Super Magnets for Water Scoops

Everyone has probably found a magnet or two to fasten into the bottom of your water scoop to collect miscellaneous iron objects as you sift for your finds but how would you like to have a “super” magnet that will nearly pull the iron right through the sand or muck? And, best of all, if you look in the right places or ask the right people, you can get them for free!

The magnets I am talking about are located in computer harddisk drives. These come in various sizes and if you can locate some of the older, large drives the magnets are usually larger. Drives from old mini-computers like the IBM Baby 36 systems had very nice sized magnets.

Many of these magnets come mounted on steel holders that already have holes just right for mounting on the bottom of your scoop.

A word of warning about these magnets though! Be very careful with these if you happen to have both of them in your hand. They are “VERY” powerful. Powerful to the point of being dangerous.

I talked to a “three-fingered” gentleman at an Amateur Radio Hamfest a couple of years ago. As you can probably guess, his disfigurement was the result of having two of these magnets in his hands. He was holding them with the like-poles of each magnet pushing each other away from each other as he was trying to see if he could push the two together. “KIDS, DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME!” As he found out, this is almost impossible to do and if you are not holding onto the magnets “extremely tight”, their attractive force is much stronger than the repulsive force. One of the magnets spun in his hand as he was pushing them together and took one of his fingers right off! It happened so fast and so clean that he and his buddy that was with him never could find the missing finger to take along with them to the hospital!

If you plan on using both magnets in your scoop, please, at least fasten the first magnet down securely first and then be very careful putting the next one in. Sounds like I’m being overly cautious but these magnets have bit me a couple of times too. Take heed of the story from the “three-fingered” man!

Now for our use of these magnets, they really work great for sucking up every last bit of iron going through your scoop. You will be amazed at how much iron there is even if you have used other weaker magnets in the past.

If you get them placed correctly you will be pleasantly surprised at the time savings. No more pushing that little screw, nail, ball bearing, etc. all over the bottom of the lake.

Now if only someone would invent a “super” GOLD magnet!