Magnetic Paint Question

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**Noisy_Marine**

I bought magnetic paint to magnetize my trays instead of steel paper. Now, I've painted the trays and its been over 12 hrs, but so far my rare earth magnets are not attracted to the trays at all. Do I need to do something else?

**Lormax**

Other than to actually use a decent product? No offense, but I really don't think the gimmick paint is gonna do the trick

**Tacobake**

maybe try more paint?

how does it work, did you try the other side of the magnet.

**Moz**

The magnets should have some attraction. You're not using a DIY kit and forgetting to add the iron dust are you?

Really though, I have high doubts that this will be sufficient to hold minis in place. Rare earth magnets are awesome and all, but magnetic paint couldn't be a paint at all if it weren't severely diluting the iron. Try a thicker coat on a test item perhaps.

Hot glue gun and a bucket of scrap metal will get you there faster.

**Tacobake**

is that all it is? hmm. You can buy iron filings, you can add them to the paint.

This isn't a cosmetic job, like a kid's wall.

Heck, I might try this with normal paint or else maybe a varnish.

**Lormax**

Or, I don't know, try using a thin piece of sheet metal? It's not exactly expensive, and it actually works.

**Ozymandias**

You can get sheet metal for roofing incredibly cheap at Home Depots or other DIY store. I bought like 50 sheets for $5 and it cuts with scissors.

Ozymandias, King of Kings

**Tacobake**

aww.

**f00k**

I've used this to make small balsa trays for FFG's Battlelore game. it took 4 coats to get anything remotely magnetic, and keep in mind i'm talking about VERY lightweight plastics 1/2 the size of a GW fig. it works-barely. You'll need a LOT of coats to hold their own weight- and dont forget to stir the stuff really well, the powder sinks fast!

Agree w/ the above recommendation to move to sheet metal, i doubt you'll like the results of the paint, but it worked for my project.

**TragicNut**

Ohhh, that's way cheaper than the $5 I paid for a single 6"x18" sheet of 22 guage steel sheet at Canadian Tire. I feel ripped off. Maybe I'll take advantage of their return policy. (If I can find thin sheet steel for appreciably cheaper.)

**Noisy_Marine**

Darn, the magnetic paint seemed to work at this site:

http://www.weetoysoldiers.com/wp/?page_id=213

He even has a picture of the dried paint holding a dwarf upside down!

And furthermore, a sheet of galvanized tin at my Home Depot is $6 or so. I too feel ripped off. :(

**Xanthos**

In case there is a ventilation company close by you, you might be able to scrounge/buy cheaply from them.

That´s what i do for pretty much all my sheet metal needs, the guy that´s close by me actually sells it in as big a piece as you want, dirt cheap.

In that business you can at least be fairly certain that they order in a ton of the stuff, galvanized or not, in different thickness.

Only problem might be, if they can be bothered to do small scale sale.

**jeremycobert**

i race Slotcars on home built tracks and have found that magnetic paint sucks,nobody uses it anymore.

i just use "flashing" from home depot, its in the area where they have gutter repair. they sell it in small plastic bags and the sheets are about 8"X7" and 20 per bag. just make sure you get the ferrous one and not the aluminum ones.

**Ozymandias**

The stuff I got was for roofing and it comes in like 6" x 4" tiles. I still have a whole bunch it came with so much.

Ozymandias, King of Kings

**Tacobake**

Ozymandias wrote:The stuff I got was for roofing and it comes in like 6" x 4" tiles. I still have a whole bunch it came with so much.

Ozymandias, King of Kings

I love how we accumalate "stuff" to go with a few thousand painted miniature soldiers. I have sheets of insulation foam and garbage bags full of it I move from one gakky apartment to the next.

**Ozymandias**

Here, this is similar to what I got, only mine came in tiles, not a roll:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=12514-18591-GV10&lpage=none

It also didn't come with as much so was a lot cheaper.

EDIT: Found one smaller (10' instead of 50') for about $9:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=12538-18591-AV1010&detail=&lpage=none

Ozymandias, King of Kings

**Ozymandias**

Tacobake: Yeah, I've never actually been to Home Depot for home repair supplies...

I have bins and bins full of extra "stuff" for terrain making and miniature modeling. I own two dremels, a soldering gun (for melting foam), small hammers, dental tools, varying lengths of jewelers chain, and untold amounts of foam, balsa, plasticard, and other bits for future projects. One of these days I'll actually finish a project as well.

Ozymandias, King of Kings