Do-it-yourself magnetic corner for welding drawings. Magnetic corner for welding

Hello. Today I want to talk about a magnetic welding square that I recently made. I have some gates and driveway gates to make soon, so I decided to make some magnetic corners this winter. They will save me a lot of time and effort when welding rectangular structures from profile pipes.

Here's what I needed for this:

1. An old speaker from a car stereo.
2. “Magnetic” sheet metal (steel) 1 millimeter thick
3. A strip of thin aluminum.
4. Blind rivets.

As you know, speakers have fairly powerful ferrite magnets.


Using a hammer and chisel, I separated the "magnetic part" of the speaker. (It is secured with four rivets).



After this, all that remains is to remove the magnet. It is located between two steel plates and secured with glue. It was necessary to dip it in acetone or solvent 646 for a while... But I just took a knife, which I don’t mind, inserted it between the plate and the magnet, and separated the plates with light blows of a hammer.


Previously, I was able to do it “cleanly”, but this time the ferrite magnet chipped a little... Oh well... I’ll polish it on a diamond cup.


Next I started making the plates. I cut them out of an old window sill. (I’m surprised myself, but it was made of “black” non-galvanized iron, 1 mm thick!). The metal was very magnetic, which was what I needed in the first place.


Using a mechanic's square, attaching it and the resulting magnet to the workpiece, I determined the dimensions of my future product, drew it and cut it out with a grinder:




Next I marked and cut out the corners. Corners need to be cut for several reasons:
Firstly, when cutting profile pipe(and especially, with a thick circle on, burrs remain on the edge. When welding, they will easily melt and will not interfere. But the square will rest against them. (But even half a millimeter will greatly change the angle in this case). Therefore, after the pipes are cut to size, you will have to clean off these burrs, and waste time doing this.

Secondly, if it's not in the corner large gap, you can accidentally weld the square itself to the workpiece!!!

So I cut them like this:




I did not mark the second plate. I simply attached the first one to it (already with cutouts) and, according to this template, marked it and cut it out too:




Next I did some fine tuning. After all, it is not possible to cut very accurately with a grinder, and precision is needed down to fractions of a millimeter. Therefore, I had to finish it manually. I took a piece of a wide profile pipe, spread a strip of emery cloth on it, and manually, on it, ground off the sides of my metal triangles, periodically putting them into a mechanic’s square and checking “for light.”








After that, folding the blanks evenly and squeezing them in a vice, I drilled holes in them for the rivets. (I forgot to photograph this process). And after that, just in case, I tightened them through the holes with M5 screws and once again “finished” them on sandpaper, this time two together.

Next, I want to draw attention to a common mistake when making homemade squares. Many DIYers make them "open". That is, they don’t cover the end with anything! It is unacceptable. Because when working with metal, a lot of sawdust, frozen splashes of scale, small scraps and other magnetic debris appear. Since all this debris is very light, it sticks abundantly to the magnet. Here, for example, is a photo of a weak (!!!) magnet, which I deliberately “crawled” around the workbench after I had cut out and finished my workpieces:





Do you see how much he collected?!!! The magnet itself is not even visible behind the garbage!!! This is how a magnetic square will collect garbage. And even stronger, because its magnetic properties are more powerful!!!

That is why its shape should be such that it can be easily cleaned!!! That is, its ends should be smooth planes. I made them from thin aluminum plate. Some kind of edging from an old refrigerator shelf came under my hand.



From it I cut a strip with a width equal to the thickness of the magnet:


And from it I bent a frame around the perimeter of the plates. It will be inserted between them, and tightly clamped with rivets. The ends of the square will be tightly closed, magnetic dirt will not get inside, and it will be easy to remove it from the surface of the plates.


By the way, please note: I had to trim the magnet a little at the bottom. This is my mistake - when estimating the dimensions of the plates, I did not take into account the thickness of the aluminum plate, and then the magnet did not fit into it....

So, let me focus on one more point. A ferrite magnet can be cut quite easily with a grinder. But, unlike cutting metal, you shouldn’t even try to use an abrasive wheel!!! It will slip and you will simply overheat the magnet. (By the way, if anyone doesn’t know, permanent magnets lose their properties due to overheating.). You need to cut with a diamond wheel. A diamond wheel for wet cutting, popularly called a “tile” wheel, is best suited. It has a continuous cutting surface and does not chip away at the cutting area:


And when cutting, the magnet must be cooled with water.
Next, I want to explain why I made the ends out of aluminum, and at the same time draw attention to another common mistake. As you know, any magnet has two poles, conventionally called “north” and “south”. Both poles are equally well attracted to the metal. Magnets of this shape have poles on planes. That is, when we apply metal plates to the planes, then these plates are the poles of the magnet. And it is with them that our square will “stick”, and not at all with the plane between them.

But, most importantly, the poles of the magnet cannot be “short-circuited” with magnetic material! This reduces its properties, and, in addition, contributes to the fact that the magnet, albeit slowly, demagnetizes! And another mistake is that many people connect the plates with steel (!!!) screws. This, of course, is already a trifle, but if there is a possibility, then it is better to exclude it. And this is how I did it...

I decided to connect the plates with blind rivets.

Comfort and convenience in any work have never bothered anyone. This also applies to welding. Among the welding tools, there are basic ones and there are auxiliary ones. These include the smallest auxiliary part in size - a wonderful magnetic corner, or, more correctly, a magnetic angle for welding.

Such corners are extremely useful for both artisans and professionals working on stream. Small in size but not in function, these special welding triangles improve the quality of products in general and welds in particular.

How to make a welding square?

Here's how they do it:

  • While the metal workpieces are precisely and securely fixed, you have more freedom in your actions. Your hands and your attention are focused only on welding seam. Hence the increase in its quality.
  • Using a magnetic corner, you can prepare and perform all welding work yourself, without outside help. That's labor savings for you. And you also don’t depend on anyone.
  • The seam will be neat and precise thanks to the optimal and reliable installation of the workpieces using corners. If your work requires special precision, then the use of corners becomes not a recommendation, but prerequisite performing welding.
  • If you have a large amount of work, you can’t escape without fixing triangles: they will allow you to save money work time to a large extent.
  • Unusual or non-standard shape The easiest way to weld is using a welding angle with a magnet.
  • With corners you can cook not only on horizontal surfaces, but also on vertical ones.
  • These squares are useful not only for welding and soldering, but their ability to firmly hold parts is useful when cutting metals.

Why is the correct name “squares” and not “triangles”? Because these clamps are available in multi-angle configurations, their shape more closely resembles an irregular polygon. The most commonly used angles are 45°, 60°, 90°, 135°.

Types of magnetic squares

Square design.

Welding magnets can vary in both shape and operating principle:

  • A clamp is a flexible square with angles that can be adjusted. An excellent tool to help produce parts of any complexity.
  • A simple welding angle with fixed angles and a permanent magnet.
  • Switchable magnets for welding - great technical solution for ease of use: after you can turn off their action, the holders “unstick” on their own, which will allow you to remove the latches without effort or any deformation.
  • Universal magnetic angles for welding with several standard angles - another great one technological solution to perform a variety of jobs of varying complexity.
  • Angles with different power of action. It is clear that fastening massive workpieces requires powerful clamps, as well as for minor works, requiring jewelry precision, they must be compact both in size and in terms of attractive power.
  • Three-coordinate and tetrahedral squares using cylinders and ferritic heat-resistant magnets for work in difficult temperature conditions and with workpieces of different sizes and weights.

Choosing the right square: here and now

Dimensions of the square for welding.

Everything is simple here: for simple home welding work, you will need holders that are simple in design. Complex processes imply fasteners with technological bells and whistles - from switchable magnets to heat-resistant options, from simple corners to 3D models.

One way or another, a high-quality magnetic must be resistant to significant mechanical loads and have sufficient tensile strength. In the end, we are talking about fixing not fluff, but heavy metal parts. Our squares must be able to fix them completely and irrevocably. Only in such cases will welding holders make sense at all.

If you are engaged in complex welding work, and if you have the opportunity, then it is best to choose high-quality holders with on/off magnets. Such devices will help you turn on or off not just the entire square, but individual edges.

This mode makes it possible independent work with complex tasks. Corners of this class are usually made of chrome-plated metal with increased strength.

The cost of welding holders cannot be called low; these are not cheap devices. The price depends on the number of standard angles, the power of attraction, adjustment mechanisms, trademark etc. The simplest copies cost about four hundred rubles, a standard set costs around a thousand rubles. Well, professional magnetic devices with technological additions increase in price to 3,000 - 5,000 rubles.

DIY magnetic holder

If you haven't found suitable option welding clamp in the store or are short on money, you can build the necessary magnet for welding yourself.

Working with a magnetic square.

Make a magnetic corner with your own hands - great idea for three reasons:

  • This is a real cost savings
  • This will be a device that is suitable specifically for your technical needs.
  • This is a very simple device, which is quite possible to make even without much practical experience.

What you will need:

  • a magnet of any shape, but preferably a round one with a thickness of about 15 mm;
  • steel sheet 2 mm thick;
  • M6 bolts with nuts.

Welding angle with shut-off.

The tips and steps for making a welding angle are as follows:

  1. This device is best made from steel manually, using a grinder or laser. The main thing is to cut the templates with extremely precise angles on the work plane. There should be two templates. Their size should be larger diameter magnet. Special attention We pay attention to the size and grinding of the corners - the quality of your square will depend on this. It wouldn't hurt to sand the entire surface well: if rust or any defects remain, the strength of the magnet will decrease.
  2. The magnet will attract any metal debris in the form of sawdust or shavings. You can get rid of this with the help of a spacer - a special part made of steel, which should be slightly smaller around the perimeter than the steel corner itself. Such a spacer will add additional rigidity to the holder, which will not hurt you. It does a special through hole.
  3. The magnet may be different shapes. He is placed inside. Under no circumstances should it protrude beyond the edges of the steel plates. To fix it, you need to make four holes: one in the middle and the other three at the edges.
  4. The final stage of assembly is the careful folding of the layers of our “sandwich”, which can be fixed either with glue or metal rivets. The most reliable way would be M6 bolts. Nuts should be placed not only on the ends of the bolts, but also between the layers. The tails of the bolts protruding onto the nuts must be cut off with a grinder.

You should remember the properties of a magnet. If you place a regular, rather than heat-resistant, ferrite specimen in a square, then under the influence of high temperatures it may lose its properties. This needs to be remembered and controlled.


Today I want to talk about a magnetic welding square that I recently made with my own hands. I have some gates and driveway gates to make soon, so I decided to make some magnetic corners this winter. They will save me a lot of time and effort when welding rectangular structures from profile pipes.

What I needed for this:
1. Old speaker.
2. Sheet metal (steel) 1 millimeter thick
3. A strip of thin aluminum.
4. Blind rivets.

Progress of work on the manufacture of a homemade magnetic square


Using a hammer and chisel, I separated the "magnetic part" of the speaker. (It is secured with four rivets).




After this, all that remains is to remove the magnet.

Next I started making the plates. I cut them out of an old window sill. (I’m surprised myself, but it was made of “black” non-galvanized iron, 1 mm thick!). The metal was very magnetic, which was what I needed in the first place.

Using a mechanic's square, attaching it and the resulting magnet to the workpiece, I determined the dimensions of my future product, drew it and cut it out with a grinder:

Firstly, when cutting a profile pipe (and especially with a thick circle on a cutting machine, burrs remain on the edge. During welding, they will easily melt and will not interfere. But the square will rest against them. Therefore, after the pipes are cut to size , you will have to clean off these burrs.

Secondly, if there is not a large gap in the corner, you can accidentally weld the square itself to the workpiece.


I did not mark the second plate. I simply attached the first one to it (already with cutouts) and, according to this template, marked it and cut it out too:


I took a piece of a wide profile pipe, spread a strip of emery cloth on it, and manually ground off the sides of my metal triangles on it, periodically putting them into a bench square and checking “for light.”

After that, folding the blanks evenly and squeezing them in a vice, I drilled holes in them for the rivets. (I forgot to photograph this process). And after that, just in case, I tightened them through the holes with M5 screws and once again “finished” them on sandpaper, this time two together.

Many DIYers make the angles “open”. That is, they don’t cover the end with anything! It is unacceptable. Because when working with metal, a lot of sawdust, scale, small scraps and other magnetic debris appear. Since all this debris is very light, it sticks abundantly to the magnet.


That is why its shape should be such that it can be easily cleaned!!! That is, its ends should be smooth planes. I made them from a thin aluminum plate. Some kind of edging from an old refrigerator shelf came under my hand.


From it I cut a strip with a width equal to the thickness of the magnet:


And from it I bent a frame around the perimeter of the plates. It will be inserted between them, and tightly clamped with rivets.

A ferrite magnet can be cut quite easily with a grinder. But, unlike cutting metal, you shouldn’t even try to use an abrasive wheel!!! It will slip and you will simply overheat the magnet. (By the way, if anyone doesn’t know, permanent magnets lose their properties due to overheating.). You need to cut with a diamond wheel. A diamond wheel for wet cutting is best suited.

And when cutting, the magnet must be cooled with water.

Why did I make the ends out of aluminum, and at the same time focus on another common mistake. As you know, any magnet has two poles, conventionally called “north” and “south”. Both poles are equally well attracted to the metal. Magnets of this shape have poles on planes. That is, when we apply metal plates to the planes, then these plates are the poles of the magnet. And it is with them that our square will “stick”, and not at all with the plane between them.

But, most importantly, the poles of the magnet cannot be “short-circuited” with magnetic material! This reduces its properties, and, in addition, contributes to the fact that the magnet, albeit slowly, demagnetizes!

I decided to connect the plates with blind rivets. I will only use aluminum parts.

To carry out high-quality and safe welding work, in addition to specialized working tools, protection of hands and face, additional equipment is recommended - successfully used professional specialists and those who weld only from time to time, a magnetic welding square will make the work easier, more accurate and neater.

What advantages do magnetic angles provide?

Any additional devices that facilitate the work of the master have positive sides use. A magnetic corner for welding is an indispensable attribute even for a one-time need, not to mention in-line work performed by professionals:

  • due to the fact that those intended for welding metal parts securely fixed, the welder receives greater freedom of action and, therefore, ease of operation;
  • due to the fact that the assembly of the welded elements is carried out before the actual welding, one person is enough to complete it - magnetic corners minimize labor costs;
  • when using a magnetic welding angle, the parts are installed accurately, and therefore the completed seam will be neat: when carrying out welding work on high-precision structures, angles are not a recommendation, but a necessity;
  • in production large volume for welding work, such corners are simply irreplaceable - they will significantly reduce the specialist’s time spent on welding;
  • for parts of non-standard configuration it is also convenient to use magnetic welding corners;
  • parts to be welded can be securely fixed not only on a horizontal, but also on a vertical surface;
  • In addition to welding, soldering and other types of work connecting individual elements, magnetic corners will be convenient, for example, when marking or cutting steel - a strong fixation will keep individual parts of the structure from falling.

As a rule, angles from well-known manufacturers have a configuration that allows using one such magnetic clamp to set different welding angles: 45°, 60°, 90°, 135°. A DIY magnetic corner makes possible work with almost any angle set by the tool profile.

What types of magnetic angles are there for welding?

Magnetic corners can be different in configuration, allowing you to set different angles for performing welding work, and according to the operating principle:

  • magnetic square for welding itself conventional design allows you to set fixed angles determined by the tool profile;
  • a magnetic clamp with adjustable angles is a flexible tool with which you can perform work of any degree of complexity and accuracy, setting almost any angle;
  • the magnetic clamp can have a permanent or switchable magnet - turning off the magnets after welding allows you to remove the clamp without any physical effort;
  • majority modern models angles have several standard angles - this design makes this tool universal, allowing you to perform welding work varying degrees difficulties;
  • angles also differ in power: to fix heavy elements of global structures, it is necessary powerful magnets, but here are the tools with low power recommended for welding compact parts of low weight and are usually used for household work.

The price for each tool is formed based on several indicators: design and the ability to construct several angles, adjustment capabilities, magnetic power, reputation of the manufacturer, etc. The cost of magnetic holders varies widely: from 300-400 rubles for a household copy and 800-900 rubles for a set of standard corner clamps up to 3000-5000 rubles for a professional tool.

How to choose a magnetic angle for welding?

For simple amateur work, inexpensive ones are quite suitable standard designs magnetic holders, but for complex professional work and production conditions three-coordinate (when using cylinders) and tetrahedral squares are designed - made using ferritic heat-resistant magnets, they will give required power for confident fixation of elements of the welded structure of various weights and configurations.

In any case, a high-quality magnetic angle for welding must be designed for serious loads and have high strength to tear and be resistant to strong mechanical influences from the outside. A square with a certain power must firmly fix the structural elements corresponding to this power in weight and size - only in this case will the welder’s work be comfortable and safe.

To facilitate the dismantling of the magnetic fixing device, it is recommended to choose angles with switchable welding magnets - in this case, even one master can easily and quickly cope with complex work using a special switch (one or two to turn each edge on/off). Switchable corners are usually made from durable chrome plated sheets, and thanks to the working edges they are successfully used in working with various profiles.

Thus, it is recommended to choose a magnetic holder for welding work based on the expected joint angles of the parts, the weight of the tool, its size and power.

Magnetic square for DIY welding

If, for some reason, the range of magnetic angles presented in stores, designed to work with pipes of various sections, angles, strips, profile parts, elements made of sheet, solid and other metals, is not satisfactory, then it is not difficult to make such a device with your own hands. Such an easy-to-use and inexpensive tool will faithfully serve in household welding and installation work at home and on farms. There can be several design methods, the most common and inexpensive is as follows:

  1. As metal base from a suitable grade of steel manually, with a grinder or using laser cutting plates with precise angles of working planes are cut out.
  2. To protect the magnet from the adhesion of metal shavings, sawdust, etc., a spacer (for example, made of plywood) is used for additional rigidity of the structure. This part around the perimeter will be slightly smaller (by 3-4 mm) than the plates from step 1; a through hole is made for the magnet.
  3. A magnet of any (most often round) shape is placed inside - it is only important that it does not protrude beyond the contours of the outer plates and has a central hole to allow its rigid fixation.
  4. The assembly process consists of strictly parallel folding of all parts, for greater reliability, treating them with glue and fixing them with aluminum rivets.

When using both store-bought samples and those made independently, you should remember the operating thermal conditions recommended for magnetic devices: heat and strong heating of the magnetic clamp can lead to the loss of its magnetic properties.


When carrying out welding work, moments arise when it is necessary to simultaneously grip a part and hold it at a certain angle. This work requires two people or special tool. The most commonly used is a clamp. With its help, the part is fixed in the desired position. However, the clamp has a lot of disadvantages. Therefore, you need a special magnetic holder that will help you do this work quickly and without unnecessary hassle.

Advantages of a magnetic corner for welding

  • Capable of holding both metal parts, freeing your hands to do the main work.
  • It does not block access to the connection point, which makes it better than a clamp.
  • Allows you to create several angle options.
  • Easy to use.
  • Does not require large production costs.

Magnetic corner manufacturing process

To begin with, we need a magnetic disk with a diameter of ~15 cm and an internal diameter of ~5 cm. We also need to have squares of sheet metal 3 mm thick, with a side of 20 cm. It is very important that the sides of the square are perfectly even. It is advisable that the thickness of the magnet does not exceed the material most used in the work. The best option is 1-1.5 cm.


Place the magnet in the center of the square and trace it with a marker to create a marking. Next, we apply cutting lines to the metal that need to be made to create the pattern.


We clamp the workpiece in a vice, and use a turbine to cut off the excess elements.


We apply the resulting part to the second square to outline its contours. Next, we also remove the excess from it with a turbine.


We connect the two resulting blanks together and secure them by welding. Now we can perform one operation on two parts at once.
Next we need two threaded couplings. We install a magnet on the workpiece, applying it to the previously designated location. Then we distribute the couplings along its perimeter, at the same distance from each other. We mark their position with a marker.


We remove the couplings. We mark holes in the center of the location of the couplings. Next, using a drill corresponding to the diameter of the hole in the coupling, we make holes in our workpiece. It is through them that the bolts for fixation will be installed.


After this, we weld a piece of pipe to the workpiece, the diameter of the internal hole of the magnet. We fix it exactly in this place. As a result, we got a part that can be clamped in a lathe chuck.


Using a drill and a cutter on a machine, we create a hole equal to internal diameter magnetic ring.


We remove the welded pipe and clean our part. In this case, it is very important to obtain perfectly smooth edges while maintaining compliance with the corners. Therefore, you will have to work not only grinder, but also with a file. We are making a kind of measuring instrument, which means that the accuracy of the work must be at its best.


On next stage we will need couplings and bolts for them.


The workpieces are separated and cleaned. Next, install a magnet and couplings on one of them.