If you are an avid crafter, scissors are a staple in your toolkit, and you might think you know all there is to know about a pair of scissors.
Did you know scissors can become a magnet?
Whether you make your scissors magnetic on purpose or by accident, it is good to know why this happens and what to do about it when it does!
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Why Do My Scissors Become Magnetic?
If you have ever had your scissors become magnetic, we know it can be very frustrating.
This can cause your sewing needles, pins, and other items to stick to your scissors which can mess with your project.
Not only that, but if you have a sewing machine that houses a computer, the magnetic scissors could damage your sewing machine’s computer, which could be a very expensive problem to fix.
So Why Do Scissors Become Magnetic?
When a metal not previously magnetic becomes magnetic, it is called “ferromagnetism.” This can happen in iron, cobalt, and nickel.
This happens because these metals have unpaired electrons, and when these unpaired electrons are introduced to a currently existing magnetic field, they line up in a parallel pattern.
Once that happens, they create their own magnetic field, turning that object into a magnet.
Contact with Other Magnets
Any metal object with iron (which is very common in a pair of scissors) can become a magnet when exposed to other magnets.
This has to do with the magnetic force of the currently existing magnet.
You might not realize your scissors are even in contact with a magnet, but keep in mind that storing your scissors near a seam guide or magnetic pin cushion could cause them to become magnetized themselves.
Some people even store their scissors using a magnet scissor holder.
Cutting Something Magnetic
In addition to being stored near magnets, if you cut anything that happens to be magnetic, your scissors can take on a magnetic quality.
Scissor Blades Connecting
Sometimes your scissor blades rubbing on each other continuously can cause a minor magnetic field, creating a magnetic effect.
This is most likely occurring if one blade is already magnetized.
Electric Currents
If you store your scissors near an electronic item, they may pick up a magnetic field.
This is even more likely if heat is applied.
How Do You Make a Scissor Magnetic Yourself?
There are two common ways an iron object can become a magnet.
These include:
Using a Magnet
You might remember from school that magnets have both a North and South Pole, much like the Earth.
When you have objects with these poles, the opposite poles attract each other, creating a magnet.
When you take a magnet and rub a piece of iron on it (such as the iron found in scissors), it causes the north poles in the piece of iron to all line up in the same direction.
Once all the poles align, it generates a force that creates a magnetic field, making that item a magnet.
To ensure you are doing this correctly, you will need to rub the magnet in the same direction each time.
Using an Electric Current
You can also make a magnet with an electric current.
The advantage of using an electric current to create a magnet is that you can switch the magnetic field on and off by adding or removing the current.
To create a magnet using an electric current, you must wrap a wire around its iron scissor blades and then run electricity through it with a battery.
Most often, the scissors will not remain magnetized once the electric current is removed, but this is not a guarantee, and in some cases, they could remain magnetized.
Can You Demagnetize a Scissor?
Not interested in your scissors doubling as a magnet? The good news is that it is very easy to fix!
To demagnetize your scissors, you only need to grab another magnet and rub it on the scissors in different directions.
This works because it disrupts the alignment of the poles, disrupting the magnetic field.
What Are Magnetic Scissors Used for?
Now that you know how to turn your scissors into magnets, you might wonder what they can be used for.
While there aren’t a lot of uses for magnetic scissors in the crafting world, they can help you attract pins and other metal sewing tools that you might use.
However, magnetic scissors can be more of a hindrance than a help.
Whether or not you have a pair of magnetic scissors, you can always use a magnetic guide to assist you with cutting your fabric more accurately.
This will work with both a magnetized or demagnetized pair of sewing scissors.
Are Magnetic Scissors Expensive?
Magnetic scissors are not expensive since they can be so easy to make your own!
All you need to do is get a pair of sewing scissors and follow the steps included earlier in this article.
Because it is so easy to make your scissors magnetic, magnetized scissors are not often for sale.
You can find scissors sold with a magnetic holder, but not those that are magnets themselves.
Conclusion:
Scissors are a handy part of any crafter’s toolkit but can become a pain when they become magnets.
They can pull out your pins, ruin your sewing machine’s computer, and cause other frustrations when completing a project.
Because of this, it is a good idea to know how to demagnetize a pair of scissors and how to stop them from becoming magnets in the future.
With proper storage, you should be able to avoid magnetic scissors, and if not, it is an extremely easy fix!