Magnetic Display - Bad Idea?

Edrof · 14 Oct 2017 at 12:36

I just want to run this past GD to see if anyone has used a better solution.

After years of shoving them all over the house I need a proper display solution for my antique swords. The plan is to buy an Ikea bookshelf, remove the shelves and use magnetic hooks to hang swords inside, from the rear panel. This rear panel is wooden and 3mm thick. To retain the hooks and the weight of the swords (just under 1kg each, on average) I'm thinking that I can then buy magnets for the other side of the panel - but I don't understand all the magnety technical stuff and am only assuming this will be strong enough.

Has anyone used magnets for something similar and were they strong enough?

(This thread might have been better in Home but I'd like a wider range of responses.)

Destination · 14 Oct 2017 at 12:45

They are all of magnetised steel/iron?
Best checking with a small magnet on each first, but your plan should work.

haven't used it, but should be similar too cooking knives on a wall mount.

Russinating · 14 Oct 2017 at 13:43

Why do you need the bookcase? To keep them locked? If not Ikea do loads of magnetic holders intended for knives and they're pretty strong. One or two would hold 1kg I'd have thought: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/...etic-knife-rack-stainless-steel-art-60238645/

aardvark · 14 Oct 2017 at 13:43

yeah probably check they are magnetic first!

but neodymium magnets will be more than strong enough.
depending on how thick the panel is you may need some of the bigger magnets though.

Skunkworks · 14 Oct 2017 at 13:59

If you get decapitated you only have yourshelf to blame!

ThriceNightly · 14 Oct 2017 at 14:15

Edrof · 14 Oct 2017 at 15:25

I think this is back to the drawing board - some of the magnetic hooks' reviews say they can't hold much vertical weight

. I'm not sure attaching another magnet to the back will make things much better. The problem is that the rear panel is too thin to retain pins (etcetera) to hold the swords up at 90 degrees and, with my sword collection being quite fluid, I will need to move things around a lot and would not like to leave holes all over the place.

Russinating said:
Why do you need the bookcase? To keep them locked? If not Ikea do loads of magnetic holders intended for knives and they're pretty strong. One or two would hold 1kg I'd have thought: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/...etic-knife-rack-stainless-steel-art-60238645/

Hikari Kisugi said:
They are all of magnetised steel/iron?
Best checking with a small magnet on each first, but your plan should work.

haven't used it, but should be similar too cooking knives on a wall mount.

Locked away, yes, but I mean the hooks are stuck to the rear panel of the book shelf and they hold the swords, not that magnets hold the swords directly. I don't want anything that could scratch the swords' blades.

Werewolf · 14 Oct 2017 at 15:52

If the back is too thin to hold the pins, the simple answer would be to put a supporting wooden bar at the right height behind the hardboard back and pin that to the sides the same way the hardbaord is.
That way you get the hardboard back as the visible one, but are putting the pins into a wooden crosspiece which takes the actual weight.

Dis86 · 14 Oct 2017 at 15:54

Werewolf said:
If the back is too thin to hold the pins, the simple answer would be to put a supporting wooden bar at the right height behind the hardboard back and pin that to the sides the same way the hardbaord is.
That way you get the hardboard back as the visible one, but are putting the pins into a wooden crosspiece which takes the actual weight.

Also makes the whole thing more rigid and less likely to deform under the weight of the swords. Reduces the chances of the holders sagging and a sword dropping too.

Werewolf · 14 Oct 2017 at 16:17

In addition to my earlier comment, a lot of the larger magnets are very strong, even vertically, it's a matter of finding the ones that do the job and being prepared to spend the money (some of the larger magnets are several pounds each).

theleg · 14 Oct 2017 at 17:16

Do you want them in something for any reason? Dont fancy just hanging them from the wall ala Matt Easton?

aardvark · 15 Oct 2017 at 00:18

if the rear panel is too thin to hold pins isn't it going to be too thin to have lots of heavy magnets and swords weighing it down?
(as werewolf says you can easily get magnets more than strong enough - but is the panel strong enough?)

Edrof · 15 Oct 2017 at 09:20

@theleg - I will still have some on the wall like that, but I want to be able to lock some away from little hands, have some nice lighting, and arrange them in chronological order.

At this point I think I will just buy the thing, reinforce the panel with a couple of batons and try to find magnets of appropriate strength as @Werewolf suggests. Thanks all! If it comes off well I might post a pic.

WantoN · 15 Oct 2017 at 11:16

The magnetic strength of the hook is not important here, more the strength of the magnet on the back of the panel.

Some larger N52 neodymium magnets should be fine. They're cheap and I would invest in one set of hooks and appropriate magnets to test the theory.

I too would be more inclined to fit battons to the back of the case and use a mechanical fixing, but the method you envisage should work as long as the magnets are strong enough.

A quick google found some 20mm x 10mm magnets with a 15kg pull. Don't forget we're talking shearing force for your application, but a couple of them should be fine for 1kg. They are a fiver each.

WantoN · 15 Oct 2017 at 11:21

Might be worth gluing them in place to stop sliding, little hands behind cupboards or accidental knocks.

h4rm0ny · 15 Oct 2017 at 17:23

Edrof said:
I think this is back to the drawing board - some of the magnetic hooks' reviews say they can't hold much vertical weight . I'm not sure attaching another magnet to the back will make things much better.

Well, magnets scale. Double the magnets and double the pull. However, whilst you might support them vertically if the swords are magnetic, they're going to pull away very easily which means if children are nearby it's not a safe solution. And honestly, you may well find your swords slowly sliding down over time also.

Have you considered quarterstaffs? I understand one is equivalent to six swords.

h4rm0ny · 15 Oct 2017 at 17:26

Skunkworks said:
If you get decapitated you only have yourshelf to blame!

Ouch. That was painful.

Edrof · 16 Oct 2017 at 09:18

WantoN said:
The magnetic strength of the hook is not important here, more the strength of the magnet on the back of the panel.

Some larger N52 neodymium magnets should be fine. They're cheap and I would invest in one set of hooks and appropriate magnets to test the theory.

I too would be more inclined to fit battons to the back of the case and use a mechanical fixing, but the method you envisage should work as long as the magnets are strong enough.

A quick google found some 20mm x 10mm magnets with a 15kg pull. Don't forget we're talking shearing force for your application, but a couple of them should be fine for 1kg. They are a fiver each.

Thanks for that, I will test the waters.

h4rm0ny said:
Well, magnets scale. Double the magnets and double the pull. However, whilst you might support them vertically if the swords are magnetic, they're going to pull away very easily which means if children are nearby it's not a safe solution. And honestly, you may well find your swords slowly sliding down over time also.

The only way forward is to put my hand in my pocket and try it, I guess.

h4rm0ny said:
Have you considered quarterstaffs? I understand one is equivalent to six swords.

Skunkworks said:
If you get decapitated you only have yourshelf to blame!

This is why I love this forum.