How to Salvage a Magnet From a Speaker

If you have any useless speakers I really recommend you doing this

If you already have only the speaker skip to step 6

Step 1: The Tools You'll Need

Utility Knife

Philips Screwdriver or a Drill Or A Drill

Flat screwdriver

Step 2: Cut

I cut off the acoustic diffuser to reveal the speaker

Step 3: Take the Off Plastic Shield

I was able to pull it off easily

Step 4: You'll Need a Screwdriver

Open the screws to take the speaker out of the box.

Step 5: This Is the Speaker

By the way this is a 4 OHM 3 WATT speaker

Step 6: Use Your Knife Again

Cut the diaphragm (paper cone) off, And then pull it out with the coil

Step 7: The Hardest Part

Stick the flat screwdriver between the magnet and the basket of the speaker.

The best way to do it is by turning the screwdriver between the magnet and the basket and the speaker and with a lot of strength pry them apart

You can also do this by hitting the screwdriver with a hammer (I had to come up with the first way after the metal part of the magnet scratched my floor)

Step 8: This Is the Magnet

This is the first magnet I ever found that was rusted, But It is still pretty strong

Step 9: It's Stronger Than You Think

This magnet can easily pick up a drill I made myself which weighs more than 900 grams (32 ounces).

Comments

[Splat]

Nice! I salvage magnets from speakers this way a lot. The silly thing is I learned how from this post before I had an Instructables account!

[Yonatan24]

Fantastic!

[kidchelio1991]

Is it stronger if you continue to take apart the magnet itself?

[Yonatan24]

Nope!

[SherylinRM]

Another alternative is simply to dremel off the outer metal casing and keep the magnet in its metal housing as it amplifies the magnet anyhow.

Yet another option is to remove all the speker parts and then leave the metal parts.

Now face the speaker towards the wall and mount it that way so that the magnet sticks out from the wall.

Hope this helps :)

Great idea and thanks for this :)

[Yonatan24]

Thanks for the tips! I've found the the easiest way is just to pretty them off with a Chrome Vanadium screwdriver. They're really strong, and pry the magnets off easily :)

[tdzurnak]

if you take it an heat it,i usually put them on the wood stove for a bit,it loosens the glue that holds it all together, so you can have just the magnets rather than the metal casing around it too.just remember it will be hot,,so heavy gloves..a puddy knife rather than a screw driver once the outer casing is off will work to separate the magnets.

[Yonatan24]

Heat ruins magnets.

I actually want the metal casing, It is a ferrite (I believe) and amplifies a very strong magnetic field in the middle of the magnet. This way I can use it to hold the tools on my Magnetic Pegboard.

I've actually tried that, But with a screwdriver. The magnets just turn out really weak, Prone to breaking, And useless...

Thank you for your comment, I'm sure that there are other people that do need this tip :)

[cdstudioNH]

This is brilliant. I have quite the collection of discarded speakers, now I have some free tool holders! Thanks so much.

[Yonatan24]

Cool, Are you going to make something similar to my Magnetic Pegboard? I find that it is pretty comfortable to hang tools with magnets!

[cdstudioNH]

Yes, I think something very similar.

[Yonatan24]

Do you have any updated pictures?

I'd be happy if you would share them in my Magnetic Pegboard Instructable!

[Jobb Exertson]

Speakers have great magnets! Never toss them!

[Yonatan24]

NEVER!

By now, My magnet collection has reached about 9 kg. (20 pounds)!

I have a couple magnets that weigh a couple kg. each (I have a 4.5kg. one that was salvaged from a 70W subwoofer) but most of them are tiny

[grayl]

Nice salvage! BTW, I have found that repeated hitting a permanent magnet with something like a hammer behind it can significantly reduce the holding strength of the magnet. In addition, any ferrous object that comes in contact with the magnet, in your case, the screwdriver, will probably wind up retaining some of the magnetism. IOW, pry away ;-)

[fretz4582]

This looks really cool. I voted for you

[Yonatan24]

Thank You,
I really appreciate that!!!