Re: magnet barriers

Gerald Pearson (gpearson@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu)
Wed, 6 Apr 1994 16:55:39 -0500


Glenn Facey wrote:

> I am looking for an inexpensive way of keeping people away from our NMR
> magnets. ... Does anyone have any suggestions for CHEAP solutions which
> would require little or no shop time.

Instead of plastic chain, we've usually used thick, brightly-colored plastic
rope available at sporting goods stores.

We have fabricated posts from wood blocks (approximately 30 cm square & 5 cm
thick), thick white PVC pipe (5 cm dia?), and PVC end caps.
* Drill a few screw holes in an end cap, and screw the cap upside down
onto a wood block. This is your base.
* Then cut a suitable length (50 to 100 cm) of PVC pipe, and cut 2 "U"
slots a few cm into one end, on opposite sides of the pipe. Glue the
unslotted end into the end cap on the base, using adhesive designed for PVC
pipe. You now have a post supported by a base.
* The rope will fit into the "U" grooves on top of the post, and you can
then slide another end cap over the top.

////|
////| +------ PVC pipe <-- ------+
////| | ------------------ -----------------+ |
////| | | |
////| | <---- screw cap | |
////| | onto wood base ----------+ |
////| | ( O <----------------- |
////| | ----------+ rope fits |
////| | | into the |
////| | | slot |
////| | ----------------- ------------------+ |
////| +------ <-- ------+
////| end cap end cap fits
////| over top of post
wood
base

To improve appearances, it's nice to cut the wood neatly on a table saw,
use a router to round the top edges, and then spray paint it before screwing
on the PVC cap. Stains and marks can be removed from the PVC caps and pipe
with sandpaper, steel wool, or soap & scouring powder.

Hope this helps.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Gerald A. Pearson VOICE: 319-335-1336 FAX: 319-335-1270
Chem. Dept., Univ. of Iowa INTERNET: gerald-pearson@uiowa.edu
Iowa City, IA 52242-1219, USA (Please ignore the header address.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------