New Lee Valley Rare-Earth Circular Magnets

Until you have actually used rare-earth magnets, you cannot appreciate their strength. The strength of these magnets has to do with the electron array in the neodymium, the rare earth they are made from. This force only increases with the magnet’s size.

There are hundreds of uses for these magnets – from holding keys or wrenches on machines to making fridge magnets. Nickel plated with slightly rounded edges, they can be glued in place with almost any glue (epoxy is the most secure).

The smaller sizes are sold individually. The 3/4″ and 1″ diameter magnets are so powerful that only people with very strong hands can separate them without using an aid of some kind. The odd one may have a minor chip in it since collisions can happen easily at these power levels. This presents a handling problem for us, so we sell them only in bundles of five, with instructions for simple separation methods.

The magnets achieve maximum attractive force when sandwiched between two pieces of steel.

The 1/4″ diameter by 1/10″ thick magnet will lift a 2 1/2 lb block of steel; the 3/8″ diameter by 1/10″ thick magnet will lift a 5 lb block; the 1/2″ diameter by 1/8″ thick magnet will lift a 9 lb block; the 3/4″ diameter by 1/8″ thick magnet will lift a 22 lb block; the 1″ diameter by 1/8″ thick magnet will lift a 30 lb block.