the hobby dril from GW worth it? I hear some components of the new GW hobby tools are good, but the whole $150 set was hit and miss.

Games Workshop's own tools are overpriced and not even good quality.

Do a search on youtube as well - there are tons of magnetizing tutorials for a variety of models.

and as many others have said - ALWAYS check polarity!!!!

Best of luck!