> Just a thought and I've never tried it, but what about 
> heating the tool, or
> impact?

Heating is very liable to affect metal "temper".
Non magnetised non-cutters may result.

Repeated percussion below damage range should work BUT
the various electromagnetic methods that have been mentioned 
should be fine.
Generate a strongish AC field, present the tool to it and 
then move it slowly away. The field needs to be strong 
enough to adequately overcome the coercivity (natural 
cussedness, magnetic stay-puttedness) of the material and 
will vary with tool material. Soft irons are easily changed. 
Some stainless steels and similar may be 'rather difficult' 
but these are also less liable to have been magnetised 
initially.

An opened transformer core fed from a low voltage 
transformer should be adequate for most objects. Variac on 
primary of driving transformer is useful. No variac ? - 
light bulbs in series with secondary and opened core will 
do. Experiment to ghet desired brightness as an indication 
of current flow.  Very dark bulb is much lower R than when 
even moderately orange so a degree of variable current 
limiting is provided. R on = Vrated^2/Watts_rated. Cold R is 
10+ times lower.

If you have a variac you can keep the tool still and wind 
down the voltage.

TVs and monitors have a degaussing feature built in. May not 
have enough 'grunt' but the thump you get when some monitors 
debauss suggests some serious amp turns. AFAIK many of these 
use only a PTC and a coil and mains so mayhaps gutting out 
this part from a dead monitor may suffice. The degauss coil 
could be wound into a smaller coil of coils to get more amp 
turns. YMMV.Dont try this at home. All care and no 
responsibility. Do not spindle fold punch mutilate staple or 
bend. You have the right to remain si ... .




        Russell 

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