Magnet source
Red, if you go to harborfrieght.com and do a search for magnets, you will get three pages of results.one possibility is item #36903,a 100# retrieving magnet on sale for $3.99. might be overkill. another is a 66mm round magnet #96650. another is a 4"magnetic welder’s ground block #30754 $5.99. these, and others might do the job for you. To protect your paint, you could wrap the magnets in thin rubber or a flat woven (non terry) cotten towel. the towel might be better as you could wash it frequently to avoid paint scratches from grit. Ideally, a visit to a Harbor Freight store,To test each offering, would insure the suitability of your choice. large flat magnets can get an impressive grip and be difficult to dislodge.If you do have a HF store handy, you could test the magnets on the sheet metal sides of cabinates and display racks. I would be tempted to start with the 66 mm and take a sample of your buffering material. Other sources might be Northern Tool, a large Sears store, or a welding supply store. I hope this will be of some help.
Chris
Helpful Information - Thanks
I might have to “road trip” to a bigger city, but I’ll ask around here. If you saw what the sides of my vehicle look like, you’d know why I’m not overly concerned about new scratches, but a buffering material is still a good idea. I guess I’m most concerned with find a magnet that’s strong enough to hold the “loading ramp” in place, yet still removable.
We have a Harbor Freight in Urbana.
I don’t think that we have any open water to paddle, though.
Ha - Your Wrong about Open Water
Happy New Year, Yanoer. Just got back from paddling a small section of the Mackinaw River at the Route 150 bridge near Congerville. Quit when the lightning started. Then found out there were tornado warnings for the next county over ... my home county. But at least I got in a day of paddling in December ... completing the cycle for 2010. Suction cups worked fine loading the boat today, of course, since the temsp were in the 50s.