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Grogster

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Posted: 04:55pm 23 Jan 2013

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Hi all.

This is a little OT, but I read in today's paper that Rare Earth Magnets have been banned in Australia and the United States, but here in NZ, we have warnings on them.

According to the article, some small children have been killed or injured from these magnets - then they failed to say how.

So, how is that even possible?

While getting in the path of two(or more!) REM's coming together could be a painful experience for your fingers(yes, I have done it!), it is certainly not life threatening.

Painful yes, but not life threatening.

So, can one of you Australian or United States memebers here, tell me why they are banned in your country, so I can try to understand how it is even possible to seriously injure or kill youself from use of a REM...

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Gizmo

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Posted: 05:01pm 23 Jan 2013

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News to me. I dont think you can ban rare earth magnets, they are everywhere in our daily lives, especially in computer hardware.

Maybe there is a ban on using them in children toys.

A swallowed rare earth magnet can be a very serious problem.

Glenn

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James_From_Canb

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Posted: 05:15pm 23 Jan 2013

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I have this picture in my mind of a small child swallowing a couple of them and getting stuck to the fridge....

My mind is aglow with whirling, transient nodes of thought careening through a cosmic vapor of invention.

Hedley Lamarr, Blazing Saddles (1974)

djuqa

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Posted: 05:18pm 23 Jan 2013

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Grogster said Hi all.

This is a little OT, but I read in today's paper that Rare Earth Magnets have been banned in Australia and the United States, but here in NZ, we have warnings on them.

Also banned in NZ from today.
It is the so-called "buckyballs" that have been banned. They are indeed life threatening as a 18 month old child has recently died from ingesting them.

Piece useless trivia
Neodymium is called a "Rare Earth" element, but is as common as Lead or Tin.
Gold is approx. 20 times rarer.
Edited by djuqa 2013-01-25

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bigmik

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Posted: 05:39pm 23 Jan 2013

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Grogster said
According to the article, some small children have been killed or injured from these magnets - then they failed to say how.

So, how is that even possible?

Hi Groggy,

The injuries are when they are swallowed... If they swallow two REMs, some time apart, They could end up in different parts of the intestine where they then attract and clamp together until the intestine ruptures and they suffer severe trauma as a result from the acids being released into the abdomen...(there is a term for this that I cant at this stage remember)

Hope this clarifies a bit

Mick

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boss

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Joined: 19/08/2011
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Posted: 06:48pm 23 Jan 2013

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Hi,

bureaucrats interfere with our life more and and more. The guns are dangerous the thousand other things are dangerous. Yes, life is dangerous. Bureaucrats will save us. They banned bulbs, mercury medical thermometer, setup the carbon tax. Fortunatelly not banned in Canada, the Edison bulbs are back and mercury thermometer as well.

Grogster

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Posted: 08:07pm 23 Jan 2013

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Thanks guys, especially bigmik for the medial data.

Yes, if swallowed, I could see that being an issue.

Still - what about PARENT RESPONSIBILITY? (rhetorical)

Parents need to keep an eye on their kids, and make sure that they don't friggin' swallow magnets. Why should the rest of us have to change our lives to protect a handful of negligent parents?

As Blackadder put it: "Forgive me if I am being thicker then the offspring of a village idiot and a TV weather girl..."

Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops!

djuqa

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Posted: 08:08pm 23 Jan 2013

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Grogster said

As Blackadder put it: "Forgive me if I am being thicker then the offspring of a village idiot and a TV weather girl..."

That is no way to talk about Tony Abbott.

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Grogster

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Posted: 08:10pm 23 Jan 2013

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HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

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graynomad

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Posted: 02:50am 24 Jan 2013

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So what was the bottom line, are they banned or is it just some toys or whatever?

Rob Gray, AKA the Graynomad, www.robgray.com

Grogster

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Posted: 10:54am 24 Jan 2013

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Well, the bottom line(to paraphrase you a little) as I understand things, is that the toys are to no longer be available, nor will you be able to buy REM's at the likes of Jaycar or Element14 for example.

As for a total ban, that is impossible, or no hard-drive in the world will work in our countries!!!

Frankly, if I ever want an REM, I will always strip an old HDD for some. Two in each drive, usually mounted on a nice steel backplate complete with holes so you can screw or bolt the magnet to your project. And totally free, having been pulled from an old HDD, whereas to buy the REM's is quite expensive.

I have a whole box of those HDD REM's, but on a high shelf, and I would have the sense to not feed them to any kids.

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powerednut

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Posted: 12:19pm 24 Jan 2013

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I always thought buckyballs were carbon (C60) - how is that magnetic?

djuqa

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Posted: 12:23pm 24 Jan 2013

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powerednut said I always thought buckyballs were carbon (C60) - how is that magnetic?

You are correct about fullerene (C60).
However Buckyballs are also a brandname of the Magnetic toys
Buckyballs MagnetsEdited by djuqa 2013-01-25

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Grogster

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Posted: 12:29pm 24 Jan 2013

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Perhaps they ate the contents of the cassette? (a C60 cassette tape)

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jebz

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Posted: 01:04pm 24 Jan 2013

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In most cases the ban on Rare Earth Magnets shouldn't effect the use in many of the forum members projects.

Magnets supplied for industrial or commercial use, which are not marketed or supplied as be the below, are not banned. The ban only applies where the specified magnets are marketed by the supplier as, or supplied for use as any of the following:

a toy, game or puzzle (including but not limited to an adult desk toy, an educational toy or game, a toy, game or puzzle for mental stimulation or stress relief)
a construction or modelling kit
jewellery to be worn in or around the mouth or nose.

For example, a magnet that is being supplied as a component for a washing machine (which is a consumer good) would not be banned because it is not marketed or supplied as a toy, game or puzzle, a construction or modelling kit, or jewellery to be worn around the mouth or nose.

http://www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/9 97700/fromItemId/997517

graynomad

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Posted: 01:22pm 24 Jan 2013

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Thank goodness for that, I use them a lot.

Rob Gray, AKA the Graynomad, www.robgray.com

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Posted: 06:19pm 24 Mar 2013

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Anyone had an order since these bans came into effect?
Ordered some 3mmx5mm cylinders for a project from 2 different suppliers and both never arrived.

BobD

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Posted: 06:28pm 24 Mar 2013

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Jaycar is one place still selling them. If they couldn't sell them I think they would delist them very quickly.
http://search.jaycar.com.au/search?w=strong%20magnets

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