A friend of mine just gave me a present he picked up in a pawn shop.

The batteries are dead in my camera so I'll have to describe it.

Metal box contains Horse shoe shaped electro magnet, plastic bottle of power, perfume type sprayer with powder in it. No directions [of course]

Box reads 'Crack Checker" and says " Be sure all parts are free of oil and debris before checking for cracks."

Apparantly you spray the powder and hold the electro magnet find cracks.

Is this some kind of mangaflux?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

I think maganflux uses a dye, not a powder.

 

I believe it is called magnetic particle inspection. Is that powder magnetic?

 

I think so

How do you make it work?

 

I think you put the powder over the surface you want to check, go over the surface with the magnet. The powder will go to the cracks if their is any. I am not sure if you touch the surface with the magnet or hold it just over it.

 

Power up your electromagnet and place the poles on each side of the suspect area. Then "puff" the iron filings onto the head (for example) you are testing. The filings will stand up at the site of the crack, and make it very visible.

 

CAUTION! Keep out of the reach of plumbers

 

Is that what it's for?
Checking for leaks in irom pipe?

 

Ha Ha!! Hmm..he means, where ever there is a plumber near by they are usually cracking a smile.....from the back side Its not exclusive to plumbers, carpenters do it too, but they like suspenders so this kinda of thing does'nt happen. See where these threads go?

Hope you figure out the crack finder. And yes it could work on pipe too. Any metal thats magnetic.

 

[QUOTEYes it could work on pipe too. Any metal thats magnetic.[/QUOTE]

It might not work too well on a cast surface such as a manifold or the combustion chambers. The surface of a sand casting will be too rough and prevent the filings from standing up on the edge of the crack. It is generally a better idea to use a dye penetrant such as Zyglo on a cast surface.

 

I beg to differ. It works very well on a cast surface, rough or not.

 

Ok. Regardless, it is still good for someone to know that there are multiple ways to test a block for cracks. Zyglo makes good dyes that can be used with or without a black light. Ultrasound is another way to test metal for fatigue and small cracks.