Benchtips

For those who work in a blaze and flurry of microcosmic mess:

Go online and get some of those cylindrical 1/8th" rare-earth
magnets (the ones that have the poles on the ends, not the sides),

Take a 1/8th" drill and drill some holes in the edge of your bench,
or the top, or wherever on on your bench you want your favorite
burrs accessible, and drill away–

Then push in your magnets so their flush with the surface. You won’t
hardly know they’re there, except for a tiny inlaid metallic spot
flush with the bench-surface.

Now your bur will magickally sand at attention, on end, ready to be
used-- And when it’s time to switch burrs, simply toss the prior one
at the spot in the wood where this tiny magnet-end is, and ‘Boing’!
The bench seems to grab it out of mid-air and stand it right back up
on this little spot-- you can even put a few on that spot, and
they’ll just stand there, fanning out perfectly ready for your next
grab–

Not only that, instead of everything rolling off your bench-top
needing to be fished for on the tray, you’re little iron-bearing
parts such as drills, burrs, screws, springs, etc. will just zip
right over to your magnet, in the perfect chosen spot where you can
grab it.

Try it, it’s one of the handiest little discoveries I’ve found, far
better than those magnetic knife-holders or burr-blocks, which take
twice as long to store and retrieve, and look hideous----

Discalimer-- of course if you’re one of those who grind away at
iron-bearing alloys, be prepared for a little forest of fur to grow
on your mysterious magnetic spot. Also, the Reason I got this idea
was because these magnets were for clasps, however i later noticed
all magnetic-clasps seem to come with warning labels not to wear if
you have a pacemaker… so rather than risk hurting anyone (same
reason I don’t use long pinstems…) I kept these, and used them in
the shop-- But therefore, I guess you’re not supposed to have
magnets around if you have a pacemaker…

You're tips were great.... however, where do you get the magnets? 

Hey there. Lots of em online, great fun. Try this link (those 1/8th"
rod magnets’ll work just fine, use the larger ones for the
chuck-key-- but recess the hole for that guy in the edge of the
bench a bit, helps it not get knocked off too easily due to th
weight…):

What do you mean, use the larger ones for the chuck key? Forgive my
ignorance.

John

FWIW, I use the magnets out of old computer hard drives. These will
hold up anything from chuck keys to hammers if you want. There are
plenty of old computer drives around - almost everyone will know
someone who has had their machine upgraded and the old drive should
have been given back to the owner so that they can ensure that any
of their data on it is kept in their possession or properly
destroyed. Asking at a computer upgrade shop will probably get you
a free drive or two as the shops that don’t give them back usually
just throw the small capacity ones into a dumpster. Each drive has
two rare earth magnets which are usually glued onto steel plates with
handy mounting holes - they are not a neat rectangle shape but what
the heck. With small objects like chuck keys they do give you a bit
of a workout wrestling the key from them but, if you prise the
magnet off the steel backing, you can always break or diamond saw it
into smaller pieces. These drives also contain beautiful flat
silvered aluminium disks which can be used to make dividing plates
for small lathes or which could undoubtedly find use in sculpture or
large scale jewellery (maybe use half of one with other bits and
pieces from the drive, such as the high quality ball races, suck to
it as an ‘industrial/high tech’ pectoral or necklet?).

Ian