Mag Pen – Handheld Magnetic Sweep

About

The Mag Pen is a small handheld magnetic sweep designed to make it easy to do light cleanup up iron based materials from a machine or working surface. The idea came about after doing some hard milling on some 4140. This was done on a CNC machine and no amount of air blasts, brushes or vacuuming was easily going to clean it out of the t-slots, or machine vise. After spending several weeks of picking steel out of the nooks of the machine we decided there has to be an easier way. A magnet was a clear choice but there wasn’t a magnetic sweep on the market designed to get into tight spaces and to be a simple small form factor. We decided to build our own.

In the process of developing the tool we have also found it to be very useful for technicians working in electrical cabinets where tight spaces or limited time make a vacuum difficult. It has also been helpful in clean rooms where air filtration for vacuums are not cost effective.

The tool features a 1/4″ tip made of Nylon 12 to easily get into tight places and pull out chips without scratching the cast iron, or steel of machines. The cap is magnetically retained and offers enough distance from the enclosed magnets to put the pen in with other tools without having annoying retention problems.

Specifications

• Dimensions:
  • Overall 3-5/8″ x 9/16″
  • Tip 1/4″ x 7/8″
• Materials:
  • Body/Tip/Cap – Nylon 12 – Made in USA
  • Magnets – N52 Rare Earth
  • Fasteners – Stainless Steel
  • Bearing – Sintered Bronze
  • Case – Synthetic Velvet
• Lubrication: CRC 3-36 Multi-Purpose Lubricant and Corrosion Inhibitor

Instructions

1. 1. Pull the Cap off, drag tip over surface you wish you pick up iron based chips
   2. Move the pen over where you plan to dispose of chips and rapidly pull back on rear plunger.
   3. If anything remains a quick air blast with the plunger retracted can be used to clear it.
   4. Put cap back on for safe keeping

In Use

• Mark Presling has a callout in one of his videos showing the MagPen in use:
  
• Quick video overview of the tool from our Instagram account:
  

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