I've got flat magnets that I'm gluing on now. The balls are cool, but I already have flat ones from other games. I'll be using them on 3 ships to get them back on pegs. I just need to ensure I glue the right polarization on right!

Mark the same pole on each magnet with a sharpie or similar.

That is a good suggestion, but it should be pretty easy. I store my ships on the pegs and bases in my Plano, but over the past 3 years, I've had 3 ships come off the pegs. One is a Tie Fighter, another a Tie Bomber, and the last an X-wing. So, I'll just store them with the right pegs and all.

I should mark them just to make sure.

If I were smart, I would've tested the magnets first and all been on the same facing.

I like this idea. The only I have is whether the steel balls would break off the little post easily? Anyone who's done this having issues in that department?

I like this idea. The only I have is whether the steel balls would break off the little post easily? Anyone who's done this having issues in that department?

I haven't lost one yet. Like I said on the previous page (look at my 3 X-Wings), once the ball is adhered to the post, I go back with gap-filling glue and apply glue in a ring around the base. This increases the surface area of the bond between base and ball. If you're storing them safely, you shouldn't have an issue. I keep all my posts in one of the million little ziplocked bags the game comes with. So it isn't like I'm doing anything special with them.

Disregard. Some brushing up on Physics II concepts using K&J's force calculator straightened me out. Metals are such good conductors that they recreate the same polarity and alignment as a magnet they're attached to, so a magnet-to-magnet bond would be no more strong than a metal-to-magnet bond when in direct contact. Magnet-to-magnet interactions are only stronger at a distance, as the magnetic field would be affecting the steel ball to a radically smaller extent at farther distances.

It doesn't work quite right with ring magnets + sphere magnets (the spheres will prefer to sit on the OD of the ring as opposed to in the gap), but if you use a disc magnet plus a sphere, it works fine.

I used this method of attachment to get the heavier large base ships onto their magnets (Falcon, Decimator, Hound's Tooth, and Firespray) while using a small bit of PVC tubing between the magnets to seat the sphere.

This works far better at keeping the ship upright than the countersink + steel ball method in my experience. Even applying some glue to the ball bearing to increase the friction didn't do much to keep the Falcon and Firespray from getting lazy and flopping over from time to time, which had kept me from magnetizing either the Hound's Tooth or the Decimator.

The PVC tubing I used grips the sphere magnet enough that the ships will not move on their own, but can still be tilted as needed (and will not return to the upright position on their own, either).

Disregard. Some brushing up on Physics II concepts using K&J's force calculator straightened me out. Metals are such good conductors that they recreate the same polarity and alignment as a magnet they're attached to, so a magnet-to-magnet bond would be no more strong than a metal-to-magnet bond when in direct contact. Magnet-to-magnet interactions are only stronger at a distance, as the magnetic field would be affecting the steel ball to a radically smaller extent at farther distances.

Well, the one advantage that magnet-to-magnet has over magnet-to-metal is that the magnets have a preferred orientation.

It doesn't work quite right with ring magnets + sphere magnets (the spheres will prefer to sit on the OD of the ring as opposed to in the gap), but if you use a disc magnet plus a sphere, it works fine.

I used this method of attachment to get the heavier large base ships onto their magnets (Falcon, Decimator, Hound's Tooth, and Firespray) while using a small bit of PVC tubing between the magnets to seat the sphere.

This works far better at keeping the ship upright than the countersink + steel ball method in my experience. Even applying some glue to the ball bearing to increase the friction didn't do much to keep the Falcon and Firespray from getting lazy and flopping over from time to time, which had kept me from magnetizing either the Hound's Tooth or the Decimator.

The PVC tubing I used grips the sphere magnet enough that the ships will not move on their own, but can still be tilted as needed (and will not return to the upright position on their own, either).

My countersink magnets and steel balls have arrived, but I've yet to start this project - so I can still adjust how I'll tackle large ships.

Would you mind posting a picture of your tube set up? I'm very curious to see it.

Would you mind posting a picture of your tube set up? I'm very curious to see it.

http://imgur.com/a/S5dN1

Modularity was a big factor for me, so that small PVC tube ring works with both the large base stands and epic stands.

However, to keep a nice profile on the epic ships I just used pairs of flat magnets as pictured. The PVC is just super glued on another flat magnet, so it was originally supposed to be an adapter piece more than anything, but then I found the added benefit of a really huge range of tilt due to gripping the ball magnet nicely. That could be partly because of the glue residue on the ball magnet, but the tube material definitely helped (I tried it with stiffer PETE tubing and it didn't hold it in place hardly at all, PVC tubing is much more flexible and rubbery).

It's very stable in all of the orientations shown.

And, to show that it's possible, a magnetized Gozanti:

I love this idea, and I'd love to do it, but I have no interest in the whole "banking action" and would prefer they stay seated in place. Does anyone have any recommendations of what to use instead of the steel balls?

And, to show that it's possible, a magnetized Gozanti:

What glue do you use to glue those shiny metal balls to the plastic stands ?

And, to show that it's possible, a magnetized Gozanti:

What glue do you use to glue those shiny metal balls to the plastic stands ?

Just normal superglue, Lepage brand, though I doubt the brand matters. Gorilla glue expands as it cures, so be sure to be careful how much you use if you go that way. Superglue dissolves with acetone (nail polish remover), making it easier to unglue something should you need to. Be mindful not to get too much on the paintjob though, it removes that too.

For the large and epic pegs, making a divot with the dremel for the ball to sit into ensures better adherence with the glue. It works for small pegs too, but I'm not as convinced that it's essential to have it there.

I love this idea, and I'd love to do it, but I have no interest in the whole "banking action" and would prefer they stay seated in place. Does anyone have any recommendations of what to use instead of the steel balls?

Instead of ring magnets, use disc magnets on both the pegs and the ships. It'll be able to rotate, but not bank. For me, the banking is useful to make handling by my sons safer.

I don't want to use magnets on both sides, because that would make the pegs a pain in the ass to store.

I don't want to use magnets on both sides, because that would make the pegs a pain in the ass to store.

glue a washer on to the top of the post rather than a ball.

If you can find the right sized washers, a stack of them would cover the peg and hold in place that way, but I'd probably use epoxy rather than CA glue for that purpose as it fills gaps better.

Wouldn't I want some kind of cylinder instead of a washer? Since the ship-side magnet is already like a washer?

Wouldn't I want some kind of cylinder instead of a washer? Since the ship-side magnet is already like a washer?

WOuldn't make a lot of difference. As long as it's a ferromagnetic washer, it should hold well - indeed, with a flat plate to flat plate it will hold better than the equivalent countersunk:ball connection.

And anyway, if you're not using balls, you may just as well use disc magnets rather than rings. Cheaper and easier to handle.

Thanks for all the tips. What grit of sandpaper do y'all use for scuffing up the balls?

*Snigger*

I may, or may not, have gone crazy and magnetized a StarViper.

More details here.

Has anyone purchased magnets to do these mods in the UK? If so where from as id love to give it a go.

Has anyone purchased magnets to do these mods in the UK? If so where from as id love to give it a go.

KJ Magnetics are still the best supplier I've found, there aren't any UK ones that will do the tiny countersunk rings.

(I just used brass rod for my StarViper wing hinges personally)

Has anyone purchased magnets to do these mods in the UK? If so where from as id love to give it a go.

KJ Magnetics are still the best supplier I've found, there aren't any UK ones that will do the tiny countersunk rings.

(I just used brass rod for my StarViper wing hinges personally)

Just added a few bits to cart and when I got to the shipping there was only one option for postage to the uk. UPS $118 dollars! A little steap for what will fit in a small envelope lol

Just added a few bits to cart and when I got to the shipping there was only one option for postage to the uk. UPS $118 dollars! A little steap for what will fit in a small envelope lol

EBay search "countersunk ring magnet North". I got 20 for about £8 with free shipping.

Their shipping options are not that clearly laid out. There's actually a radio button to toggle from the Fedex/UPS option to the USPS option. It still comes to roughly $15 to Canada though. And it's a box, not an envelope, so that the magnets don't cause issues to other packages, I'd guess.

I'm not a fan of the thicker magnets but do you need the N50 strength to make it work or does the N35 cover it?

Has anyone done this with spherical magnets, not steel balls? I want to pick up enough magnets to magnetize my X-wing stuff, but also my Warhammer 40k Dark Eldar. The plastic is still pretty light, but I don't want a bunch of stuff accidentally tipping constantly.

*EDIT* Read back a few pages (what, there's valuable insight between Page 1 and Page 8, who'd've thunk it). I like the flat magnet+sphere magnet+PVC adapter ring method. I've already got tons of flat magnets.

Oh, also, for those trying to magnetize and save cost, sheet metal and metal shears can cut your magnet usage by half. This is ideal for joins with really light pieces like weapon or arm swaps because the magnetic bond is half strength too. So it's probably not ideal for X-wing conversions, but when you need something magnetized without looking obvious, a sunken magnet and thin sheet metal can make it seamless.

About the only application I've used in X-Wing, was in magnetizing the base stem-to-base for my Ghost.

Has anyone purchased magnets to do these mods in the UK? If so where from as id love to give it a go.

KJ Magnetics are still the best supplier I've found, there aren't any UK ones that will do the tiny countersunk rings.

(I just used brass rod for my StarViper wing hinges personally)

Just added a few bits to cart and when I got to the shipping there was only one option for postage to the uk. UPS $118 dollars! A little steap for what will fit in a small envelope lol