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The DIY Magnet

By January 23, 2015 March 18th, 2016 News

We wanted to update you on the Magnet and the Kickstarter campaign we ran at the end of last year. We didn’t reach our Kickstarter funding goal for the Magnet, so we’ll be placing any plans for a larger scale production run on the back burner for now.

While we’d love to relaunch the campaign at some point, we don’t have a concrete timeline for doing so. But we do want to give you a way to get a Magnet, and to that end we’re offering DIY instructions so you can make one of your own.

SHAPLEWAYS PLASTIC PARTS: High quality 3D prints in Shapeways' "strong and flexible" plastic material.

SHAPEWAYS PLASTIC PARTS: High quality 3D prints in Shapeways’ “strong and flexible” plastic material.

Parts and Parcels

We’ve used the online 3D printing service Shapeways to prototype the Magnet, and they’ve been awesome. Printing the four plastic parts that make up the main body of the Magnet costs around $100 through Shapeways, and we’ve found it results in the best-functioning pieces (even if they do sometimes still require sanding). We’ve set it up so that you can order these parts directly.

The other components are rubber and adhesive for the gripping surfaces, plus metal rods and other internal parts for the spring assemblies, most of which are available online. The metal rods are the one thing you can’t just get off-the-shelf, as they have to be tapped for screw threads. We were able to get this done by a local machine shop for $50; with any luck you’ll be able to do the same.

UPDATE: We’ve recently had success using nylon rods instead of metal ones — drilling the holes ourselves and using self-threading screws. This saves not only money but also the headache of finding a machine shop to do a small job; however it does require access to a drill press (or clamps + very steady hands!) More detail on the two options included in the DIY instructions.

We estimate the total will come out to around $150–200, depending on what rods you use and how many tools you have already handy, plus a couple hours assembly time.

Some Assembly Required

Follow this link to download a PDF of the instructions via Gumroad. You can get this for as little as $5; we’ve made it a “pay what you want” product so you’re welcome to toss us a few bucks extra for the effort! In the PDF, you’ll find links to order the body of the Magnet (and GoPro adapter) via Shapeways, a parts list with links to the materials you’ll need, and full assembly instructions.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: With the iPhone's built in light, you can capture slow-mo footage anytime day or night.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: With the iPhone’s built in light, you can capture slow-mo footage anytime, day or night.

We know some of you may find the Magnet quite valuable for your playing and teaching. Part of why we’re making these instructions available is that we’re excited to see what you do with the Magnet. And if we’re able to reboot the project in the future, it’ll be awesome to have a community using and benefiting from the device.

Note that we can’t offer support with the process of actually making the thing — we’ve got our hands more than full at the moment. But if you notice any errors or omissions in the instructions, please let us know and we’ll fix as soon as possible.

Thanks for your support — and those of you who decide to tackle this DIY project — we can’t wait to see the footage you capture!