A quick, simple 'mod'

Kraken · **on:** October 11, 2018, 03:28:12 PM

Hi folks, new member here. I love this forum and the amount of knowledge and experience that it contains. I love the fact that everyone is ready to help out with advice and ideas and the overall sense of community.

I was at work yesterday, using a precision bit driver to remove some small screws and had a hard time digging them out of the recesses with my sausage fingers. I thought, wouldn’t it be great if these were magnetized. I have an inexpensive magnetizer/de-magnetizer at home on my workbench, but it did me no good at work. Then I remembered a video I had seen on youtube where a guy magnetized the cap lifter and the can opener on an Alox model by dragging a magnet over each tool about a dozen times. After salvaging the magnet from an old hard drive, I quickly got to work on the precision bits, and then moved on to the can opener and parcel hook of my work carry Deluxe Tinker. When I got home I did the same thing to my Craftsman and the in-line Phillips and hook on my Swisschamp. I figured that it might come in handy one day; after all, isn’t that the reason most of us carry a SAK, to be prepared when the time comes?

How about you guys? Has anyone else tried this or something similar?

Marc_in_NS · **Reply #1 on:** October 11, 2018, 03:57:16 PM

I think its an awesome idea. I do the same when required with my bench top magnetizer/demagnetizer! Works great to retrieve “lost” item too.

Gath · **Reply #2 on:** October 11, 2018, 04:44:38 PM

The scaler used to be magnetized, but probably was dropped to simplify production and because I think few users remembered or noticed it anyway.

The Cybertool specifically doesn't use magnets because it's a hazard to the electronics they're originally meant to be used on, so keep that in mind, if you're using those precision bits on electronics, the possibility of damage isn't too high but I wouldn't risk anything important.

With that in mind, this can be quite an useful feature.

theonew · **Reply #3 on:** October 11, 2018, 05:25:25 PM

I usually magnetize the tweezers, which can help in retrieving small items and also works as an emergency compass.

Marc_in_NS · **Reply #4 on:** October 11, 2018, 05:33:33 PM

Kraken · **Reply #5 on:** October 11, 2018, 06:06:46 PM

Quote from: Gath on October 11, 2018, 04:44:38 PM

The scaler used to be magnetized, but probably was dropped to simplify production and because I think few users remembered or noticed it anyway.

The Cybertool specifically doesn't use magnets because it's a hazard to the electronics they're originally meant to be used on, so keep that in mind, if you're using those precision bits on electronics, the possibility of damage isn't too high but I wouldn't risk anything important.

With that in mind, this can be quite an useful feature.

The fish scaler and the tweezers! That's genius! I guess I know what I'll be doing to my Swisschamp tonight when I get home.