Non Magentic Screw Driver Magnetized

[phibonacci]

I have a lot of electronics, computers, CBs, HAMs located within my room. During a few events I left a non-magnetic screw driver on the floor. The next day it became magnetic. It was slightly humorous.

 

[rcgldr]

Which is why some screwdrivers are made out of hard plastic or other non-magnetic material.

 

[Q_Goest]

Is there an easy way of demagnitizing a regular steel screwdriver that's become magnitized? I guess if I don't want them magnitized, I shouldn't keep them in the same drawer with magnets, huh?

 

[Gokul43201]

Is there an easy way of demagnitizing a regular steel screwdriver that's become magnitized?

Subject it to an alternating magnetic field with decaying amplitude. (ie: run AC though any coil/loop with your tool next to it, and slowly move the tool away).

 

[Q_Goest]

Thanks!

 

[FredGarvin]

Subject it to an alternating magnetic field with decaying amplitude. (ie: run AC though any coil/loop with your tool next to it, and slowly move the tool away).

That's the same way I manually degaussed a TV tube.

 

[Mk]

What would be the differences if I ran different amounts of voltages and currents through? What would be "optimum," if it is not different depending on what object you are degaussing?

 

[berkeman]

What would be the differences if I ran different amounts of voltages and currents through? What would be "optimum," if it is not different depending on what object you are degaussing?

Probably the optimum is a peak magnetic field from the coil that is just a bit bigger than the magnetization of the object. The peak magnitude of the degausing field has to be bigger than the magnetization of the object so that it can drive the magnetization at least a bit the other way. You can make the degausing field a lot bigger, but that takes more power and it's more likely that you might accidentally degaus something important like your credit cards...