This is a conveyor frame that I was making in work, it's in 2 sections and I discovered it was oddly magnetic when I was clamping a piece between them. Neither side is magnetic on its own but when I put the piece of steel across them then it sticks.
My guess is that the two frames have opposite poles on the pieces we see. Each one on its own isn't enough to hold up the metal, but together they are.
I checked that as I had been welding on one frame. Nothing was connected at the time and I had given the frame a couple of hits to knock off some loose "sawdust" off ends, the hit usually knocks out any magnetism left in the steel.
Is it clamped to something metal in the shop that could be connected to electrical ground in there? Could have a faulty circuit leaking to earth somewhere.
What you are seeing is a magnetic circuit being completed rather than the frame pieces acting like permanent magnets on their own. Steel can retain a very weak residual magnetism from manufacturing, welding, machining, or even sitting in Earth’s magnetic field, but by itself it is too weak to notice. When you bridge the two sections with another piece of steel, you create a closed path for magnetic flux, which dramatically strengthens the effect and makes it feel like it suddenly becomes magnetic. Clamps, welding current, or previous handling with magnets can also magnetize the frame slightly, and once the flux has a complete loop, the attraction becomes obvious even though each section alone feels non magnetic.
☝️This person knows their magnets, in a typical steel guy response I'd hit it with a hammer, then a bigger hammer a couple of times to stop the steel sawdust sticking where I wanted to weld and nothing stuck any more but there must have been some remaining magnetism which got amplified by bridging them.
“Now, nobody knows what a magnet is. If you don’t have a magnet, you don’t have a car. You don’t make a computer, you don’t make, er, televisions and radios and all the other things—you don’t make anything. It’s a 30-year effort to monopolize a very important thing. Now, in two years, we’ll have magnets, all the magnets we want. Because of tariffs, listen I called, I said you’re going to play the magnet, we’re going to play the tariff on you.”
Well, fwiw, I know that, I just didn't know there are magnetic circuits. I took the comment I was replying to to be saying there was a magnetic circuit involved without an electric circuit also being involved.
You're way off there, it was more like 4 minutes ago :) I had hit it with a hammer as some filings were sticking to where I wanted to weld a plate, this usually knocks the magnetism out when you work with steel. Steel sawdust wouldn't stick after I did this but as the poster above said it could be a small field that gets strengthened when I put the piece across it.
It does, try it with a screwdriver if you want to use it to pick up something that you dropped. You stroke it with a magnet it makes it magnetic then tap it against something metal and it will lose the magnetism.
My guess is that the two frames have opposite poles on the pieces we see. Each one on its own isn't enough to hold up the metal, but together they are.
Like apes?
Apes strong with magnets
Apes together strong
Magnets make ape strong
Apes make magnets strong
Magnets are apes?
Ah, the perverted genius zombie girl came to our rescue. Thanks Christina
This is exactly it, probably done with a welding device. Seeing as they seem to be in a metal workshop anyways.
You are forming an electromagnet somehow. The piece you are connecting is completing a circuit.
Any chance your welder is already connected in some way? Ground clamp on one side and the electrode holder is laying on the other side?
I checked that as I had been welding on one frame. Nothing was connected at the time and I had given the frame a couple of hits to knock off some loose "sawdust" off ends, the hit usually knocks out any magnetism left in the steel.
Is it clamped to something metal in the shop that could be connected to electrical ground in there? Could have a faulty circuit leaking to earth somewhere.
I'd ask one of your electrician buddies to test the voltage across. I'm not convinced it's an electromagnet but not sure.
Exactly. This seems to be the most accurate explanation.
What you are seeing is a magnetic circuit being completed rather than the frame pieces acting like permanent magnets on their own. Steel can retain a very weak residual magnetism from manufacturing, welding, machining, or even sitting in Earth’s magnetic field, but by itself it is too weak to notice. When you bridge the two sections with another piece of steel, you create a closed path for magnetic flux, which dramatically strengthens the effect and makes it feel like it suddenly becomes magnetic. Clamps, welding current, or previous handling with magnets can also magnetize the frame slightly, and once the flux has a complete loop, the attraction becomes obvious even though each section alone feels non magnetic.
☝️This person knows their magnets, in a typical steel guy response I'd hit it with a hammer, then a bigger hammer a couple of times to stop the steel sawdust sticking where I wanted to weld and nothing stuck any more but there must have been some remaining magnetism which got amplified by bridging them.
I've heard hitting things with a hammer repeatedly in the same direction has a nonzero chance to make it magnetic lol
“Now, nobody knows what a magnet is. If you don’t have a magnet, you don’t have a car. You don’t make a computer, you don’t make, er, televisions and radios and all the other things—you don’t make anything. It’s a 30-year effort to monopolize a very important thing. Now, in two years, we’ll have magnets, all the magnets we want. Because of tariffs, listen I called, I said you’re going to play the magnet, we’re going to play the tariff on you.”
there... are... magnetic... circuits?
All electricity generates magnetism.
Look up the right hand rule for details
Well, fwiw, I know that, I just didn't know there are magnetic circuits. I took the comment I was replying to to be saying there was a magnetic circuit involved without an electric circuit also being involved.
Magnets, how do they work?
Nobody knows
Has that magnet been dipped in water?
Finally, it’s fucking magnets!!!
++ICP has entered the chat++
ICP on IRC
I see your irc and I raise you an icq
I’ll see your ICQ and propose IRL
Wuuuuuuuuuuut
Someone explain
It might be from recent cutting or welding making the ends a bit magnetic .
It may be the fact the metal was just cut with a bandsaw less than 3 minutes ago cutting and filing metal makes it temporarily magnetic.
You're way off there, it was more like 4 minutes ago :) I had hit it with a hammer as some filings were sticking to where I wanted to weld a plate, this usually knocks the magnetism out when you work with steel. Steel sawdust wouldn't stick after I did this but as the poster above said it could be a small field that gets strengthened when I put the piece across it.
Knocks the magnetism out? I er don't think metal works that way but I will check as that's a curious thing your telling me now.
It does, try it with a screwdriver if you want to use it to pick up something that you dropped. You stroke it with a magnet it makes it magnetic then tap it against something metal and it will lose the magnetism.
Going into the shed this evening when the wife gets home. Bae I've gotta check something someone on Reddit told me.
I'm going to the shed to stroke something because a guy on reddit told me about it, doesn't sound dodgy at all :)
May want to check for stray current.
You're allowing current to flow, which creates a magnetic field. Based on the forces, the current is flowing left to right
Magne-oh..... well, yeah... magnets?
That'll be because of the di-pole
The comments here are polarizing.
Why is this happening!
Hope that trick doesn't cause a building to collapse someday because of weakened steel.