Can You Weld Magnets? [How dangerous it can be?]


Welding is the process of fusing two or more materials together with the help of heat, especially metal. But the process also allows you to weld other materials together. Thus, some cannot help but wonder: can you weld Magnets? Let’s find out!

You can weld magnets together. But I do not recommend it, even if it is possible under a safe procedure. I do not encourage it. So, while it is technically possible to weld magnets together, you should not do it.

In this article, I will go into more detail about this topic and discuss why you should not weld with magnets and why I advise against doing it at home. I will also go over some other details you need to consider before trying to weld magnets. So, please read the article till the end.

Why Is Welding Magnets Difficult?

The main reason behind not welding magnets together is that you can end up ruining them completely. This is due to the amount of heat it will need to handle during the welding process. Thus, the magnet would burn up while welding and not be usable afterward.

Temperature

Firstly, the welding arc has its own magnetic field. And with the amount of heat needed to weld the magnets together, the magnetic domains become disturbed. And the atoms in the magnetic field become misaligned. As a result, the cohesion between them decreases. Thus, the magnet becomes completely useless due to the lack of cohesion caused by the speed of the atoms.

However, in some cases, you can see that the addition of a cold temperature can strengthen the magnet. It has the opposite effect of heating it during welding. As a result, you can try cooling the magnet to stabilize the magnetic field and strengthen your magnet. But using cold temperatures while you are welding is pretty much impossible.

Material

Another reason why you should not weld magnets is their material. Most magnets consist of rare earth metals which do not react like steel or iron. When it comes to magnets NdFeb has the highest resistance but is very heat sensitive.

As a result, using NdFeb magnets for welding can render it completely useless. But there are other magnets that would be more suited to the task. For example, alnico magnets!

Why You Should Not Weld Magnets At Home?

Earlier I mentioned why you should avoid welding Magnets. But welding these magnets at home can also pose some risks in themselves. Magnets are very complex and when welding them you need to consider many different technicalities. One of the major factors to consider is minimizing, maximizing, and eliminating the magnetic fields.

Removing and minimizing the magnetic field can often leave residual magnetism. As a result, you need to monitor the welding temperatures as well as the techniques carefully. Which can be difficult to do at home. These need to be monitored based on reactivity, thermal conductivity, and their tendency to hold its magnetism.

One of the viable ways to weld magnets is by using the arc welding process. Shielded metal arc welding is the most sought-after method for welding magnets. An obstacle to arc welding would have to be magnetic arc blows, occurring due to residual magnetism or if the conditions are not properly controlled.

Importance Of Demagnetizing

As mentioned above, demagnetizing your magnet is a necessary step for welding magnets. Magnetism is the result of the atoms aligning between the two poles. Heating it to a point beyond the Curie temperature can misalign the atoms. As a result, the magnet can lose its magnetic field. When it comes to welding this can cause magnetic arc blows.

This condition results from a magnetic imbalance in the magnetic field surrounding the arc. Magnetic arc blow can result in defects forming on the surface of your weld. And most frightening of all, in extreme cases, the magnet can even explode.

For this very reason, I recommended that the degree of magnetism be between 10, 20, and 40 gausses for SAW, SMAW, and GTAW. As magnetic arc blows can also result from residual magnetism, I recommend removing any external magnetic field before you start welding.

How Would You Go About Magnet Welding?

Above I have mentioned why I do not recommend welding magnets. But if you do decide to weld magnets, what would be the safest way to go about it?

Do Your Research

The first thing you need to consider if you decide to weld is what type of magnet you need to use while welding. Do your research about the type of magnet you plan to use and how to properly demagnetize it. Each magnet reacts differently when heat is applied to them and at different ranges.

Once you find out the necessary information about your specific magnet, heat it beyond its Curie temperature. After that, you need to cool it down in a zero field.

AC Vs. DC Welding

When it comes to AC vs. DC welding, I recommend AC welding for this as it can reach higher temperatures. AC can also sustain higher degrees of magnetism compared to DC welding, making it a better counter to arc blows.

Ensuring Minimum Magnetism

Considering how terrible arc blows can get, minimizing magnetism while welding should be your main priority. The best way to minimize magnetism is by wrapping cables around the object you are welding and connecting the cable to an AC welder.

Make sure the welder is tuned to the highest ampere to detect any possible arc, so it can break the arc with a scrap. Then tune the welder by around 15 amps and repeat till the lowest ampere is achieved. By repeating this process, you will be able to at least minimize the chance for an arc blow to occur.

Magnets As Tools For Welding

Though welding magnets together may not be the best endeavor, magnets can be used as tools for welding. One of the most common uses I can think of for magnets in welding is holding two pieces in place.

When Welding you need to hold down the metals you are working with using one of two methods TIG, MIG, or Stick. But this is hard for someone new to welding, trying to hold down multiple pieces with one hand while they try to weld. This is where a magnet can come in handy, specifically using a block ceramic magnet.

There are also welding magnets that are created specifically for this, instead of using a block ceramic magnet. These magnetic holders are like an extra hand for any welder to help you weld, tack, and align structures together.

These welding magnets are extremely strong and can be a huge help in the workshop. They are highly adjustable and can stick to almost any metal surface and can hold metals at 90-degree and even 45-degree angles. Some can even hold your working pieces at an angle of over 100 degrees.

Conclusion

I hope this article was able to clear up your question: can you weld magnets? I went over why welding magnets might not be the best idea and why not do it at home. Even if you decide to give this method a try, I hope this article will come in handy in carrying out the procedure correctly.

I hope you found this article to be informative and thank you for reading till the end. Goodbye and Goodluck.

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