Magnetic screwdriver to use on mobo

[attilathehun1]

I want to know if it is a problem to use a screwdriver that has been run
throught a magnet and now it's a magnetic screwdriver. An 8" #1 phillips
head, which is hard to find anywhere. My favorite screw driver is now like a
magnet.
I know it's not a wise idea to use a magnetic screwdriver around a hard
drive, but what is the deal around a motherboard. Will it effect the
motherboard?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, attilathehun1

 

[Tom [Pepper] Willett]

Googling around, the general consensus seems to be not to use one.

: I want to know if it is a problem to use a screwdriver that has been run
: throught a magnet and now it's a magnetic screwdriver. An 8" #1 phillips
: head, which is hard to find anywhere. My favorite screw driver is now like
a
: magnet.
: I know it's not a wise idea to use a magnetic screwdriver around a hard
: drive, but what is the deal around a motherboard. Will it effect the
: motherboard?
: Any help will be greatly appreciated.
: Thanks, attilathehun1
: --
: attilathehun1

 

[Michael W. Ryder]

Googling around, the general consensus seems to be not to use one.

I have never had a problem with magnetic screwdrivers in over 25 years
of building and maintaining PCs and other computers. A lot of time the
only way to get a screw in some places is with one as there is not
enough room for fingers, plus they are great for getting those screws
that get loose.

 

[Paul]

I want to know if it is a problem to use a screwdriver that has been run
throught a magnet and now it's a magnetic screwdriver. An 8" #1 phillips
head, which is hard to find anywhere. My favorite screw driver is now like a
magnet.
I know it's not a wise idea to use a magnetic screwdriver around a hard
drive, but what is the deal around a motherboard. Will it effect the
motherboard?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, attilathehun1

The magnetic field makes no difference, as I explained when I answered
this for you before. There is a magnet inside the hard drive,
as part of the actuator assembly, which is way more powerful than
your screwdriver. And it doesn't hurt anything. None of the
motherboard components give a hoot about magnetic fields.

A CRT monitor is sensitive to magnetism, so if you have an old
computer monitor with a glass tube, then keep the magnets away
from those.

I use a magnetized screwdriver for assembly, and haven't had a
problem yet. Mind you, it is not a super strong magnet, and
barely can pick up screws.

Paul

 

[sgopus]

not a problem, been using one for years.

 

[Lil' Dave]

I want to know if it is a problem to use a screwdriver that has been run
throught a magnet and now it's a magnetic screwdriver. An 8" #1 phillips
head, which is hard to find anywhere. My favorite screw driver is now like
a
magnet.
I know it's not a wise idea to use a magnetic screwdriver around a hard
drive, but what is the deal around a motherboard. Will it effect the
motherboard?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, attilathehun1

Obviously, to me, a form of bait. Does any person that has previously
replied have any idea the size of a #1 screwdriver bit end?
Just because you changed your screen name (b11_), I still know your mode of
operation. Nothing has changed.

 

[M.I.5¾]

Only a problem if the CRT used a metallic mask to separate the phosphors
for the different colors. This shadow mask was to create sharper
distinction between the dots, prevent bleed over, and to provide a
blacker background for greater contrast. The magnet could distort the
metallic mask which misaligned it with the phosphor dots and you ruined
your television. For the same reason, you should not use a degaussing
coil on these types of televisions. Not a problem if the CRT monitor
doesn't have a metallic mask as phosphoric compound is not magnetic.

You are not accurate in that post. The shadow mask (or aperture grill in a
trinitron) is essential as it is this that ensures that each of the 3
electron beams falls on the correct phosphors on the screen. It has nothing
to do with contrast enhancement or creating sharper distinction (in fact it
has the opposite effect). It certainly doesn't provide a blacker background
either. Although they can be misaligned by a strong magnet, because they
are made of steel, they can become magnetised in other ways. In these
circumstances, they not only *can* be degaussed with an external degausing
coil, it is the *only* way to remove the magnetism. And, of course, the
monitor will also have its own degausing coil to do much the same thing, but
is not as powerful. This is something I do regularly and have never
distorted a shadow mask doing it. No colour CRT will not have a metallic
shadow mask or aperture grill as they have to be conductive for technical
reasons, and steel is adequate for the job and cheap to fabricate.

 

[M.I.5¾]

I want to know if it is a problem to use a screwdriver that has been run
throught a magnet and now it's a magnetic screwdriver. An 8" #1 phillips
head, which is hard to find anywhere. My favorite screw driver is now like
a
magnet.
I know it's not a wise idea to use a magnetic screwdriver around a hard
drive, but what is the deal around a motherboard. Will it effect the
motherboard?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, attilathehun1

There is nothing on a motherboard, or indeed, in a computer case that is
sensitive to the sort of magnetism encountered in a magnetic screwdriver.
Not even the hard disc drives.

 

[attilathehun1]

Ok, I had my friend, who is a moron, that was playing with the screwdriver
and a strong magnet. Now, even if I use the magnet-demagnet device, you know
the box type device that home-depot sells to magnetic screwdrivers and the
such, it won't demagnetize the screwdriver, and I've done the steps I've been
told to do for it to work. I wanted to magnetically use the screwdriver
especially for gettting the mobo screws off and on. In hard to reach places
it comes in handy to have a magnetized screwdriver or reaching tool.
Ok, so everyone is saying that there is no problem, especially with the
mobo screws, using a magnetic screwdriver. As far as the CRT monitor, I don't
think I've used a screwdriver on anything, except a tough cable that won't
come out with just finger strenght.
Thanks, attilathehun1

 

[JohnO]

Ok, I had my friend, who is a moron, that was playing with the screwdriver
and a strong magnet. Now, even if I use the magnet-demagnet device, you
know
the box type device that home-depot sells to magnetic screwdrivers and the
such, it won't demagnetize the screwdriver, and I've done the steps I've
been
told to do for it to work.

Whack the end of the screwdriver on a concrete floor a couple times, or even
just a tabletop. Keep whacking it.

-John O

 

[Bill in Co.]

Whack the end of the screwdriver on a concrete floor a couple times, or
even
just a tabletop. Keep whacking it.

-John O

Or more effective yet, put the screwdriver on a hard surface (like concrete)
and hit the shank of the screwdriver with a hammer a few times.

 

[M.I.5¾]

I think you're right about a degaussing coil *if* used properly. The
topic was about a magnetized screwdriver (probably very weak) and I
forgot that a degaussing coil is A/C (the field reverses at wall
frequency). Because it is an A/C induced field, the only danger is if
you power it off while near the tube's face because of the last
collapsing field is then in only one direction. You have to approach
and leave the TV tube with the coil energized and turn it off while a
ways away (and, as I recall, it was also recommended to turn the coil to
90 degrees to the TV tube's face when you turned it off). I also
remember that you should NOT use the degaussing coil at the back of the
TV case or near the tube's neck because that will demagnetize geometry
correction, purity, and convergence magnets. So while backing off from
one TV to cease degaussing, you don't want to be moving the coil towards
another set on the shelf with the backside toward you.

Next week: teaching Grandma to suck eggs.

It is a unidirectional magnetic field that can distort the mask. I
don't remember what field strength would be needed but do remember
playing with a junker TV and probably a speaker magnet or a neodymium
super-strong magnet to see the whimsical coloring as I moved it around
only to then see that the mask had been distorted and those
colorizations remained. Although you might see color effects with a
magnetized screwdriver, it probably isn't sufficient to distort the mask
(but then there is no point in experimenting to find out). I remember
some folks recounting how they used a soldering iron (with tip in place
for it to work) to use that slight magnetic field to erase small
coloring effects (that the weak built-in degaussing circuit won't
eliminate). It is too weak to distort the mask but gets rid of the
electrostatic charge still remnant in a spot.

The resulting colouring may not be due to distortion for the smaller
magnets. It could be the result of induced fields. If so it cn be removed
with a gegaussing coil.

Since a non-A/C magnetic field was mentioned, a magnet could magnetize a
spot on the mask and distort the electron beam (which *might* be
corrected with a degaussing coil but I've seen some stubborn spots that
just won't go away after several attempts at degaussing). If strong
enough, a magnet could physically distort the mask. However, even if
A/C, I've heard that putting a bulk tape eraser too close will cause a
problem. Although an alternating field, you don't want the mask to
physically deform in alternating directions. The idea is to dissipate
or equalize any remnant electrostatic charge, not move the mask.

There is no way a gegaussing coil can remove any electrostatic charge.