# Magnetizing Miniatures-How practical would it be to do a whole army?



## Skrie (Oct 26, 2007)

I'm slowly collecting the models to build a 2k pt blood angels army, and I was thinking of magnetizing all of their weapons and gear so that I could change it out for different things, like magnetizing the dev squad i'm running at the weapon arms so i could switch them up, like magnetize some lascannons, mls, and plasma cannons and such so that i could switch out their heavy weaponry. I was wondering if there are any guides on doing this, and what kind of tools I would need. I'm thinking of using rare earth magnets because the size and strength seems suitable. However, I am lost on how i would make the holes for the magnets and if anyone has ever done it before or has a guide on how to do it, it would be greatly appreciated. thanks.


----------



## Blackhiker (Dec 28, 2007)

This is a okay idea, but I would make sure to magnatize only the minimum number, while having a few spares. in terms of expense it is cheaper to magnatize the whole army. And as for painting unless you do 5 minute paint jobs then magnatizing is easier in that department as well. just make sure to get good magnets and to install them with minimal viewing area


----------



## Skrie (Oct 26, 2007)

i assume then that if i magnetize them, it is ideal to paint each individual magnetized part seperately?


----------



## CATzeentch (Dec 25, 2007)

Don't magnetize as 1.)it will cost a lot of money
and 2.) it will be a pain in the ass to put them all on.


----------



## Engelus (Jul 26, 2007)

CATzeentch said:


> Don't magnetize as 1.)it will cost a lot of money
> and 2.) it will be a pain in the ass to put them all on.



1: false, it is not expensive figure on it costing about $10 per 2000 points
2: only put it on things that you would want to swap out that way its not that bad. (I don't magnetize special weapons or heavy weapons, just larger stuff like dreads and tanks for which it is amazingly worth it)

3: its good for transport, I magnetized my bikes to their bases, so they are much easier to fit in my battle box, I also magnetized on all the parts on all my tanks, so when they blow up I can put all the parts on the battlefield)

go to www.kjmagnetics.com good deals abound


----------



## Skrie (Oct 26, 2007)

thanks for the link. I do only intend on magnetizing the parts I need. Yes having the thing fully magnetized is nice, but I will probably only end up doing it on veichle parts and miniature parts that I intend to swap out.


----------



## Engelus (Jul 26, 2007)

i found that magnetizing at points that would easily break is also helpful, for example, on my space marine predator's sponsons, I permanently affixed the axle and sensors to the top, but attached a magnet just underneath the sponson mount, the sponsons gun simply hangs from that attached by a magnet.

I also attach antennas and flags to vehicles by magnets, so that if they do get knocked, the magnet simply lets go rather than the antenna snapping.


----------



## Archangel (Dec 30, 2007)

I'm a huge fan of magnets. But I only magnetize dev squads, vehicles and commanders. There's no real point in magnetizing tactical squads. How often do they really change?

And yes, magnets are a huge pain in the azz.


----------



## morfangdakka (Dec 31, 2006)

magnets are so worth it. They can be a pain at times to fit into the model but it is so nice to swap out weapons and other things quick and easy plus its not that expensive.


----------



## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

I know I magnetized my Slanneshi Demons for the simple reason my GW has a lot of hills for them to fall down on, and with the movement trays tacked with a sheet of sheet metal, I can stick a unit on and turn it upside-down without a single Demonette falling off.

-Dirge


----------



## Pandawithissues... (Dec 2, 2007)

> I know I magnetized my Slanneshi Demons for the simple reason my GW has a lot of hills for them to fall down on, and with the movement trays tacked with a sheet of sheet metal, I can stick a unit on and turn it upside-down without a single Demonette falling off.


Oh hell yes, that is shit hot dirge. I will seriously consider that for my fantasy armies. If you have a link for the sheeting/magnets etc you used that would be outrageously awesome.

I'd really be up for doing this for models that fall over easily, like spearmen, metals etc. Much better than coining the base


----------



## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

Any piece of really thin metal works (I used 2.00$ replacement fan blades from Home Depot), and you can buy Rare Earth magnets at any good model train shop, or Hobby Lobby. Something like that. The real inspiration was when I fought on a table we affectionately refer to as "The Cliff", because It's all hills. I got so mad with my Demonettes falling off that I refused to play on that table ever again. A few weeks after I magnetized everything, I won a local tourney on that table.

-Dirge


----------



## Underground Heretic (Aug 9, 2008)

I'm planning on magnetizing all available weapons for my Crisis suits. I think I have the basics planned out, but corrections would be helpful. This should give an aesthetically pleasing result that is also functional.

1. Measure twice, cut once.
2. Drill a recess slightly larger than your magnet.
3. Superglue your magnet.
4. File off attachment points (tabs on Tau items)
5. Replace attachment points with magnets.
6. Repaint.


----------



## Wraithian (Jul 23, 2008)

Underground Heretic said:


> I'm planning on magnetizing all available weapons for my Crisis suits. I think I have the basics planned out, but corrections would be helpful. This should give an aesthetically pleasing result that is also functional.
> 
> 1. Measure twice, cut once.
> 2. Drill a recess slightly larger than your magnet.
> ...


I use two sizes of magnets for my Tau. 1/8 inch wide by 1/16 deep, and 1/16 wide by 1/16 deep. 1/8 are for the bigger stuff (such as weapon load outs, shield gens, etc) while the 1/16 width ones are for the smaller stuff (targetting arrays, drone controllers, positional relays, etc).

What I found works is to simply take a 1/8" drill bit and drill straight into the forearm of the crisis suit, using the already available indent as a bit guide, same for the shoulders. The biggest thing to remember is to keep your polarities straightened out--it sucks having that one crisis suit who can't hang on to anything because his polarities are backwards. I've went so far as to using 2 of the 1/16" magnets in the bottom forearm of the stealth suits and two in the top of the stealth burst cannon and stealth fusion blaster (each magnet is mounted side by side, not on top of one another). I've also mounted my broad side railguns, too (sucks having those things break off, so magnets instead).

I've found mounting the magnet just deeper than flush with the model on the shoulders and/or forearm, then going over it with model putty, sanding it down, gives it a real clean appearance.

As for the original topic, isolate what you need to swap. As mentioned, tac squads aren't going to change much (maybe magnetizing the Sgt and a few different weapon load outs for him, and the heavy trooper in the squad as well). Magnetizing assault marines to accomodate jump packs or standard back packs isn't a bad idea, either. Also, as mentioned, your dev squads.


----------



## TrentLanthier (Apr 28, 2008)

Magnets are worth it... but I think you have to look at the models... when I started my chaos terminators... I installed magnets on all of them.. both arms... then looking back I realized how often is their gun changing ... more often than not I might switch up the power first for a chain fist type scenario.

Looking back now I would definitely do it for commanders, 1 or 2 terminators so I could change weapons (Assault Cannon etc).

But I think a whole army is a waste especially your troop choice, which I really don't think changes that much.


----------



## cannae (Oct 11, 2008)

Magnitizing is usefull for squads with al lot of options and with a relative high piont cost. Basic troops aren't worth the effort you have to put in them, as mentioned before they will not change a lot. Troops with special weapons can be done, but i would not magnitize the no brainers like SM's with HB or ML but SM's with heavy multi melta's would certainly be a contender in my army.

I'm currently using magnets in my nids army, where I'm only magnitizing my Hive Tirant, Carnifex's and warriors just for the simple reason that they have so many choises in biomorph's that magnitizing them is the best way to go.
The HT and fex's will all be fully magnitezed, but I'm not making all the options for all ot them, only the one's that I intend to use. The less usefull one's I plan to do only once for show, I just take one of them to paint with each HT or fex. 
For my warriors I'm not magitizing everyone of them, the rest is either shoting or CC the magnitezed ones will be used to bulk up kind either of warrior squad depending in the need. 

hope it helps:victory:


----------



## Munky (Oct 2, 2008)

I my self have done it for my Tyranid Canifex's as they have so many different arms to choose from( and heads lol) and some of my shooty warriors are done too so i can swap out the VC and BS.
What i do is start on 1 side of the mini and do an arm then stick the whole stack of magnets on the one glued in that arm and you wont get confused to which way round the polarities are!


----------



## Evil beaver2 (Feb 3, 2009)

I would just buy an extra tactical squad and give it the infantry weapons and swap the whole marine not just the weapon, and i would magnatize the vehicles.


----------



## Crimzzen (Jul 9, 2008)

I think its been said enough however, I agree, only magnetize things like vehicles or where you find yourself swapping weapons quite a bit.

Make sure to use rare earth magnets as they hold really well and are tiny enough that you can hide them with a bit of customizing work.

Pick up a hand drill - This was invaluable when I did my Tau as it gave me a starting place to work out from.

Get some gray stuff, you will probably want to fill in the cracks afterwards.... If you're really good with the stuff you can even put a thin layer over the magnet to hide it.. Super cool... With earth magnets, you'll hardly notice any loss in pull. If you do, simply perforate the gray stuff with tiny holes.

Good luck, let us know how it goes!


----------



## Agrippa (Jul 13, 2009)

If you are a Blood Angels player, magnetizing assault packs and back packs can be very handy, for when you want to run say a DoA army or a mech army with 5 man assault squads in razorbacks and don't feel like spending another 60+ bucks for more assault marines.


----------



## Djinn24 (Jan 12, 2008)

THREADOMANCY

Please watch the dates.... this was originally posted 3 years ago and has been brought back 3 times so far.

Tho your backpack idea is a great one.


----------

