Until you have actually handled rare-earth magnets, it is
difficult to appreciate the power of their magnetic field. Good
ones have a force field that has an attractive power 1000 times
the weight of the magnet. As in most things, there is a quality
range in rare-earth magnets. Both the rare earth used and the
manufacturing process dictate the strength of the final product.
When we were developing the Veritas® Dust Chute (#05J21.10), we
had decided to use a magnetic base on it for reasons of
convenience and versatility. After a bit of testing, we decided
to use four 1/2" diameter magnets, 1/8" thick. We tested several
makes, but did not fully appreciate the breadth of the quality
range until we came across the nickel-plated neodymium magnets
that we finally settled on. One of these little magnets will
lift a 10 lb block of steel. But what is most fascinating about
these magnets is the near-endless uses for them. The obvious use
is to hold things in position. You can epoxy one of them to your
drill press to ho