Non Magnetic Stainless Steel

[Onoff]

The magpie that I am...an old microwave gave up it's transformer earlier today. Needing a thin bit of stainless I took the cover as well. Problem is a magnet sticks to it. 99% certain though it's stainless steel. I thought it'd be non magnetic?

 

[Hood]

Lots of stainless steels are magnetic to a certain degree and also work hardening can make them magnetic but nothing like the magnetism of steel.

 

[Paul.]

It will be a ferritic grade, probably a 4 series, cheaper than the 3 series austinetic grades and very common on this kind of product.

 

[Onoff]

Cheers, it'll do for what I want!

 

[mike os]

A very common misconception .. even among those that should know better...

 

[optima21]

most likely to be 430 grade stainless

 

[Wedg1e]

I've seen 304 ping up on our PMI at work that was slightly magnetic.

 

[Barking Mat]

A4 stainless is not magnetic.

A2 stainless is magnetic.

Leatherman multi tools are A2 for reference.

So if you drop it in a canal, you stand a chance of finding them with a magnet.

 

[Ross365]

I think that the austenitic grades of stainless (the 300 series) are non-magnetic but the ferritic grades are magnetic.

 

[mart]

There is also Martensitic stainless steel.

 

[fizzy]

The problem with stainless steel knives is they normally don't take a good edge unless they have a high carbon content. Too little Chromium and too much carbon makes them rust though so it is a balancing act.

 

[Onoff]

A4 stainless is not magnetic.

A2 stainless is magnetic.

Leatherman multi tools are A2 for reference.

So if you drop it in a canal, you stand a chance of finding them with a magnet.

Sat here with a fridge magnet and it won't stick to any of the assorted size, A2 70 nuts I have here.

 

[Barking Mat]

Sat here with a fridge magnet and it won't stick to any of the assorted size, A2 70 nuts I have here.

Thé joys of making broad sweeping statements, based on my expérience.

 

[Hood]

A2 or 304 is magnetic but only slightly although cold working will make it slightly more so. You will need a strong magnet however, a fridge magnet has trouble sticking to steel

 

[Hood]

A2 Cap screw stuck to a powerful magnet, look at it the wrong way and it will fall off

BTW the magnet is stuck to a cabinet beside a doorway, I placed it there as it is fun, people walking past with keys etc in their pockets get caught

 

[hunter27]

BTW the magnet is stuck to a cabinet beside a doorway, I placed it there as it is fun, people walking past with keys etc in their pockets get caught

As it wipes the drive on their mobile phones

 

[Hood]

As it wipes the drive on their mobile phones

Serves them right for trying to be young and trendy by having the phones in the pockets of their breeks that are hanging around their ankles. Then again it could be a problem for 3ft tall people

 

[optima21]

ahh work hardening of 300 series stainless steels. occasionally when I'm demonstrating wire drawing at a local museum, I use a piece of 301 hard drawn wire to show how the mechanical properties alter with work hardening. half of the wire has been annealed with a blowtorch, so is non magnetic, the other end has been work hardened and is full hard, so can support its weight when held against a rare earth magnet, you can also demonstrate the springyness of the wire. such a simple way to confuse people

 

[MattF]

BTW the magnet is stuck to a cabinet beside a doorway, I placed it there as it is fun, people walking past with keys etc in their pockets get caught

You're a bad man.

 

[Hood]

You're a bad man.

The best one was a friend walked past and his spec case came flying out of his pocket, stuck to the magnet and he never noticed. Later he went to put his specs on and thought he must have dropped them on the way across the yard, I never told him until he came back from his search saying he couldn't find them, now he puts it in his top pocket