How do you demagnetize a metal tool?

Answer 1

There are probably several ways, but I'm aware of, and for years have only used, one. This works for relatively small ferrous [magnitizable] objects such as for example, screws, nuts, washers, bolts, screwdrivers, pliars, and other hand tools. An alternating current magnetic field is requrired, and the best "tool" which I have found for that is a "Video/Audio Tape Eraser." These can be found a most electronic equipment stores, and I got mine years ago at Radio Shack ["High-Power Video-Audio Tape Eraser, Catalogue No. 44-233A"]. This unit is powered by plugging into any standard household duplex 120 volt electrical outlet. The unit is turned on and off with a momentary-type "trigger switch." Simply follow the included instructions, which for my unit, I quote [there are NO copyright or trademark symbols on these instructions] as follows. "How to use

1. Plug into a standard 110-120V AC power outlet.

2. Select a tape [or similar small object]...

3. Hold the eraser in your hand and squeeze the trigger. The red light indicates that the unit is operating.

4. While squeezing the trigger, place the bottom of the eraser in contact with the item to be erased. Move the eraser slowly in a circular motion over the entire product area but do not release the trigger yet.

Make circular passes arount the tape for approximately 10-20 seconds, then slowly withdraw the eraser until it is about three feet away from the tape. Now release the trigger.

5. Turn the cassette or diskette over and repeat steps 3 and 4. NOTES: Different magnetic tapes [or items/tools] may require different erasure times. A typical tape will require 10-20 seconds, but some tapes [tools] may require a longer time.Metal tapes require a minimum of 20 seconds per side.

Do not use the eraser for longer than one minute at any one time. After one minute of use, let the eraser cool for at least 30 minutes. CAUTION: Do not use this Video Cassette Tape eraser near delicate instruments, electronic watches, cardiac pacemakers, or prerecorded tapes films, or disks." End of instruction quote. The larger [more metal mass of] the object, the longer contact time within the magnetic field of the eraser is required. As the power of a magnetic field decreased with the square of the distance from an object, and the power of the eraser/demagnitizer is very small, it is critical that the eraser be used [in the first part of the demagnitization] in DIRECT CONTACT with the item to be demagnitized. Also, although I do not know the limits, there is a point in size of the object to be demagnitized, where the eraser unit, which was designed for audio/video tapes and cassettes, will NOT have the necesary power to successfully demagnitize the object. Over the years, I have heard that a "degaussing [sp?] coil" removed from an old television will work, BUT unless one has a great knowledge of safe electrical practice, this is NOT a good idea, as it is very easily possible to electrocute one's self using this method. Since you had to ask this question, I suspect that this second method is NOT SAFE for your use.j3h. If yo have a piece of iron based material, you can heat the metal to a high temperature or you can pound the metal with a hammer. Each of these will disorient the atoms and the magnetic field will be eliminated.

Answer 2

you can either freeze it or you can hit it quite hard against a solid surface. this jumbles up the atoms that have been ordered so that the tool could be magnetized

Answer 3

Hit it