Super Strong Magnetic Ball Bearings - Bulk Buy?

There have been a few comments about using magnetic ball bearings to protect saddles.

I did a bit of Googling and found this place that sells super strong, rare earth magnets. They are in the states, but if we do a bulk buy, it wouldn't be too pricey at all.

I think that either 3/16" or 1/4" would be good, but need to check which.

Is anyone interested, I'm thinking about buying 50 of them but could get more?

superglue or threadlock on a bearing about 0.01p

How about these?

They're 6.4mm which is the same as the 1/4" jobbies you were looking at.

@ Murtle:

But a magnetic ball bearing would be cooler.

Plus nicer to remove with a magnet, rather than scratching around with a pin.

@ Mashton:

I'd be up for the bilk buy, pending working out what size I would need.

How about these?

They're 6.4mm which is the same as the 1/4" jobbies you were looking at.

most seatpost binder bolts are 5mm, so you would need a smaller ball

and bilk buying could be dodgy

most seatpost binder bolts are 5mm, so you would need a smaller ball

and bilk buying could be dodgy

You're right it'd have to be 5mm or 3/16". There's usually someone from Sheffield selling them on weebay, might save having to wait for them to come from the states? They are stupidly strong too.
Anyway sorry for disrupting the thread Mashton!

I'd happily go around the bike putting them in every allen head, just as long as I had a magnet on my keyring to remove them.

As it stand you could strip my bike down to the BB if you had an allen key multi-tool (and could get through the lock).

EDIT- and a 15mm spanner.

would these not work?
bit of diy
sorry if i missed something.

I have a load of little rare earth magnets at home - not sure of the size, will measure tonight - if anyone wants to try em out. Got em off the 'bay

I think I may just buy some of these. They'll be fun to play with anyway.

And, if (when) I get behind at work I can easily corrupt my hard drive and blame my non-productivity on that :-)

letting babies swallow magnets is a bad idea. just fyi.

Can't you just magnetize some ball bearings (if steel) with a magnet? Seem to remember making compass points out of pins this way as a kid, and the magnet in a dynamo was perfect for the task.

Could a scientist confirm?

(although the thought of a rare earth magnetized ball bearing must have some hipster credentials - but be warned (from ebay site) "Modern Permanent Magnets can attract steel objects or other magnets from large distances and cause trapping injuries."!)

I just went through the site ordering process. it's gonna cost nearly 50p per magnet. hmmmmm.

if 20 odd people are up for paying £1 for two (one for the bolt head, one to remove it) then I'll go ahead and order...

List?

1. mashton
   

wouldnt those be easy to pick out?

1. mashton
   
2. dovoneil (10 please)
   

1. mashton
   
2. dovoneil (10 please)
   
3. Dammit
   

Is there a difference between rare earth magnets and... normal magnets? I like the idea of using some special type of magnet that the kids who stole my seatpost several moons ago aren't going to be carrying about with them.

Ideally some sort of magnetic ball bearing that is also a ray gun to zap the little bastards.

I got some magnets off these guys for some physics stuff I was doing. http://e-magnetsuk.com/

UK based, fast delivery. A 6.4mm nickel plated sphere comes in at £4.50 for 18, or, 25p each.

http://e-magnetsuk.com/magnet_products/neodymium_magnets/spheres.aspx are the ones you want

Edit, normal and rare earth attract the same. rare earth magnets produce a higher flux density, making them appear more powerful in a smaller volume. They are made from a compound of Neodymium, Iron and Boron (NdFeB). Normal magnets are made from a ceramic iron compound and are generally, not as strong.

1. mashton
   
2. dovoneil (10 please)
   
3. Dammit
   
4. illy
   

Do these super-duper magnets stick to alloy then?
Just a thought...

A pound? Just what i was looking for

1. mashton
   
2. dovoneil (10 please)
   
3. Dammit
   
4. illy
   
5. Brogue Boy
   

superglue or threadlock on a bearing about 0.01p

True, glue's good, but like Dammit says magnets can go on any part of the bike. Personally I don't like the idea of messing around with glue on my brake lever for example.

OK, so a quid gets me both the magnet and a thing to remove it? If so:

1. mashton
   
2. dovoneil (10 please)
   
3. Dammit
   
4. illy
   
5. Brogue Boy
   
6. Starfish and Coffee (2 please)
   

True, glue's good, but like Dammit says magnets can go on any part of the bike. Personally I don't like the idea of messing around with glue on my brake lever for example.

as long as they are the same size allen head holes.

Wouldn't a magnetic ball-bearing just fall out? Unless it's so jammed in that it's nigh on impossible to get out.
I tried the sticking candle-wax into the allen-head trick; it had fallen out within a week.