Branch Magnet Update!

Alright sorry for the long awaited update, the neodymium magnets took like a week and a half to ship to my house(free ebay shipping). I got them today and started working on this once I got out of work. I end up just hot gluing the magnets to each end and placing the other magnet on the outside of the cage. So far it's working fairly well, they hold quite a lot of weight before they move and at 5lbs of pull a piece I doubt even the best fed cham could move it . Only thing is for a decent magnet they were $24 with shipping for 24 magnets so it could get pricey if you were doing a lot of them. For me right now I think it's not a bad alternative to wedging or actually poking the branch through the cage but I'd love to hear other ideas!

I looked in to getting neodymium magnets when I first started out as well, but had to shy away because of the price. When I looked the cheapest I found was $36 for 20.

Just wanted to quickly ask what you were using for your basking bulb? It looks so bright! I like it =P

**EDIT**
Forgot to add what I do now.
I use dowels and tree branches (flatten the ends), drill a 1/8" hole in the centre of each end and then screw a 1/4" flat head screw through the mesh and into the 1/8" holes. It doesn't budge and doesn't ruin the screen as much as poking the whole branch through.

ReptiGeek said:

I looked in to getting neodymium magnets when I first started out as well, but had to shy away because of the price. When I looked the cheapest I found was $36 for 20.

Just wanted to quickly ask what you were using for your basking bulb? It looks so bright! I like it =P

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Yeah I thought the same thing till I found a pretty decent dealer from Canada on ebay. Certainly wouldn't be doing multi cage setups using them, but for right now it's good. The bulb is a Zoo Med 150w Repti Basking lamp, I bought it instead of a 100w because living in Western NY it gets very cold fairly often.

Aren't those things just awesome. I have some 35 pound pull ones and man do they stick.

Good idea with the branches though. I looked before in using them to hang planters inside a cage. Just wasn't cost effective to do so.

Hows the hot glue working for ya though? I feel with such a smooth surface to stick to the magnet would just pop off.

DakotaB said:

Hows the hot glue working for ya though? I feel with such a smooth surface to stick to the magnet would just pop off.

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Pretty good actually, only really had one branch have the magnet fall off. Tomorrow when I get more energy I'm going to try and hot glue the entire magnet and see if it still has the same amount of pull. If so I'll probably end up doing the rest like that.

I use those magnets on metal, and it helps if you rough the surface with emery cloth or sandpaper...

Nick

I like it! Hopefully the hot glue, maybe with the sandpapering, will stand up to the heaving misting. Good job

That's so cool! I've never thought about that. Usually we just use florist wire and tie the branches in the cage. Like weaving

IF YOUR DOING THIS ON A SMOOTH MAGNET AND SMOOTH BRANCH IT WILL FALL OUT srry caps lock

Not bad ideas guys I have alot of chams so I have to go CHEAP what I do is pick up alot of dowel rods I mean ALOT and I also pick up a container of push pins. I cut dowel rods to where I want to go and push two push pins in each side of the dowel rod. You have instant perches for just a few bucks

Jay Sick said:

IF YOUR DOING THIS ON A SMOOTH MAGNET AND SMOOTH BRANCH IT WILL FALL OUT srry caps lock

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I roughed up the sides of the magnets with sandpaper to have the glue be able to grip to something. I'm also going to put hot glue completely around the magnet because the glue is fixed on the branch but yes the magnet might be too smooth. If worse comes to worse I'll tie them to the cage and have 24 super magnets to mess around with lol.

Jay Sick said:

IF YOUR DOING THIS ON A SMOOTH MAGNET AND SMOOTH BRANCH IT WILL FALL OUT srry caps lock

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That's why ferrous metal on the branch ends might work better. Like small lag bolts screwed into the ends of the branches. Save the expensive magnets for outside the cage.

The magnets will eventually pop off of the wood due to differing moisture and thermal expansion coefficients. Other than that, I think it is a good idea.

Mike Fisher said:

That's why ferrous metal on the branch ends might work better. Like small lag bolts screwed into the ends of the branches. Save the expensive magnets for outside the cage.

The magnets will eventually pop off of the wood due to differing moisture and thermal expansion coefficients. Other than that, I think it is a good idea.

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I end up doing this last night at around 3am because that's how exciting my only Saturday off in a month was haha. But I took each branch and screwed a 3/4inch screw into the end. Then put a magnet on it then hot glued around the whole thing. Sounds pretty tedious but they seriously seem almost glued in place now. And I thought that with all the glue it would look ugly but you can hardly notice it at all really with all the foliage.

GReyMAtter said:

I end up doing this last night at around 3am because that's how exciting my only Saturday off in a month was haha. But I took each branch and screwed a 3/4inch screw into the end. Then put a magnet on it then hot glued around the whole thing. Sounds pretty tedious but they seriously seem almost glued in place now. And I thought that with all the glue it would look ugly but you can hardly notice it at all really with all the foliage.

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Right on GReyMAtter. Now get back to the lab.

how do u stop the mag from rusting

grccola said:

how do u stop the mag from rusting

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There's a chrome finish on them so they won't rust.

If you troll ebay you can find the 35lb magnets for a not too bad price. I just got a30 pack of 1/2in x1/8in for less tha $18 including shipping.

Thanks for this! Wish I would have thought of this before I tore my screens up