one of those why not ideas

[Jimmy Wallbanger]

so I was thinking why doesnt some one come up with an electromagnet sweeper. sucker would be great to have just turn it on roll around the yard and driveway picking up nails and screws. Then turn it off and you have a pile to scrap or throw away! could use a mower battery or some sort of plug in. I could go out in my yard and pick a hand full of nails blind folded from the previous owner and the demo from the rebuild. well my harley picked up one a few days ago so one less to worry about.

 

[Willowbilly3]

They do make them with a permanent magnet, even have little wheels so they roll. I think if you made one with a big rare earth magnet you could suck the cast iron sewer pipes out of the ground.

 

[donsrods]

I've been tempted to buy one of those ones with the permanent magnet, like WB3 mentions, but one with a charge on it would be very cool and easier to get the picked up items off of.

Might be an invention for someone to pursue. I think it was the old Mechanics Illustrated that had a section each month that read "Inventions wanted" where people would post things that they thought someone should invent. This is a perfect idea for that section, if it still exists.

Don

 

[38fordtruck]

yeah i have seen them with the permant mag i have used speakers when i drop something in the gravel.

 

[Sulzst]

Nail sniffer

I've got a permanent magnet type, it has a magnet in an aluminum case and two lawn mower wheels. It will pick up nails from an inch away and then there is a lever to pull the magnet away from the bottom of the case and all the metal falls off. I bought it when I was doing the shingles on the house, $25.

When I bought my new place I was finding bits of metal with the lawn mower around the shop area, so I dragged it around and was amazed at how much steel I found, previous owner let things lay where they fell.

 

[Sam_Fear]

My Dad has a magnet out of an old radar unit. Used to red wagon wheels and the handle. That thing will pull nails an inch out of a gravel driveway. I think it weighed 50 Lbs.

I think they have them for the front of Yard Dogs. The ones at work are about 4' across and lift with a lever. The scour the lot clean - they even take the lids off the underground tanks.

 

[EnglishBob]

I use one of these.
http://www.princessauto.com/worksho...hobby-tools/8171746-18-magnetic-floor-sweeper

 

[Bonehead]

Years ago I worked in a big yard building oil rigs. There were about 10 or 12 welders dropping welding rod ends in the dirt all day. At the end of the build, a old time welder used his welder, and wrapped a coil of his welding leads around a piece of pipe, and drove around the yard with his welder going, and the pipe hanging from the rear of his truck. Then when he turned off the welder all the metal that was picked up just fell to the ground.

 

[maverickmk]

they even take the lids off the underground tanks.

Now that would be funny to see.

 

[Jimmy Wallbanger]

thats awsome bone head thats what I was talking about pretty much! yeah the roll arounds are awesome but its a pain pulling shavings and stuff off hence the electric idea. never seen the ones that lift off thier base to drop the stuff and that sounds easier so i`ll look for one of those thanks guys and cool hearing some of the home made ones ! I found one on line where a guy put magnets on a rock rake and then drug it around to get deep stuff.