Building a compass
#1
12-20-17, 08:57 PM
Building a compass
I am making a pirate outfit and 1 step for that is building a compass that I can hold in a belt. So first I tried putting small neodymium magnets in the center of a plastic cap. I got it to float but I noticed that momentum, especially rotational momentum, made the magnets sink.
Then I tried using a longer but not as strong magnet with a ball at the end. It will point north but the side with the magnet sinks. Plus, the cup I am using(which has a clear lid so that I can see the compass needle and what direction it is pointing) is too small for the long magnet.
Here are the cup and the the magnets I tried to use:
Then I tried using a longer but not as strong magnet with a ball at the end. It will point north but the side with the magnet sinks. Plus, the cup I am using(which has a clear lid so that I can see the compass needle and what direction it is pointing) is too small for the long magnet.
Here are the cup and the the magnets I tried to use:
#2
12-20-17, 09:01 PM
Group Moderator
Welcome to the forums.
Interesting project.
When I made a compass I used a steel needle and magnetized just one end of it.
You need an axis to hold a needle in place.
Going to have to think on that one. The others will add their opinions too.
Interesting project.
When I made a compass I used a steel needle and magnetized just one end of it.
You need an axis to hold a needle in place.
Going to have to think on that one. The others will add their opinions too.
#3
12-21-17, 07:18 AM
Group Moderator
If you are just making it for a costume there is no need for it to work. Just make something that looks like you want.
#5
12-21-17, 11:15 AM
Yeah well I tried with a magnetized needle and it always sank which is why I wanted to do it with magnets. Plus how many times would I need to move the magnet across the needle to magnetize it strongly enough to point north?
#6
12-21-17, 11:22 AM
Group Moderator
Right, metal tends to sink in water which was why we put it through a piece of cork and floated that. A small piece of metal like a needle gets magnetized pretty quickly.
