magnetic silly putty

Step 5: Experiment and have fun!

That's it, you're done! Grab your magnet and start experimenting with your new magnetic putty.

You can stretch out a strand and make it follow your magnet, you can polarize your putty to work as a magnet itself, and then there's the classic of placing the magnet directly on the putty and watching it envelop the magnet. There's plenty of fun to be had, check out the video I made with some of the fun you can do.

^{Some frames have been sped-up to illustrate magnetic properties.}

Of course, aside from being magnetic your putty still retains all the properties of the original Silly Putty.

Caution:
_{Putty has been known to leave a residue on some surfaces, even more so with the iron oxide powder. Use caution when playing with your magnetic putty.
If you get magnetic putty stuck to fabric you can try placing the magnet on top of the fabric and the putty may work it's way out (wait 24 hours). Alternatively you can apply rubbing alcohol to area and work out the putty, try a concealed test-area first. WD-40 may also work. If all else fails, take the fabric to the dry cleaners and tell them it's a silicone-based stain.}

What are you waiting for? Get going and make your own magnetic putty!
Place a picture or video of your version of magnetic putty in the comments below and earn yourself a digital patch and a 3-month Pro Membership to Instructables.com!

Have fun!

Comments

[glagar5678]

o. my. goooooooooosssshhhhhhh! thats amazing!!!

[moskay]

Awesome

[kooldoode]

But if silly putty is a silicone based substance wouldnt hitting it with high voltage heat it up and possibly turn it into a glass like substance?
haha my little bro made silly putty in his class, may borrow it for experimentaion......

[Yokel]

Nope, it might if the silicone was actually silicon ...

[almateus]

I didn´t read the 432 comments, so I have to ask you if someone else talked about it. You can make your own black iron oxide using very simple things: steel wool, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and household ammonia. I am a chemist and I can write an instructable for this (if nobody did it already). Unfortunately it is hard to find silicone putty here in Brazil... I will have to try this with white glue slime instead.

[AussieAnglerGal]

totally cool!

[Terranan]

OMNOMNOMNOM MAGNET

[jhuang7]

Does it shatter?

[or_ford98]

the real question is... but will it blend?

[fantastikrauss]

This guy gets it.

[techno guy]

How do you polarize the putty?

[mikeasaurus]

You can polarize the putty (albeit temporarily) by having the magnet rest against the putty for a few moments (without the putty devouring the magnet). When the magnet is removed the putty should keep it's polarity and be able to lift small, light objects like tacks and paperclips.

[jtc10512]

I know that some magnets are made by running intense current between the poles. (apparently not applicable to silicone putty) But, if such a thing can be done to the powder before hand, that would be awesome. :)

[mmartin7]

the magnet is the only polarized thing in this experiment

[mmartin7]

you dont

[ericmcd84]

I wasted $17 today to learn that not any black pigment will work. I even brought the magnet into the art store and tested the pigment which was definitely magnetic, but when mixed with the putty it wasn't anywhere near strong enough to even phase the magnets. The magnets I used are insane too - they have an attraction field of about 3-4". And I can't find Schmincke pigments anywhere locally. I guess I get to go back and find some pigments with serious magnetic attraction. The other huge difference I noticed in mine versus the one shown was that mine was very dry and very hard - the putty shown looks almost like a liquid. I have no clue what I'm doing wrong, but I'm going to blame it on the pigment I bought and try again.

I did learn that ferric pigments are only in the earth-tone range, though - black, brown, yellow, red, and orange. So no blue, green or violet.

[mikeasaurus]

@Ericmcd84

"mine was very dry and very hard - the putty shown looks almost like a liquid"
 

The viscosity of the putty used will definitely effect the results with your magnetic putty. Your putty should look 'wet' without any pigment added. If your pigment powder was magnetic when you placed a magnet next to it in the store it should work in this application.

Also, while black, brown and red pigments are ferromagnetic some blends of other colours (cobalt blue) may also be magnetic. But, they'll mostly be earthy tones that use iron derivative (Fe) as the main blending ingredient.

[ttrevor2]

Funny I thought I read that I should wear gloves, but in the photos the guy doesn't have gloves and in fact has very dirty fingers.

[Mutantflame]

Are you still offering the 3 month membership? I made it with red iron oxide and it works!

[mikeasaurus]

Great job, Mutantflame!

Not only do you get one 3-Month Pro Membership you get 2 because you posted a version other than black, for a total of 6 months!
You've been patched!

The offer is still good for anyone else who makes their version of this project, black, red or otherwise!

[Thoth]

Not sure if the offer stands but either way Jacquard's Pearl Ex Pigment's Antique Silver (#662) and Sunset Gold (#665) exhibit magnetic propeties (the neodynium magnet stuck to the side bottle of pigment as an in store check). Possibly The other metallic pigments in the line are as well but that was what was in stock at the time.

Here is a pic of silly putty mixed with the Antique Silver pigment (sunset gold look similar because of the silly putty color) The metallic sheen doesn't show so well in the pic.

[mitch and sean]

I'll try and get a picture of me making it and the amount of the stuff.

[mitch and sean]

I don't understand what you are giving out to someone? Pls reply because I want to post something and pls answer my other questions.

[Mutantflame]

thank you!

[Guytron]

Any rule of thumb for how much powder the putty will take up? I'm thinking of adding some graphite to try including conductivity in the putty's behavior.

[reoozeit]

Any idea for how you will figure out the ampacity (a.k.a. the amount of electrical current it can handle)? the thought of projectile putty if you exceeded it could be scary! ;) Also, current flow is the free electrons moving through a conductive material. What would happen if the material also moves unlike a somewhat rigid copper or aluminum that retains it's shape? electricity moves at the speed of light. I sure hope your putty does not (could be cool, but dangerous):) I think you need to try this and do an instructable that shows the results! As always,be careful.

[ttrevor2]

Einstein would be very angry if putty moved at the speed of light, because that would violate his theory of relativity.

[reoozeit]

My comment above was mostly a joke. Just want people to take electricity seriously. Experimentation should be encouraged as that is how we all learn new things and new things get invented. Just please be careful when dealing with things like electricity, explosives, sharp objects, politics, etc. People could get hurt!

[legless]

Electricity does not move. Also one needs to define electriity. Are you talking about electric current or electromagnetic energy? I am not going into the concept of an "Electron Sea" or "Charge Sea". Electric current flows extremely slowly; exact speed is dependant on the value of the current. A charge actually moves quite slowly through a copper conductor but the electric field may move at speeds approaching the speed of light. No information is carried by the charge but is moved by the electric field.

[4lifenerdfighter]

Sorry, but I believe you are mistaken. The electrons themselves move slower than .01m/s, but the current moves at the speed of light.

[legless]

Nope it is the energy that moves very quickly but an electric current "flows" very slowly. Look up "Charge Sea" or "Sea of Charge" for an explanation. Anyway this debate is a bit pointless here.

[mitch and sean]

this is so cool can you pls tell me exact amounts of stuff and where i can get everything when im in australia?

[Guytron]

conductive elastic polymers based on graphite are not capable of handling high current loads although they do respond in an interesting fashion to high voltage. Some types of artificial muscle are based on the response of conductive elastomers to high voltage fields. I'm more interested in the ability to conduct signal than I am in supplying power.

[multifacetedval]

Do let us know what happens. Will you use pencil dust?

[mikeasaurus]

Surprisingly, the putty absorbed all the powder I added with no loss of consistency. I imagine you could add double what I show with minimal performance issues.

A mix of graphite sounds promising, you must share your results!

[multifacetedval]

This is really shaping up into ideas for science fair projects! I need to link to this page from my blog!

[mikeasaurus]

Thanks, would love the link-back when you do!

[tgrable]

Here's the backlink. Notice how I invited students to read the comments for science fair ideas.
http://soapboxbyval.blogspot.com/2011/06/what-if-you-could-control-flow-of-slime.html

[ELITE-01]

Dude, this is the shiz-nit
,No joke you should patent that for some major bucks

[mk2001]

i want to make it sooo badly !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!