How do I separate two strong magnets?
If you have two or more magnets that are firmly stuck together and can seemingly no longer be separated, the following tips on this page can help you.
Please note: The higher the adhesive force of a magnet, the greater the risk of injury to you.
If in doubt, put on work gloves so that you don’t injure yourself when separating magnets.
Table of Contents
Separating small to medium neodymium magnets
Generally, there are three options for separating strong neodymium magnets:- Moving sideways over a table's edge (works with compact magnets)
- Using a professional magnet separator
- Twisting magnets (works with oblong magnets)
Separating medium to large magnets
Medium to large magnets with spacers can be best separated on the edge of a table.
Make sure you hold on to both magnets tightly, so you don't get your fingers caught.
Separate huge neodymium magnets
The previous tips come up short when you have extremely strong neodymium magnets combined with each other or a ferromagnetic surface. In this case you need a little bit more imagination and protective gear (especially gloves).The following customer video demonstrates how much effort it takes to separate a huge magnet (200 kg adhesive force) from a steel plate.
It also shows that such strong magnets can cause serious injuries, even when handled with care and protective gloves.
Merging magnets safely
Customer application merging strong magnets
(upper part)
Joining strong magnets in an uncontrolled manner may cause them to break.
To prevent this, use a small wooden wedge.
Before joining the magnets: Put on gloves!
- Place one magnet on a flat and stable surface. Keep the second magnet at a safe distance!
- Place one side of the wedge flat on top of this magnet.
- Keep a good grip on the wooden wedge and, from above, carefully place the second magnet on top of the wood.
- Now you can carefully slide the magnet to the tip of the wedge and then slowly combine it with the bottom magnet.