talkmagic.co.uk

Does lead stop the magnetic rays without causing harm to the magnet?
If so, that's another YT Marketable Idea. I know a good marketing and design agency, if you need one!

I disagree, I purchase equally between UK and US placed an order $130 with Magic Ware house in US and an order for £117 with emagic both on Saturday. US stuff turned up yesterday, still have not received anything from emagic yet. Not import tax, clearly said magic tricks and value on the package.

S

jabba...

Delays and additional costs are usually caused by the one time in however many that they must randomly spot check the packages at C&E.

Even our friendly host, who is Mr eMagictricks, is not trying to influence anyones buying decision, and I think that just shows that it is personal preference where you buy your magic. The views here are expressed as guides rather than recommendations, I think.

I've been buying magic from the US for many years, and I've been clobbered scores of times for extra duty. It's a risk you take when buying from the States, unfortunately. Lead times are also irregular from the US, and can't be counted on. To air mail a parcel from the States to UK is not cheap, and ground shipping is not quick. There's a balance, but usually it is quicker to buy in the UK.

Also, remember that if you order from the US, their day can be up to 6 hours adrift from ours, so ordering at 9pm UK time will feasably be shipped same-day US, where as ordering at that time in the UK won't be processed until next day.

Absolutely i am fully aware of all the comments you make. However i have also been ordering not only magic but games and DVD's from the states. As you say delivery cannot be relied upon, and certainly the random checks can catch you out. However given the number of internet stores here including our host my orders from the states are more infrequent. I do however use them when either the cost difference is significant or when availability is limited. In recent cases I have found both to be a reason for ordering from the US. I would also point out that delivery from Magic Warehouse has always been superb, never more than 5 days.

S

please note i will buy from anywhere if the price is right and reasonable.

Too right! Price and availability are key, here.

For instance, certain items of US origin (Bicycle cards, many gaffed decks, videos, effects) are bound to be cheaper from the US.

But I've often found that if you need something in a hurry, go for a UK dealer.

Like you, I also buy items from the US via the internet, and now that the web has opened an international marketplace, it's a breeze. Although getting stuffed for import duty and large delay times are the only downside, there's also the customer service and returns that become a nightmare, especially with consumer electronics like digital cameras and computer equipment.

But now, since the advent of the internet - armed with a credit card, web browser and a link through to Google, you can buy just about anything from anywhere. And rightly so!

Getting back to the topic of the thread, if you wanted to make some kind of shielding i think you would have to use a ferro magnetic material which will channel the field through itself, essentially compacting it. As lead is not ferro magnetic it would not work, you would have to use something like iron or steel. The problem arises because by definition the shielding material would be attracted to the magnet so you would have a serious problem getting it out of the box you made.

I think that's the only way to do it, but my knowledge of magnetism isn't yet quite as good as it needs to be for the exams I've got in a few weeks time!

Correct: only a 'magnetic' material (meaning the material is attracted to the magnet) will shield the device, as it will redirect the magnetic field back to the opposing pole of the magnet, thus diminishing it's effect.

The reasoning for my 'polystyrene coffin' idea is that the magnet is suspended in an 'isolation chamber' where it's field is distanced from objects. It works well for me.

During loading and unloading in a performance, wrapping the item in a hand towel has the same 'distancing' effect. It is quick, easy and available.

If I recall correctly, the old Horseshoe shaped items used to be supplied with a short iron bar as a keeper. This ensured that the field flowed from one pole to another when not in use. I don't recall it doing much to reduce the field of attraction though.

The only way to reduce the attraction for another iron or similar object is to make sure there’s as much distance as possible between the two items and this would mean a thick box or some lagging. I’d have thought an expanded polystyrene box (can be made out of the packing material round TV sets etc and is probably available for nowt @ your local Electrical Superstore) would give a lot of space at minimal weight. It would still be a large & bulky parcel!

Can you imagine strolling down the High street with a large bulge in your trousers? Well, yes, actually, but that’s another story!

Great minds...

(Adopts Derren Brown type facial expression and says in a deep bass voice) I just knew you’d say that!

If you have some spare time to check out the Old Forum Postings there’s a hilarious tale from one poor guy who had an unshielded item in his pocket but stood too close to a radiator. Took him ages to get out of the situation, apparently!

(Seige recoils from the blow dealt by Mandrake's accusation of predictablility (ESP???))

I've had a similar experience myself... did you know that standard 2p and 1p coins will stick to a magnet???

Don't put your M5 in your pocket... I think that's the buzzword here!

Are you sure those coins are magnetic?

Thanks, editor. Post corrected.

Now this really, really is weird - I always though UK copper coins were non magnetic. I knew US coins were non magnetic but Canadian ones were magnetic thus the folks in N.America can magically and magnetically sort one currency from another.

Yesterday afternoon at work I was checking some stock we have which involves what the Americans call a ‘Cow Magnet’ – vets over there (and probably over here) add one or two to a cow’s food and any metallic objects the cow eats will only go so far through the multiple stomach system they have – and we use them in one of our products to attract fine metallic particles out of a liquid. I put one in my pocket to carry back to the office and, when I took it out again some of my ‘copper coins’ were stuck to it. Others weren’t and I was about to start a check to see which dates are magnetic and which aren’t and thus find out when the change happened.

And now I find out that all you other guys are thing on the same wavelength. Oooo-errrr!!!

Mind you, I haven't got stuck to a radiatior yet.