Safety Information & Guidelines

The Magnetic Dent Removal Apprentice Kit contains a very powerful N52 Rare Earth Magnet.  Please read this entire page prior before using your Apprentice Kit, or you may risk injury to yourself and others. Severe pinching of hands and fingers, blood blisters, soft tissue damage, etc. are possible. When a ferrous object begins to accelerate towards a Rare Earth magnet or an MDRS tool, it will strike faster that a rattlesnake.

It is imperative that users of the Apprentice Kit follow all safety warnings listed below. We further suggest that you visit the Technician pages on this website for further information on the safe use of magnetic tooling.

The Golden Rule of Magnetic Dent Removal:

(NOTE: Besides the MDRS safety warnings, this is the most important “Tool in use” warning!)

Never perform magnetic dent removal on a tuba, sousaphone, baritone, euphonium, etc. while the instrument is in a vertical position (sitting on its bell with the boot facing up.) Attempting to remove dents from the back side of the boot or the first branch with the instrument in this position can lead to the ball free-falling the wrong way into tapered tubing and possibly becoming wedged into place if the ball comes loose from the magnet inside the instrument. In general, horizontal is a good thing while using MDRS tools.

Magnetic Field

To test how large the magnetic field of your Apprentice tool is, and thus how far you need to keep it away from computers, hearing aides, pacemakers, credit cards, etc., do the following: Place one of the medium sized dent removal balls on a smooth flat surface. From a distance of a few feet away, very slowly move your tool closer to the ball. You will want to do this very slowly until the ball starts to quiver. This quiver indicates the very edge of the magnetic field. When you reach that point, do not get any closer, as this is the out skirt of the safety zone.

Important Safety Guidlines

  • Do not keep ferrous, steel, or magnetic objects withing 6 feet of your work area while using the system. Establish a ferrous free zone when using the Apprentice Kit.
  • Be aware of metal objects on your person such as pens, knives, cell phones, key rings, watches, as these items can become projectiles due to magnetic attraction.
  • Due to the power of the magnets used in the Apprentice Kit, keep the magnet tool away from anyone using a pacemaker or other medical devices.
  • We suggest wearing gloves while using your Apprentice Tool. For your maximum safety, we also suggest that you wear eye protection (safety glasses) at all times while using the tool.
  • Refrain from using the Apprentice Kit outside of a controlled shop environment.
  • Avoid contacting your magnet tool with dirt or soiled areas. The magnet in your kit will attract all ferrous particles and it will be a very tedious task to clean the magnet surface.
  • Take care at all times to make sure the magnet surface and Mylar sheet are completely clean when performing dent removal. Failure to do so will result in increased scratching of the instrument’s finish.
  • Never attempt to remove dents from the bottom bow or first branch of a tuba with the instrument sitting vertically on its bell. Performing work with the instrument in this position makes it possible for the ball to come loose from the tool and fall the wrong way into tapered tubing, becoming wedged in place. Removal of this wedged ball can necessitate disassembly of the instrument for removal.
  • When not in use, be sure to keep your Apprentice Kit safely stored away from children and those who are unfamiliar with its use.