Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Cleaning Iron Filings from Motor Magnets

2957 views
7 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    May 2018
  • 68 posts
Cleaning Iron Filings from Motor Magnets
Posted by Paul Schulze on Friday, July 20, 2018 7:57 PM

Slip tappered stiff card stock between armature and field magnets as shown in picture.  Put a thin coat of Hob-e-Tac adhesive on passed through tab and let dry.  Slowly pull card stock back through making sure not to tear stock as you do not want it to get stuck in motorSad

Cleaning Motor Magnet

  • Member since
    April 2013
  • 917 posts
Posted by Southgate on Friday, July 20, 2018 8:20 PM

Are you turning the flywheels and armature as you do that? 

Another way to clean filings off an armature is to press a little piece of clay against the metal core. This works with any magnets. Dan

  • Member since
    June 2005
  • 4,368 posts
Posted by Darth Santa Fe on Friday, July 20, 2018 11:21 PM

I use a bigger magnet.Big Smile  Good tip though!  Always helpful to have different methods that you know will work.

_________________________________________________________________

  • Member since
    May 2018
  • 68 posts
Posted by Paul Schulze on Friday, July 20, 2018 11:32 PM

Southgate

Are you turning the flywheels and armature as you do that? 

Another way to clean filings off an armature is to press a little piece of clay against the metal core. This works with any magnets. Dan

 

 

No as I don't think the armature has any permanant magnets.  As you know, it becomes a magnet when a current passes through the armature coils from the brushes.  The armature can be simply blotted with a damp paper towel or clay as you suggest.  I cannot access the permanat magnets with clay without getting the clay jammed in between the armature and field magnets with no good way to remove it. 

The iron filings I was trying to remove were stuck to the permanant field magnets. The tacky glue seems to do the job without getting on anything else. I suppose one could put the tacky glue on both sides of the card stock and that would roll the armature and slide over the field magnets at the same time.  Thanks, Paul

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Friday, July 20, 2018 11:53 PM

Hey Paul:

Thanks for the suggestion. 

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Saturday, July 21, 2018 11:50 PM

Thanks for the tip.

.

This is another one to add to my stash of "tricks of the trade" for future use.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: west coast
  • 7,667 posts
Posted by rrebell on Sunday, July 22, 2018 2:27 PM

What you are dealing with is latent magnatizing. Just like a screwdriver that has touched a magnet, the screwdriver keeps its magnetic propertys for awhile.

  • Member since
    June 2017
  • 2 posts
Posted by Baddy on Sunday, July 29, 2018 11:17 AM

Many years ago when I worked in a shop doing loudspeaker repairs we used ordinary 3M masking tape to remove any stray metal from the magnets. Much the same as the Hob-E-Tac method.

Dave

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!