How can I make my homemade electromagnets repel each other?

[corydax]

I have two homemade electromagnets and I need them to repel each other (essentially, be able to physically spin around). Each feels about as strong as a decent fridge magnet when connected, however when I put their opposite poles next to each other, they do not repel - they only feel like they're not attracting each other. I've tried adding more turns (they're both around 7-9 layers of coils deep and I'd rather not make them any thicker if possible) and using different core materials (all of which are ferromagnetic) but nothing is making any difference. How can I fix this?

 

[berkeman]

I have two homemade electromagnets and I need them to repel each other (essentially, be able to physically spin around). Each feels about as strong as a decent fridge magnet when connected, however when I put their opposite poles next to each other, they do not repel - they only feel like they're not attracting each other. I've tried adding more turns (they're both around 7-9 layers of coils deep and I'd rather not make them any thicker if possible) and using different core materials (all of which are ferromagnetic) but nothing is making any difference. How can I fix this?

Pics? Schematics? Videos?

Oh, and Welcome to the :PF.

 

[corydax]

Pics? Schematics? Videos?

Oh, and Welcome to the :PF.

Thank you!

They look kind of rough right now because I've been experimenting with stuff a lot (this is my first time doing something like this), plus I'm only using materials I had on hand, but here they are. The one in the first pic is stronger, if that helps answer my question at all.
:

 

[anorlunda]

How much voltage are you applying?

Does it get hot?

 

[corydax]

How much voltage are you applying?

Does it get hot?

I usually use 2 6-volt batteries for each magnet, which gets hot fairly quickly (within 30-45s).

Edit: It gets hotter much faster for the first (stronger) magnet of the two pictures I sent. It's possible that the problem is with the second magnet.

 

[Borek]

Can you measure currents?

Looking at the wire mess (sorry for being blunt, my experiments often don't look much better if it helps) I wonder if all windings in the second coil are in the same direction.

 

[jrmichler]

If one magnet is stronger than the other, it will pull harder on the steel core of the weaker magnet than the weaker magnet repels the stronger magnet. Try winding two magnets using the same size cores and the same number of turns, then connecting them in series on the same battery (so they both get the same current). Then they should attract and repel properly.

And let us know how it works out.