I have a need to 'dull' the shiny chrome finish from
some small 1/4" dia Neo magnets. I'm trying to get the
magnets to look like some spun, stainless steel.

Does anyone have some solutions to this?
I have not done any experimentation yet, maybe this weekend.
Figured I would try some steel wool to see what effect that
would have.

Any advise would be appreciated.
Thanks
Jim

Hold the magnet with a set of vice grips and press it against a spinning sanding disc. OR.. just press it against some rough sand paper and twist the vice grips to create the effect.

Best,

Tim

P.S. If you use the rotary sander don't heat the magnet too much as heat weakens magnets.

The plating is probably nickel. It's there to protect the magnet itself from corrosion - to which rare earth magnets are highly susceptible.

You might do better to bond some of the material you are trying to emulate to the surface of the magnet.

TW

I would follow Thomas's advice apply too much pressure to one & you could have one big mess.

I didn't know this about these magnets. You learn something new every day. Thanks guys.

Best,

Tim

Same here, Timothy. But this also reminds me of one of those magnets I have where the surface corroded or wore out and I really have a big mess or whatever materials coming out in fine pieces. At the end I don't have a magnet any more.

Magnets are very hard to sand. I had some flush mounted in wood and the surface was difficult to take off....and I was using a palm sander with fine grit sandpaper! As someone said, you might coat them with something else and get the desired effect.

Regan

I believe coating the surface would be faster.

Please

You can but neo magnets that are not plated.
Removing the finish is not possible unless you have an acid tank.
Do not sand them because heat over 110 degrees can make them ineffective.

yes. coat the surface with dullcoat polyurethane would be best.

Find someone who is a rock hound and does lapidary work. Use their diamond wheel (it is a diamond grit), these wheels have water dripping on them to keep heat down since many stones are destroyed by them, that should do the job for you. Otherwise try to find a fine grit grinding stone that is used for knife sharpening, I'm talking about a stone on a grinding machine, not a hand grinding stone. Again it uses water to keep the blade from getting hot on the stone. Don't hold down on either the diamond grit wheel or the grinding stone for long periods, short periods of contact til the finished is dulled. It will etch the surface, and should dull it.