Make your own magnetic jars

Many campers, motorhome drivers and boaters are familiar with glasses that rattle or fall over. Magnetic camping glasses and crockery can be a real alternative. Inexpensive to buy, little labour required, easy to retrofit. All you need is a neodymium disc magnet and some ferro tape or ferro foil, and the magnetic glass is ready.

Materials and tools for the magnetic glasses

You don't need a lot of material or tools to make your own magnetic glasses. All you need is a pair of scissors to cut out a shape from the ferrous foil (alternatively, you can also choose a magnetic foil that fits the entire surface of the drawer or cupboard - this foil then only needs to be cut to length if necessary), a template and, depending on the number of jars, the corresponding number of neodymium disc magnets.  A good adhesive is needed to connect the glasses with the magnets, for example UHU Max Repair.

All materials at a glance

• Ferrofoil
• Neodymium disc magnets (or block magnets - depending on the circumstances)
• Template
• Adhesive
• Scissors
• Camping Glasses

Prepare glasses and attach magnets

In this step, all magnetic glasses, cups or wine glasses can be fitted with a disc magnet. You should first check whether the magnet can be completely sunk into the base. Clean the glass thoroughly and apply a small drop of adhesive to the centre of the neodymium disc magnet. Now press the magnet onto the centre of the base of the glass. If it is not centred, it can be moved for a few moments. Allow the bond to dry thoroughly before placing the drinking glass on an adhesive base. The drinking and wine glasses with magnetic bases are now ready and the next step can begin.

Determine the correct dimensions for the magnet

There is a simple method for determining the optimum height for the magnet. It is important to measure correctly, because if the magnet is too large or too small, it will not hold properly on the adhesive base that will later be placed in the cupboard. The base of the cups or glasses must be concave, otherwise the magnet cannot be embedded. If the requirements are met, simply place a 1-euro or 2-euro coin on the bottom of the upturned glass or cup. A ruler is now needed to measure the exact height. The ruler is placed over the bottom of the cup or glass as shown in the picture below. If the coin fits in exactly, you can simply measure the height and diameter of the coin and transfer it to a neodymium disc magnet. If the coin protrudes upwards, you can measure the protrusion and subtract it from the thickness of the coin. The 2-euro coin, for example, is 2 mm thick and has a diameter of 26 mm, the 1-euro coin has an almost identical height and is only approx. 2 mm smaller in diameter. The disc magnet in 25 x 2 mm is best suited for this.
 

Cut out template

While the glue is drying, a template can be cut out. The shape of the stencil can be customised and serves as a coaster on the shelf. It can be round, rectangular, square and much more. For the shape and size of a coaster, a square size of 9x9cm can be entered in the rectangle selection in an image editing programme such as GIMP. The template will later be used in the cupboard compartment as an adhesive base or holding point for the glasses. It also works without a template if the ferrofoil is applied to the entire surface of the cupboard in the motorhome, caravan or boat. The foil is absolutely necessary as a coaster, because otherwise the cup or wine glass with magnet will not have any magnetic adhesion, as most cupboards in the camper are made of wood.

Test the magnetic function

The camping glasses with magnet are now ready for their first use. The wine glasses with magnet, the magnetic camping glasses and the cups can simply be placed on the ferrofoil. If the foil lifts when the glass is lifted, the DIY project of making your own magnetic glasses is almost complete. The full magnetic adhesive force only unfolds when the ferrofoil is firmly stuck to the cupboard. During the journey, the cups are then connected to the surface without slipping and hold bombproof.

Mounting the coasters: magnetic wine glasses for camping and boating

The only thing missing is the adhesive base to hold the glasses securely in place while travelling. Magnetic glasses should prevent them from falling over, so the ferrofoil is now stuck to the shelf or the place where the glasses are stored. The templates can now either be glued individually to the storage location or, optionally, the film can be glued over the entire surface for adhesion throughout the cabinet. Self-adhesive ferrous tape, which has a 3M adhesive layer on the back, is best suited for this. Remove the protective film and stick it on. The self-adhesive ferrous tape in 100x0.6 mm or the white PVC ferrous tape in 100x1.0 mm for light-coloured cupboards is ideal for this application. The built-in cupboard is now magnetic and holds the glass securely in place.
If there is no space in the camping cupboard, the ferrofoil can also be placed under the wall cupboard so that the drinking glasses are attached upside down. The cup, wine glass or drinking glass should be made of a lightweight material such as plastic (polycarbonate), bamboo, melamine, etc., as large and heavy crystal glass is not suitable for this purpose. If the wall or kitchen cupboards are particularly high, the adhesive base for the drinking glasses can be fitted at the bottom and top. Larger crystal glasses can at least be attached to the floor in this way. This saves space and is a real eye-catcher. The home-made magnetic systems now hold on all metal surfaces and are perfect for safe storage on long journeys in the campervan or motorhome - without rattling or falling over.