How can I degauss digital calipers

This may be stupid or obvious...didn't Goggle it. I have several digital calipers that have become mildly magnetic and dealing with the attached little chips is a pain in the arse. Is there a safe method to degauss these suckers...don't want to blow their minds.

Stuart

Well....I did a forum search and found the answer, but I'm too late to kill this post. Next time I'll search first then ask.

Stuart

Do you have a active transformer where the side bigger sort of, or so.

Turn it on and if it has visible insulation paper, work from that side. If it has tin all around it. Wont work. Well try it just in case.

Transformers won't hurt you. Just don't put you fingers on the two wire ends at the sam time. Now you want to hold the caliper as close as you can to the transformer when you now its "running." Start at one end and slowly as you can and move the calipers down to the end. Slowly pull the CAL away.

This should remove that magnet power.

Safety: Do it "dry" first so you can see how you can get the best angle on it. Then turn it on.


Yes Ive done this, it worked.

Regards,
Stanley-

Stanley's method may work. If not, look at this:

degaussing coil - Bing images

The degaussing coils made for TVs and CRT monitors usually work on 115 VAC and probably have a strong field. I would make one of my own with several hundred turns of small gauge wire (#24 or smaller) and use a doorbell transformer to power it. Doorbell transformers are current limited so you will not burn up the wire in the coil. Do not leave it powered up for more than a minute or so.

The important part of degaussing with a coil or transformer is to slowly remove the object from the field while the coil or transformer remains energized with an AC signal. This way it is exposed to an alternating magnetic field of decreasing intensity. Each alteration leaves the object magnetized in the opposite direction but because you are SLOWLY moving it further out of the field, each alteration leaves a smaller field. Once it is a couple of feet away the remaining field will be very small and then you can turn the coil off.

Gentlemen,

Thanks for the ideas...I have a factory degausser that came with my surface grinder so building or cobbling one isn't a concern. As I noted in the 'edit' to my first post, I did do a search on this site and found an answer. I tried the procedure first on a set of 1X2X3 blocks, then on a caliper. It worked fine with no blow brains so I'm good to go!

Stuart

atomarc said:

Gentlemen,

Thanks for the ideas...I have a factory degausser that came with my surface grinder so building or cobbling one isn't a concern. As I noted in the 'edit' to my first post, I did do a search on this site and found an answer. I tried the procedure first on a set of 1X2X3 blocks, then on a caliper. It worked fine with no blow brains so I'm good to go!

Stuart

Click to expand...

Useful info, thanks.

I'd ha' thought one would have to pull the 'tronics and aside them, do the empty frame, re-install so as to protect them from induced wotsits.

Bill

atomarc has his problem solved, but for others; I had the same question not long ago and called the Mitutoyo USA tech folks for the answer. The answer is to degauss as you would any other common tool or part (electric degasser). The electronic bits of digital calipers seem to be unaffected.

Hello

Maybe not the best method for precision instruments, but banging it sharply against something rigid like a vice will demagnetize metal. This works by literally shaking up the electron orbits.

Works well on steel rules.

I drop mine often enough that they don't get magnetic...