[TheForge]magnet Q.

[Gladish Family]

> 1. I have a number of assorted magnets used for set-ups, mock ups and
> the like...should they be stored separately, carefully aligned
> north/south, to retain max  pull ( suck?) or is it not a problem just to
> toss them in a box with their friends?

My understanding is that magnets are manufactured by applying overwhelming
magnetic fields (i.e. really really huge!) to a previously neutral chunk of
metal, and that heat or overwhelming magnetic force are the only ways that
magnets lose their pull, other than physical deterioration.
I have a friend who sells magnets for a living- I'll ask him.
Andy G.