First of all, these will be objects made of iron and cast iron. The water hides many historical monuments in its depths. Most often, weapons are raised from the bottom of reservoirs. Using a search magnet, you can easily pull out hidden treasures in wells and garbage pits, if they were placed in a metal box for better preservation.
Search magnets have proven themselves best in searching for items and artifacts from the First and Second World Wars. With the help of neodymium search magnets, Cossack sabers were repeatedly pulled out from the Dnieper, and many artifacts were recovered from Lake Ladoga. Absolutely all products made of iron or containing ferromagnetic metals are attracted by a neodymium magnet.
Search magnet design
The design of the search magnet is very simple and practical. In the middle there is a very brittle alloy of rare earth metals, boron and iron, which is enclosed in a stainless steel or aluminum housing, or perhaps simply a nickel coating of the magnet. All free space is filled with epoxy resin, which is why it is not recommended to heat it above 60 degrees. A repair bolt is screwed into the magnet from above or on the side to attach a rope or cable. When attaching the repair bolt vertically, it is easier to tear the magnet off the surface. Simply screw in this bolt using a lever, and the pin itself will tear the magnet off the surface.
Attention! When heated above 80 degrees, a neodymium magnet loses its properties.
Safety precautions or what to be careful with
When using a magnet, you must adhere to certain rules:
- Neodymium should not be heated above 80°C.
- The magnet affects the magnetic fields of electrical devices, pacemakers, watches, credit cards.
- The large device is stored and transported in a non-magnetic, for example, plastic container.
- You cannot stand between a large magnet and an iron barrel/door, etc., it will be attracted, and a fracture of an arm/leg or other part of the body may occur.
- Wipe the device after each use, clean it from dirt, do not leave it without a case, and it will serve you for many years, since the device does not break down and does not require repair!
Have an easy search, precious finds and more gold!
Metals that are attracted by a search magnet
Gold
First of all, all search engines are interested in gold. I’ll say right away: pure gold is not magnetic to a search magnet ! However, most jewelry has a ligature added to it. Alloys are metals that are added to gold to increase strength and resistance to mechanical and temperature influences.
For example, in the well-known 585 standard gold there is only 58.5% pure gold, and the rest - 41.5% - are other metals, one of which is nickel. It is precisely due to the nickel content that jewelry “clings” to a magnet. But you shouldn’t hope too much for this, since the nickel content is very small and jewelry is not strongly attracted to a neodymium magnet. To do this, you need to touch the magnetic surface directly to the jewelry.
Silver
The second important search metal is silver. Silver also has two varieties: which is magnetic and which is not magnetic))
It is worth noting that some antique silver services and sets of cutlery were sometimes made from silver, which is taken with a magnet (with the addition of a ligature).
Stainless steel
Stainless steel, depending on its alloys and impurities, is magnetic to varying degrees. There are only a few of its species that have very little contact. The rest of the part sticks quite well for the reason that it contains from 12 to 20% chromium. Not magnetic at all:
● Aluminum ● Brass and bronze ● Tin ● Lead ● Copper
Important! Neodymium search magnets are very resistant to corrosion. Particular attention should be paid to the protective coating. If the coating is damaged, it should be immediately restored using epoxy resin or paint. If a magnet begins to oxidize, its characteristics can drop by more than 10 times, that is, from 600 kg to 50!
We figured out what metals are attracted by a search magnet. However, we should not forget that during the Second World War, German soldiers always carried a sealed metal cylinder with them in which they kept their most valuable things. It is these cylinders that can be found with a search magnet.
Can you attract silver and gold?
Precious metals are diamagnetic, so they cannot be extracted using a magnet. An exception may be objects that contain parts made of ferromagnetic metals, and such a part must be voluminous enough to be attracted.
You should not rely on the device to magnetize precious alloys. As a rule, the proportion of ferromagnets in the composition of the alloy is extremely small.
If you want to search only for precious metals, you are better off purchasing a metal detector.
Search magnets are divided into three groups according to their capabilities:
1. One-sided. Perfect for vertical search (from piers, bridges and boats).
2. Double-sided. Universal search magnets. Great for almost any conditions. The fact is that when moving a magnet along a silted bottom, a one-sided magnet with an unknown side goes along the bottom, but a double-sided one will capture objects from both the upper and lower planes.
3. Trawl magnets. They are most suitable for guiding along the bottom. But you should take into account the fact that a magnet weighing over 1.5 kg will be difficult to carry around on an inflatable rubber boat using oars. Important! With strong impacts and slight deformations, magnets lose their properties. When identical magnets are connected, their attractive power does not double, as we would like, but only increases by 30%.
Magnetic field tuning device
A search magnet is a device that is capable of capturing magnetic radiation created by metal alloys. The source of the field is moving electric charges (currents) generated by electrons.
All substances are usually divided into three main categories:
Classification of materials
- Ferromagnets are easily detected.
- Paramagnetic metals are weakly attracted, but can be detected by strong detectors.
- Diamagnets , on the contrary, repel search magnets. This class includes, among other things, products made of precious metals.
Using a conventional mechanism for attracting metal objects, only ferromagnets can be detected. A strong field can attract them over considerable distances, including from the bottom of reservoirs. But gold and silver parts will not be able to react in any way to the presence of such a device. The operating principle of the device for detecting them is to influence the electromagnetic radiation that is present in any element.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Very Powerful Search Magnets
Powerful (especially double-sided) magnets for searching, as is already clear from the above material, are much more interesting for searching. Their main advantage is power. Getting a more valuable find (especially if we talk about precious metals that are magnetic) with its help is much higher.
However, powerful magnets have their drawbacks :
1. A very powerful magnet (500 kg or more) will be difficult to throw over a long distance, since it weighs more than 4 kilograms.
2. The breaking load with high-quality engagement is much greater than the physical capabilities of a person.
3. The quality of the rope must be high and have a 2-fold safety margin. This is necessary in order to be able to pull out a snagged search magnet from a flooded tree or crevice.
4. Carrying a heavy object for a long time is very tiring.
According to the type of fastening, repair bolts are divided into two types: with vertical fastening and lateral fastening. For moderate results, a double-sided magnet with an attractive force of 140-200 kg and a lateral fastening of a repair bolt is sufficient. It is quite possible to carry such a magnet all day, although it is possible that the next day you will feel a slight pain in your muscles (without special preparation).
Tips for choosing
In addition to their shape, the devices also differ in the strength of the radiation and the method of attaching the cable.
Experienced treasure hunters are advised to choose powerful double-sided magnets, since they are universal and easy to use, although they are more expensive.
Weight and ammunition
Any tool is most effective if it is selected in accordance with the task at hand. The choice of magnet is no exception. To begin with, you should decide what items it will be used to search for, and based on this, select the appropriate device.
It should be taken into account that the higher the power of the magnet, the greater its mass and cost. The optimal option is 400 kilograms. This is not the weight of the magnet, but the weight it can lift!
In addition to the magnet itself, you will need a cable with which the search device can be lowered to the bottom of the reservoir. It is better to choose ammunition with a large margin of safety, exceeding the power of the magnet itself, in order to avoid ruptures and loss of the device. Finding him later is almost impossible.
Review of popular devices and their prices
The most well-known magnet manufacturers offer devices of varying power and cost:
- NPK Supersystem produces a wide range of magnets. A device capable of lifting a weight of about 90 kg will cost about 700 rubles. For a very powerful double-sided copy, designed for 690 kg, you will have to pay more than 7,000 rubles.
- CJSC NPO Redmag produces magnets with a capacity of 600 kg and a cost of 3-5.5 thousand rubles.
- Magnets made in China are also very popular. A device with a capacity of 600 kg can be purchased for 4900 rubles, devices with a capacity of 300 kg are sold at a price of 2700-2800 rubles.
Using search magnets when searching with a metal detector
Many people use metal detectors, but less than half use a pinpointer. Everyone is familiar with the situation when there is a clear signal from the excavated soil, but the target is not visible. You can even move a pinpointer along the ground, hear the target, and find nothing. A neodymium magnet for searching is a great help here: if the target is magnetic, it will instantly stick to the surface. For such cases, using a magnet of 40-80 kg is sufficient.
Attention! It is very convenient to use a fabric bag. Metal debris, of which there is a lot in the ground, does not stick to the magnet. The fabric will also save you from mechanical damage and eliminate the possibility of dangerous corrosion.
Clear advantages of neodymium magnets compared to a pinpointer:
1. Their batteries don’t run out, and you don’t forget to turn them off all the time 2. Quiet (in cases where you don’t want to advertise your presence) 3. Small dimensions. Convenient transportation. You can simply carry it in your pocket. 4. The target itself clings to the surface. 5. Price. You can buy 5 magnets for the price of one pinpointer. 6. Resistance to mechanical damage and moisture. 7. Long service life if basic rules are observed.
Important! Neodymium search magnets lose magnetization approximately 0.1% to 2% per 10 years! Then it’s up to you to decide which search magnet to choose; we can only recommend a proven brand that does not deceive with the declared power - “World of Magnets” (see the brand in the description of the magnet).
Search for valuable coins
The list of coins that can be found using a search magnet is quite impressive. Cheap royal change is not accepted for magnetism, but medium denomination coins were made with the addition of nickel and chromium, which immediately indicates the magnetic properties of these coins. The most expensive large denomination coins, made of gold and silver, cannot be lifted using a search magnet; they interact with the magnet, but very, very weakly.
How to distinguish a counterfeit coin from an original using a search magnet
To do this, you need to place a neodymium magnet at an angle of 45 degrees, attach the original coin (which you are completely confident in) to its surface and release it. At the same time, it should smoothly go down. The fake, unlike the original, will go down very quickly. This applies to almost all coins that are not picked up by a magnet.
Important! When checking, it is better to use cellophane or polyethylene to cover the magnet, because coins in exceptional collectible condition have a chance of being damaged.
Purchasing a neodymium magnet is a good investment
The main problem with search magnets is the price, which has skyrocketed since 2009: 95% of rare earth metals are extracted and processed in the Middle Kingdom, and they are used for automotive production. This country has introduced additional duties on the export of magnets from its territory. Throughout 2011, neodymium increased in price 5 times! Neodymium on exchanges has risen in price by at least 50% in just 2022!
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