Drill w/guide or router?

[Rich Engelhardt]

This is exactly what Edward and I were both suggesting as well.

Yes - I'm sorry I didn't mention that along with Derek. Thanks to both of you also for the suggestion.

Derek's big giant screen filling pictures, showing the points being used in thicker wood just brought the idea home.

When I earlier saw the mention, my mind just saw points being used to mark 3/4" boards.


Warren really cut through a lot of layout work though and a lot of fun time making my own 3/4" pins.

I think if I just hammer a 5/8" 18ga brad nail in one side and bring the doors together that should do it for layout.

[Tom Bender]

Edward's suggestion seems like the way to go, a magnet on one side only and a washer on the other. You can reduce the grip and the snapping noise by setting the washer deeper or bring it forward with another washer. This is not possible with two epoxied in magnets. Get maximum grip by leaving the washers a little loose so they can align with the magnet. Countersink the hole in the front washer.

Don't put the magnets at the top or bottom, that will make opening wonky. Put them around the height of the pulls. I say them but hopefully just one.

[Rich Engelhardt]

There's little pop out pulls on the doors - where the latch would be on a door with a regular knob and latch.
I'm planning on locating the magnets a little above those - thinking that in that already "busy" location, the extra hardware will just look like it belongs there.

The magnets themselves are 3/4" in diameter and roughly 3/8" tall. They have a hole in the center for a screw.
I plan to glue and screw (with brass screws) them into the hole I make.

I have an old set of bifold doors I plan to practice on when the weather warms up enough for me to go outside.
I'm going to take the hardware off them so I can make a hole in both and test the attraction of the magnets I bought.
I'm hoping I can get by with one magnet on one and a washer on the other. If not, then a magnet in each door.

I really don't want to have to resort to putting magnets in more than one location on the doors - like middle and top.

[Patty Hann]

Someone posted a comment about making certain the magnets touch each other to get maximum pull force.
From what I have read you don't want the magnets touching each other (or the magnet touching the steel disc if you are only using one) if they are going to be joined and pulled apart a lot.
Magnets can be damaged when hitting hard surfaces.

https://www.kjmagnetics.com/blog.asp?p=breaking-magnets

Yes, the attractive force will be reduced, but that can be compensated by using a slightly stronger magnet.
If you are using magnets to hold something more or less "permanently" in place, then actual contact is not a problem as there is not constant "hitting".
So you need to recess the magnet just a little maybe a quarter or at most a .5mm

In making my 2.5 inch magports I recessed the magnets about a .25mm

[Doug Garson]

If the magnets have center holes for screws I would just use screws, no glue. Much easier to adjust the depth to get it just right. Set them a few thou below the surface so they don't make contact when the door is slammed closed which may happen if the magnetic force is too much. If the force is too strong set them a little deeper. If not strong enough, remember magnetic strength can be increased by backing the magnet with a steel disc (washer works) so drill deeper and add a washer behind or a second magnet. You can see how not gluing them in would make this much easier.

[Rich Engelhardt]

<<snip>>

https://www.kjmagnetics.com/blog.asp?p=breaking-magnets

Yes, the attractive force will be reduced, but that can be compensated by using a slightly stronger magnet.
If you are using magnets to hold something more or less "permanently" in place, then actual contact is not a problem as there is not constant "hitting".
So you need to recess the magnet just a little maybe a quarter or at most a .5mm

In making my 2.5 inch magports I recessed the magnets about a .25mm

Interesting link.
I'll keep that in mind when I install the magnets.
Thanks for that info!