Magnets for Woodworking and Furniture: Selection, Installation, and Project Ideas
For most woodworking projects, use disc magnets glued into pockets where you want a clean look, countersunk magnets where you want screws and easy replacement, and steel strike plates opposite them to save cost. Hide a magnet behind wood only when you need to: every 1/16 in of wood over it is gap that weakens the hold, so hidden closures need magnet pairs. Drill the pocket a little larger than the magnet, mark the poles before you glue, and test the fit on scrap.
Magnets in woodworking do the jobs that screws, hinges and latches do badly: parts that come off and go back in seconds, closures with nothing to see, and pieces that line themselves up. This guide covers choosing parts, hiding them, installing them in different materials and placing them accurately, with four worked projects. If you’re putting catches on cabinet doors, see the separate guide to magnetic cabinet catches, which covers door strength, hinge placement and flush closing.
Where Magnets Work in Furniture
Removable Panels
Back panels, speaker grilles, kick boards and appliance covers that pop off for access and snap back.
Access Covers
Plumbing, electrical and HVAC access panels in walls, vanities and built-ins, with no visible screws.
Box Lids
Lift-off and hinged lids that close with a soft snap and stay closed when the box is tipped.
Hidden Closures
Secret compartments, drawer stops and closures concealed behind a thin layer of wood.
Removable Trim
Valances, light rails, toe kicks and decorative panels you can take down to clean or paint.
Alignment Aids
Magnet pairs that pull removable shelves, leaves and two-part tops into register.
Choosing the Part
| Part | Best for | Mounting | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disc Magnets | Flush and hidden closures, lids, alignment | Glued into a drilled pocket | Hard to remove once glued |
| Block Magnets | Long, narrow parts such as trim and rails | Glued into a routed slot | Slots need square ends |
| Countersunk Rings and Blocks | Panels, covers, anything you may want to service | Flat-head screw | Over-tightening cracks them |
| Steel Discs and Plates | The “other half” of most closures, at low cost | Glue, adhesive or screw (countersunk washers) | Thin plates and gaps cut the hold |
Magnet plus steel costs less and doesn’t care about polarity or exact alignment. Two magnets hold much better through wood or any gap, and they pull themselves into line, which is what you want for hidden closures and alignment. Background: magnet-to-magnet vs. magnet-to-steel and which magnet shape to choose.
Exposed, Flush or Concealed?
- Exposed on the surface: strongest and easiest to fix, but you see the magnet and it stands proud.
- Flush in a pocket: just as strong when the faces meet, with protected edges, and the magnet face is visible. Good for box rims, cleats and the backs of panels.
- Concealed behind wood: invisible, but the wood over each magnet adds to the gap. One 1/2 × 1/8 Inch N52 disc is rated 8.15 lb on thick steel, and a pair pulls about the same when touching. In our magnetic model, the pair pulls about 2.5 lb through 1/16 in of wood on each side and about 1.1 lb through 1/8 in on each side. Size up, and test.
Keep the skin over a concealed magnet as thin as you can cut reliably. The center spur on a Forstner or brad-point bit cuts deeper than the flat bottom, often by about 1/16 in, so with a standard bit leave about 1/8 in of wood. For a 1/16 in skin, cut the pocket with a router and a flat-bottomed bit, and test on scrap first. For more numbers through different thicknesses, see magnets through wood, drywall or glass.
Magnet Pull Force Calculator
To check a concealed pair, enter the magnet, choose an identical magnet and add the wood over both magnets as the gap.
Solid Wood, Plywood and MDF
| Material | Pockets | Screws | Durability notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid wood | Clean in hardwood; drill a test hole first in softwood, which tears more easily | Hold well in faces and edges; avoid end grain | Keep screws and pockets away from ends, where wood splits |
| Plywood | Fine for flush pockets; a concealed skin can land on a glue line or a void | Hold well in the face, poorly in the edge | Check the face veneer thickness before planning a thin skin |
| MDF | Very clean, flat-bottomed pockets | Need slightly larger pilots; keep face screws about 1/2 in from edges (guidance) | Edges are weak, and raw MDF swells if it gets wet, so seal it |
In every material, glue magnets with two-part epoxy, or with a super glue made for magnets in a snug pocket. Wood glue (PVA) doesn’t bond well to a magnet’s nickel plating. See the best glue for magnets.
Drilling and Placing Magnets Accurately
Size the Pocket
Make a glued pocket 1/64 to 1/32 in wider than the magnet and about 1/64 in deeper than its thickness for a flush fit, and use a Forstner or brad-point bit for a flat bottom. A same-size bit isn’t a reliable press fit: magnets vary by up to ±0.004 in, and bits and wood vary too. The cabinet guide has a full pocket size table by magnet.
Use a Drilling Jig for Repeat Work
- Make a jig from scrap: a fence that registers on the edge of the part and a guide hole, or a hole for the bit’s center point, at the magnet position. Clamp it, drill, move to the next part.
- Set a depth stop on the drill press or a stop collar on the bit, and check the first pocket with calipers.
- Transfer the mating position instead of measuring it: put a steel disc or a second magnet on the installed magnet with a small piece of double-sided tape on its outer face, close the lid or panel, and open it again. The disc stays on the other part, right where the pocket goes.
Mark the Poles Before You Glue
For pairs, every magnet on one part must face the matching magnet on the other part north to south. The easy way: let two magnets snap together, mark the outer face of each, and install both with the marks facing out. For many magnets, keep them in one stack and mark the top face of each one as you slide it off, then install them marks out on one part and marks in on the other. A Pole Detector makes this fast. Our countersunk magnets are already marked, with a red dot or line on the north pole, and our countersunk ring packs come split half north and half south; see how paired packs work.
Plan for Service
- Use countersunk magnets where you might ever need to replace one: unscrew it and fit a new one.
- Drill a small tap-out hole behind a glued pocket where the back is hidden, so a nail can push the magnet out later.
- Silicone adhesive holds a magnet well enough for light closures and can be cut out, at the cost of a weaker bond than epoxy.
- Don’t heat a glued magnet to soften the glue: neodymium magnets can lose strength permanently above about 176 °F (80 °C).
Three Projects
1. A Magnetic Lid for a Keepsake Box
What you need: four 1/4 × 1/8 Inch N52 Discs (D14X18N52-96PK, 2.9 lb each listed), Starbond Super Glue for Magnets (STARBOND-20002) or epoxy, a 17/64 in brad-point bit, and box sides at least 1/2 in thick.
- Drill two pockets in the top edge of the box, 17/64 in wide and 9/64 in deep, centered in the thickness of the sides and at least 1/2 in from the corner joints. If the sides are thinner than 1/2 in, glue small blocks inside the corners, flush with the rim, and drill those instead.
- Glue in two magnets flush, with the same pole facing up on both.
- Transfer the positions to the lid: put a magnet with double-sided tape on each installed magnet, lower the lid into place and lift it off.
- Drill and glue the lid magnets, with the opposite pole facing down, so each pair attracts. Check with a spare magnet before the glue sets.
For a larger box or a heavy lid, step up to 3/8 × 1/8 Inch N52 Discs (D38X18N52-50PK, 5.5 lb) in 25/64 to 13/32 in pockets.
2. A Removable Access Panel
What you need: four 3/4 × 1/2 × 1/8 Inch N42 Countersunk Blocks (BCS34X12X18N42-14PK, 7.4 lb each listed, #6 screws), four 1 Inch Countersunk Steel Washers (CSSP1X18-36PK, 1.00 × 0.125 Inch, #8), which cover the whole block, plus #6 × 1/2 in flat-head screws for the blocks and #8 × 1/2 in for the washers.
- Add a ledge or lip at the bottom of the opening for the panel to rest on. Then the magnets only have to hold the panel against the frame, not carry its weight.
- Screw the blocks to the frame or cleats, one near each corner, finishing by hand so you don’t crack them.
- Transfer the positions to the back of the panel with double-sided tape on the washers, then screw the washers on.
- Test. The panel should pull off with your fingertips or a small finger hole and snap back flat. If it’s hard to pull off, leave out one of the top magnets or add thin bumpers.
Without a ledge, the magnets carry the panel by friction alone. For designs without a ledge, size the magnets for 7 to 10 times the panel’s weight in total listed pull force; see why magnets slide on vertical surfaces.
3. Snap-On Trim or a Removable Toe Kick
What you need: 1 × 1/2 × 1/8 Inch N52 Single Countersunk Blocks (BCS1X12X18N52-10PK, 11.7 lb each listed, #6 screws) and 1 × 1/2 Inch Steel Blocks (SP1X12-150PK, 1.00 × 0.50 × 0.04 Inch), plus epoxy.
- Screw the magnets to the cabinet base or wall cleat about every 12 to 16 in, and within a few inches of each end.
- Epoxy the steel blocks to the back of the trim, set into a shallow mortise if the trim must sit tight to the cabinet.
- Let the epoxy cure fully, then press the trim on. A small gap at the top lets you pry it off with your fingers.
For trim that hangs on a wall with nothing under it, use the 7 to 10× rule above and consider using magnets on both the panel and the wall.
Selection Table
Starting points, not tested recommendations. Test with your own wood, finish and parts.
| Application | Product (SKU) | Size | Pairs with | Mounting | Suggested bit | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small box lids, alignment | 1/4 × 1/8 Inch N52 Disc (D14X18N52-96PK) | 0.25 × 0.125 Inch, 2.9 lb listed | Another disc | Glue in a pocket | 17/64 in or 7 mm, 9/64 in deep | Light hold |
| Larger lids, alignment, flush catches | 3/8 × 1/8 Inch N52 Disc (D38X18N52-50PK) | 0.375 × 0.125 Inch, 5.5 lb | Another disc, or a 1/2 Inch Steel Disc | Glue in a pocket | 25/64 in, 10 mm or 7/16 in, 9/64 in deep | Use a steel disc slightly wider than the magnet for best hold |
| Concealed closures behind thin wood | 1/2 × 1/8 Inch N52 Disc (D12X18N52-24PK) | 0.50 × 0.125 Inch, 8.15 lb | Another disc | Glue in a pocket behind a thin skin (about 1/8 in with a Forstner bit) | 17/32 in, 14 mm or 9/16 in | Light hold through wood |
| Thin parts and veneered panels | 1/2 × 1/16 Inch N52 Disc (D12X116N52-42PK) | 0.50 × 0.0625 Inch, 3.8 lb | Another disc | Glue in a shallow pocket | 17/32 in or 14 mm, 5/64 in deep | Weak through any gap |
| Access panels and covers | 3/4 × 1/2 × 1/8 Inch N42 Countersunk Block (BCS34X12X18N42-14PK) | 0.75 × 0.50 × 0.125 Inch, 7.4 lb, #6 | 1 Inch Countersunk Steel Washer (CSSP1X18-36PK) | #6 screw in the block, #8 in the washer | 3/32 and 7/64 in pilots (hardwood) | Add a ledge for heavy panels |
| Trim, toe kicks, long panels | 1 × 1/2 × 1/8 Inch N52 Single Countersunk Block (BCS1X12X18N52-10PK) | 1.00 × 0.50 × 0.125 Inch, 11.7 lb, #6 | 1 × 1/2 Inch Steel Block (SP1X12-150PK) | #6 screw; epoxy on the steel | 3/32 in pilot (hardwood) | 1 mm steel holds less than thick steel |
| Heavy panels and doors | 3/4 × 1/4 Inch N52 Countersunk Ring (DCS34X14N52-6PK) | 0.75 × 0.25 Inch, 18.8 lb, #6 | 1 Inch Countersunk Steel Washer (CSSP1X18-36PK) | #6 on the magnet, #8 on the washer | 3/32 and 7/64 in pilots (hardwood) | Strong; easy to over-size. Use #6 screws about 1/8 in longer than for 1/8 in parts |
Sizes include the plating, with a tolerance of ±0.004 in. Pull forces are listed ratings, measured straight off thick steel with no gap, so expect less in a real joint.
Safety
- Keep loose magnets away from children and pets. Swallowed magnets can cause serious internal injuries (CPSC). Glue or screw them in securely.
- A magnetic closure isn’t a lock. Don’t rely on one to keep children out of anything.
- Mind your fingers: strong magnets snap together and pinch.
- Neodymium is brittle. Wear safety glasses, keep magnets apart until you need them, and never drill or machine a magnet.
- Medical implants: keep magnets about 6 in (15 cm) from pacemakers and other implanted devices, or 12 in (30 cm) for magnets 1 Inch and larger (magnets near implants).
Woodworking Magnet FAQ
Can you put magnets in MDF?
Yes. MDF takes very clean, flat pockets, and epoxy bonds well to it. Drill slightly larger pilot holes for screws, keep screws away from edges, and seal raw MDF so it can’t swell.
Can I embed magnets in plywood?
Yes. Flush pockets work well. For a concealed magnet behind a thin skin, check where the plies and any voids fall, and drill a test hole in an offcut of the same sheet.
How do I remove a magnet glued into wood?
If the back of the pocket is hidden, drill a small hole behind it and push it out with a nail. Otherwise, cut the glue out carefully around the edge. Don’t heat it, since heat can weaken the magnet.
What's the best glue for magnets in wood?
Two-part epoxy for most jobs; a super glue made for magnets for snug pockets. Avoid ordinary wood glue.
How deep should I drill for a magnet?
About 1/64 in deeper than the magnet’s thickness for a flush fit, such as 9/64 in for a 1/8 Inch thick magnet. For a concealed magnet, leave a skin at least twice as thick as your bit’s spur, usually about 1/8 in, or about 1/16 in with a router-cut pocket.
Do I need two magnets or one magnet and steel?
One magnet and steel for exposed and flush closures where the parts touch. Two magnets for concealed closures, alignment and anywhere there’s a gap.
Need a Part We Don't List?
Contact us about your project and we’ll help with sizes. For production runs we offer bulk pricing and custom magnets.