<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2802" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>You can demagnetize the screwdriver, by putting it through the 'loop' tip, of a soldering gun.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>The alternating current will demagnetize it.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV> <DIV>John M. Ross<BR>Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR><A href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca">jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca</A></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=purdy@ohio.edu href="mailto:purdy@ohio.edu">Christopher Purdy</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=caut@ptg.org href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">College and University Technicians</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, January 11, 2006 4:46 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [CAUT] magnetized screwdriver</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV>This is a bit off topic but an interesting question about tools. I recently have found a couple of my screwdrivers had voluntarily become magnetized somehow. I couldn't figure out why but my student says that dropping the tool can do it somehow. He can't defend his theory but says that either denting or the impact realigns the polarity somehow.<BR><BR>Is this true? Can someone confirm or deny this and explain how in terms a dummy like me can understand?<BR><BR>If this is true, is it possible to de-magnetize something? How would you do it, drop it again? How do you undrop something?<BR><BR>Chris<BR><BR><BR><I><?fontfamily><?param Lucida Calligraphy>Christopher D. Purdy R.P.T.<BR>School of Music, Ohio University<BR>Rm. 311, Robt. Glidden Hall<BR>Athens, OH 45701<BR>Office (740) 593-1656<BR>Cell (740) 590-3842<BR>fax (740) 593-1429<BR><?/fontfamily></I>http://www.ohiou.edu/music</BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>