Magnetic Carry - DIY Minimalist Tool Retention(Part 2)

[comis]

Hi, everyone. 




About a month ago, I have put up a post about making an inexpensive Ranger Band minimalist sheath, which I consider a good ulitarian method for horizontal carry.  And many thanks to Chako , our resident member and super collector here on MT.O, put the spark in me to investigate magnetic carry, and here is the story how it comes into being. 

If you want a quick dose without reading or want to see funny mid-aged man "jump testing" the sheath, feel free to just watch the video below:

Video: Magnetic Carry - DIY Minimalist Tool Retention(Part 2)
A brief Summary video tells it all



Story:

A few trips to local street hawkers' market brought me back various sizes of strong rare Earth magnets.  Some of these little puppies are so strong and large in size that I swear I would get my flesh snap of my fingers if I am not careful.

A reliable magnetic carry solution relies on a few premises:
1) Appropriate and applicable pull those magnet(s) can exert on the tool
2) The design of the sheath and friction
3) Durability and quality of materials used

These sounds uber simple enough, but I soon realized when everything are put in prospective, it is not as simple as it sounds.




1) Appropriate and applicable pull those magnet(s) can exert on the tool
In summary, yes, bigger and stronger the magnets are genuinely better.  However, with too much magnetic pull, it will make installing on belt a real hearty task in the morning(See All-open Tool-on-magnet), and it can be so strong that it even 'bent' the blades/tools inside the tool or make using it difficult in general.  And as the seller told me, the magnets are just hard compressed powder, so if anything snap directly hard onto the magnets, they could be chipped/broken easily. 




2) The design of the sheath and friction
Depending on the tool metal and its scale, the magnets are not going to work the same way from tool to tool(for example, LM Charge TTi vs Victorinox Spirit).  In addition, it amazes me how quickly the magnetic pull weaken just by adding 1mm of ranger band/inner tube over the magnets.




3) Durability and quality of materials used
The design of the sheath and friction works hand-in-hand.  Considering what the seller said, it is probably a good idea to cover all the magnets with some kind material, to prevent hard snapping which will break/chip the magnets.  These materials, which will be pinched between magnet and tool, will help generate friction, and in return enhance tool retention.  It is obvious there will be wear-and-tear if we use inexpensive material(heat shrink wrap) vs. if you could find some more durable material to make a long term solution.  I can't predict how long lasting they each will be, but for daily normal wear and tear, I would assume a short strip of heatshrink wrap should be able to last you a few months at the least.






Different Designs:

Here I will show a few designs that work well for me, and brieftly talk about their pros and cons, each of these designs had been tested(Jump, twist, day-to-day, run up stair, you get the idea...) and so far they are holding up well.  I am sure with some talented designer, they probably could use fancier material to make these looks even better and last longer. 





All-open Tool-on-magnet


An all-open design is the coolest and easiest for getting or retaining the tool.  If you have tried the Ranger band carry method, this method is probably the easiest to do and it could hold up to LM Surge(approx 335g, which is probably one of the heavier full sized tool). 



Find two large size rare earth magnet(usually comes in silver color) and install them under the two loops of band that used to retain the tool. 

Dimensions(All-open Tool-on-magnet)
Belt height: ~1"
Magnet size(each): 25mm x 40mm x 5mm  (1" x 1.5" x 3/32")
Note: Install the magnet so that the Ranger band is strenching over it.  The strong pull will generate a lot of friction when the rubber is pinched hard between tool and magnet, and thus prevent the tool to slide around



Pros:
-Cool factor
-Like the Ranger Band carry, it is one size fits all
-Very easy to get tool or putting tool back
-Great to keep other tools temporarily on you, or even small screws/nuts
-Low wear and tear

Cons:
-Might be a little difficult to install those two magnets each day
-Unknown long term effect close to human or potential damage to credit card
-Might not be the most minimalist, since those magnets are thick






Wrap-around Magnet-on-magnet


This is probably my favorite of all solutions, very user friendly and looks clean.  Find a two or few thin rectangle shaped magnets, install them into a thin strip of heatshrink wrap, then just wrap the 'magnetic' heatshrink wrap around the belt and the tool.

Dimensions(Wrap-around Magnet-on-magnet)
Belt: ~1 inch leather belt
Heatshrink wrap: 12mm width
Magnets(each, will need 3 in total): 35mm x 15mm x 2mm (~1 1/8" x 9/16" x 1/16")





The key to is to find just the right and minimum amount of magnets to slab together for it to work.  I found the thin magnets to be most appealing, and I use 1 for the bottom and 2 stacked on top.  Do make sure the height of the magnets are not longer than the width of your tool and the 'length' of your sheath is just right, so the heat shrink wrap could hug the tool tight from the top and bottom side.  Also beware the direction of magnets when installing(Don't ask me why I know...).

Pros:
-Very clean, slick minimalist look
-Easiest to install on belt, and small foot print

Cons:
-Very tool specific, the heatshrink wrap is not strechable
-Once tool is out, need to make a loop to prevent loss of sheath
-Might not work well for longest and heaviest full sized tool or if scale don't pull by magnet
-Long term tear-and-wear






Wrap-around Magnet side-by-side


This design is ok, I didn't like it all that much, but it served well as a proof of concept.   Install two magnets horizontally into a wide strip of heatshrink wrap.  So when the two magnets meet in the middle, they will attach each other by its sides.  Again, do make sure the directions are correct.

Sometimes putting this sheath on is a little trickier than the others.  Also the smaller and thicker magnets exert enough force that it might pull open some blades.

Dimensions(Wrap-around Magnet side-by-side)
Belt: ~1 inch leather belt
Heatshrink wrap: 26mm width
Magnets(each, will need 3 in total): 20mm x 10mm x 4mm (~3/4" x 6/16" x 2/16")



Pros:
-Interesting look, like two half puzzle closing in middle
-more material pinched between tool and magnets, maybe more suitable for larger tool

Cons:
-A little more difficult to use
-Since thicker magnets are usually used(especially for larger tools), it might not look as slim from the side.
-need to form a loop after tool retrieval to prevent loss




Tips and Tricks:
1) On shrink wrapping, too much heat at one spot could easily warp the whole thing out of shape.  So please be patient and apply just enough heat to melt it into the shape you want.
2) Make absolutely sure the direction of the magnets when installing, do a dry fit.
3) When everything is ready to go, do some jump tests on carpet and fit the magnetic sheath on tool and try to move the sheath around(if it slides too easily, that will mean the tool might slip out and be lost).


Awwwhhh...this is a long read, and thank you for bearing with me.  Once again, a big thank you to Chako for inspiring the idea.  And I hope you like and try them sometimes. 


Thank you for reading!

[ducttapetech]

Very nice write up and thanks for the info. This one I might give a go.

sent from my mobile

[thebullfrog]

Some cool ideas there 

[detron]

fascinating!  time to play with my magnets!  I have some nice ones from hard drives too.  time to find the right amount of hold

[Styerman]

Might be a watch killer . would for attract drill turnings , and grinding swarf . Kool idea never the less .

Chris

[comis]

Thanks for reading!  If you guys come up with anything, do feel free to post pictures to share. 

@Styerman
Thanks for reading.  I wear a casio most of the time, but the 'watch-killer' might be valid if it is an expensive automatic time piece.  In terms of catching unwanted debris, that will depend on the design and what clothing is going over it. 

A simple way to prevent it to happen less is to add layers of heatshrink wrap to the side that is facing out(such as the tab of the wrap-around magnet-on-magnet), the magnetic force will diminish rather quickly. 

[swiety]

exelet idea 

[Styerman]

I love playing with rare earth magnets , I use a bunch in the kitchen , and have used them in small parts boxes to prevent parts migration . I also have one on my fly tying vice , to prevent hooks going astray .

Chris

[comis]

@swiety
Thanks, I like your leather work in another thread, very crafty! 

@Chris
Thanks for reading!  Most rare earth magnets are kinda strong, just out of curiosity, how do you put the magnet in the box without it attracting other parts from another compartment?  I use to have a small parts tray that has a very weak 'layer' of magnet at the bottom of the tray, and it will prevent any very small nuts/screws moving around(such as M2/M3 parts)

[Styerman]

The box in question is worn around my neck when I work aloft . The compartments have dividers  , with the magnet on the bottom - in the event of a bump or having to bend or reach , the parts stay in place .

I'm giving serious thought to using a rare earth mag with a steel cup ( probably 1 1/8" ) to hold two pliers in place . The iteration you saw in the other thread uses a kydex divider . What I'm looking for is tools that don't fall out when I crawl or lie down .

Chris