Quote: (Carrington @ 18 Feb. 2009, 08:17 )
One concern -- part of the reason I havent made an order -- is that these little magnets are very dangerous for anyone else who swallows them.
I know for a fact that some magnet-based construction toys were recalled because some kid swallowed a few of the magnets that had come out of the plactic parts and either died or nearly so.
I think the biggest problem with the swallowing the magnet is actually swallowing more than one at a time. Basically, if the magnets started out separated, they could "attach" themselves to each other, often with parts of vital internal organs in between them (usually the walls of the intestines). This would lead to serious internal damage (perforations) and then infection.
Of course, the question arises, are you planning on eating these things? If you have kids/pets/whatever, how is it that you can keep them from putting the metal mini's in their stomachs? Can't you use the same techniques to prevent the magnets from being consumed?
My only problem with using rare earth magnets is that sometimes the magnetic attraction is stronger than the glue holding the magnet to the plactic stand. Fixing it once or twice is simple enough, but after awhile, the glue builds up and starts looking crappy.
You can also save money by only using the magnets for half of the magnetic connection, with the other half being a small nut or washer. This technique also saves you the trouble of making sure the polarity of the magnets are arranged correctly (with two magnets, there's a [good] chance that you could accidently glue them into a position in which they repel instead of attract each other).
