Rare Earth Magnets

[Guest]

Rare earth magnets are very powerful so one should do.

I have mine mounted on the base of my pick handle & it is good for getting out any iron targets quickly + for those magnetic hot rocks. P.S. check any magnetic rocks before scraping them off as I have read posts from some experienced prospectors that have found ironstone/gold speccies on the magnet & wondered how many they had scraped away before realising!

Don't think any magnetic field is good for electronics so I keep it well away from the control box on my detector (GMT) but it doesn't cause any other interference unless of course you pass your coil over/near it. Also keep away from your credit cards & phone.

They can also be handy to separate black sand from fine gold when panning or cleaning up your fine gold at home.

 

[AU Fever]

Hey Matt, like mbasko I have one mounted on the base of my pick handle. Very handy for separating ferrous objects.

They will interfere with your coil if too close, but with my Minelab VLF I've never noticed any interference and I either have my pick on my pick holder on my left hip or in my left hand.

I use this one: http://aussiemagnets.com.au/product...ick-Countersunk-Hole-NORTH--(Rare-Earth).html - which is heaps cheaper if you buy it from Auusie Magnets (I'm not affiliated) rather than a detector shop which some charge 4 times the amount. :/

AU

 

[Syndyne]

G'day Matt,

I also have a small Rare Earth Magnet attached to the base of my pick handle.

My GPX5000 (with 8X6 NF mono coil) picks it up slightly when I hold the handle too low in my hand while it's resting on my shoulder and the machine is ground balanced well. When I waved the coil across to my left side (the shoulder I rest it on) I got a groaning sound that is very similar to ground noise. Not ideal. Probably just enough to mask a faint signal at times. Removing the pick made it disappear.

However, I hardly even noticed it with the larger coils 11" Commander Mono for example. Always best to keep all metals away from your person if you can. Sometimes it's unavoidable though, as in the case of needing the pick handy at all times, particularly if you don't have a partner that can hold it for you.

Here's my Walco with RE Magnet on the handle. I will probably mount it on the outside face of the blade if I get an issue with it again while detecting in the future.

Kindest regards,
Shauno

 

[Pauly]

Hi all a good source of rare earth magnets is computer hard drives. Pick up a scrap computer and pull out the hard drive, pull it apart an theres at least 1 rare earth magnet next to the disc. These are not hard to remove. Another tip is put your magnet into a plastic container that way you can remove the metal from the magnet easily.. Ive got mine in a film canister

 

[WickedWaz]

Got mine from Ebay only $7, 20x10 fit perfect in the end of my pick handle. Just bore a 20mm hole 10mm deep and fixed it in..

 

[WarD40]

Hi guys,

can anyone tell me what the purpose of these rare earth magnets are? do they stick to things other than iron?(such as gold lol)

Cheers

 

[dwt]

Hi guys,

can anyone tell me what the purpose of these rare earth magnets are? do they stick to things other than iron?(such as gold lol)

Cheers

.............................."HUH".................! :/

 

[KarlS]

No, they don't stick to gold. Just iron and nickel like ordinary magnets. The are just much stronger.
Karl

 

[WarD40]

lol ok thanks Karl was just curius...

 

[richo966]

gold is not magnetic you use the magnet to help clean your gold concentrate

 

[WarD40]

yeah i figured that from reading the other threads on the forum richo966 i just thought it was odd that they were selling them to attach to the end of your pick/digging tool.

 

[richo966]

that is not for gold that is for meteorites they have iron content

 

[dwt]

yeah i figured that from reading the other threads on the forum richo966 i just thought it was odd that they were selling them to attach to the end of your pick/digging tool.

having one on your pick is a good way to get rid of the trash(metalic) easily when detecting

 

[hardyakka]

I use a rare earth magnet on my pick head, it makes it easier to locate a target in trashy areas, as the trash (bits of iron) stick to the magnet as you are digging.

Not sure how magnets clean gold????

 

[dryhorrors]

check out this post https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=4967
rare earth magnets are not just for meteorites

 

[richo966]

good to learn that I did not know

 

[richo966]

watching to much meteorite hunters love that show

 

[Heatho]

I've spent 20 mins looking for the tiniest of targets such as tiny old rusty boot tacks, moving the pickhead and magnet around the hole and dirt will pick something like this up in 2 seconds. Saves a lot of time and frustration.

 

[Jaros]

Rare earth magnets can be obtained from Jaycar Electronics. They start at approx. $14.00.
I have three attached to a length of angle iron, which then becomes a strip magnet. This is laid across my mini highbanker, recirculating sluice and catches the iron before it can get to the riffles.
Cheers Jaros

 

[slowflow]

Rare earth because of what they are made from, material which is currently controlled by the Chinese & Russians. Others entering the market because of the artificial Russian price rise a few years back.