A pot magnet is a magnet encased in a steel cup, or pot, that focuses and concentrates the magnetic field toward one open face, delivering significantly higher holding force per unit size than an equivalent bare magnet. Buyohlic supplies pot magnets for workshop fixturing, holding, and organization tasks used by machinists, fabricators, and DIY builders across the USA who need strong, compact holding power without welding, drilling, or fasteners.
How a Pot Magnet Concentrates Holding Force
The steel housing surrounding a pot magnet's core magnet channels the magnetic field through a single exposed face rather than letting it radiate in all directions the way a bare magnet does. This focusing effect dramatically increases the effective pull force at that contact face compared to an unhoused magnet of the same size, which is why pot magnets can hold significant weight from a relatively compact footprint.
Many pot magnets also include a threaded stud, hook, or eyebolt fitting on the back side, allowing them to be used not just as a standalone holding magnet but as an anchor point for hanging, rigging, or fixturing tasks around the shop.
Common Applications
- Temporary fixturing of metal workpieces during fabrication or welding
- Hanging tools, cables, or equipment from steel surfaces
- Holding jigs and fixtures in place without drilling or clamping
- Cable and hose management along steel structures
- General workshop organization on any ferrous metal surface
Choosing the Right Pot Magnet
Match the pull force rating to your intended load, keeping in mind that published pull force figures typically assume direct, flush contact on a clean, flat steel surface, and actual holding capacity drops with any gap, rust, paint, or off-angle loading. For fixturing or rigging use where safety matters, choose a magnet rated well above your actual expected load rather than one rated at exactly the minimum needed, since real-world conditions rarely match idealized test conditions.
Mounting Considerations
For threaded stud pot magnets used in rigging or fixturing applications, confirm the stud thread size matches your intended hardware before ordering, since mismatched threads are a common and easily avoidable frustration. When mounting a pot magnet permanently to a fixture or jig, a thin layer of thread locking compound on a threaded stud helps prevent it from loosening under repeated use.
