Make a Magnetic Cup/Pedestal for Screws!

by Weissensteinburg in Workshop > Tools

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Make a Magnetic Cup/Pedestal for Screws!

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It happens to all of us...we found our newest gadget to take apart, modify, or fix, and as we're doing it, the same guy who steals our socks from the laundry steals our screws! Luckily for you, I've developed revolutionary idea...put a magnet on something to hold the screws! So in just a few minutes you can save all your screws from running away! You'll have the option of either a magnetic cup to hold them, or a block to put them on. Oh yeah, and it's really manly looking too.

Materials

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What you need:

Empty water bottle
Utility knife
Wire snippers
A nice strong magnet (I got mine from the speakers of a broken shower radio)
A Paper clip or two
Duct tape (Mainly to make it look more manly...some practicality too. You'll need some kind of adhesive)
Some screws

Prepare the Bottle

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Use your knife to cut off the bottom section of the bottle.

The Paper Clip

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Unbend the paper clip, and bend them to shape of the bottle. Cut them so they reach from the indent on the bottom of the bottle, to the top of the rim. You want one for each "canyon." Lay the segments out on the bottle, on top of the magnet, like in the picture. Do this one at a time, and tape down each segment when you get it in place.

It's important that you now know how you want yours...cup, or pedestal. Position the magnet so that metals will be attracted to the right side, depending on what you're making.

Decorate!!!

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If you're making a cup, you're technically done. But this is ugly. So cover up the rest of the outside with duct tape.

If you're making a cup, and like the way the inside looks, you're done. If you don't like the inside, put some tape there too. Congratulations! Put in some screws and tip it over - watch nothing come out!

All Done!

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Flip it over, and put some stuff on it, everything stays. Time to go out to the workbench and be amazed when you don't lose anything!

Note - To make it clear, the open side of the bottle goes down, and the magnet side goes up, when using a pedestal.