How to Magnetise Warhammer 40,000 Arms and Weapons

August 30, 2026

Magnetising is not difficult. It goes wrong in three predictable places: the drill wanders, the polarity gets reversed, or glue creeps onto the face of the magnet. Avoid those three and the rest is straightforward. Here is the method we use.

What do you need to magnetise a miniature?

A pin vice with drill bits matching your magnet diameters, neodymium disc magnets in one or two sizes, gel superglue, a permanent marker, and a shallow tray to work over. A cocktail stick and a spare magnet on the end of a stick are the two free tools that make the job dramatically easier.

The method below is written around plastic and resin models from the Warhammer 40,000 range, but nothing in it is game-specific — it scales up unchanged for larger kits and across other systems.

Step 1: Test fit the joint dry

Hold the arm to the socket before you touch a drill. You are checking two things: how much material sits behind the socket, and whether the joint is flat or curved. A curved mating face needs the magnet recessed a fraction deeper on one side so the parts still close. Some shoulder sockets are barely 1.5mm thick — if so, drop a magnet size rather than drilling straight through the back.

If you are not sure which size to reach for, our guide to choosing magnet sizes gives starting points by joint type.

Step 2: Mark and start the hole

Mark the centre of the joint on both parts. Make a starting dimple with the tip of a hobby knife or a pin so the drill bit cannot wander — this single step prevents most off-centre holes. Then drill by hand in a pin vice, twisting slowly and clearing the swarf every few turns.

Do not use a rotary tool. The friction heat melts the plastic, the hole ends up oversized and glazed, and the magnet will not sit square in it.

Step 3: Drill to depth

Drill slightly deeper than the magnet is thick, so the magnet sits a hair below the surface. A magnet standing proud stops the joint closing and leaves a gap you will see every time you look at the model. Test the fit dry with a magnet before any glue — use a cocktail stick to push it in and a spare magnet on a stick to pull it back out.

How do you get magnet polarity right every time?

This is the step that ruins projects. The reliable method is to never separate the pair:

Take two magnets stuck together as a pair. Colour the exposed outer face of the stack with a permanent marker.
Glue the unmarked magnet into the socket on the body, marked face outward.
Leave the second magnet stuck to it while the glue cures. It is now automatically the correct way round.
Put glue in the hole on the arm, then bring the arm onto the second magnet so it picks it up and seats in place.

Done this way the pair never comes apart, so polarity cannot be wrong. The only rule to remember: when you magnetise a whole squad, always mark the same colour face outward on the body side, or arms will fit their own model and reject the next one.

Which glue should you use?

Gel superglue, not thin. Thin cyanoacrylate wicks by capillary action — it runs straight up around the magnet and forms a film across the mating face, which can halve the hold and leaves a cloudy residue. Gel stays where you put it.

Put a small amount in the hole rather than on the magnet, and press the magnet home in one movement. If glue does squeeze onto the face, wipe it immediately with a cotton bud; once it has cured, scraping it off usually takes the plating with it.

Two-part epoxy is the better choice for heavy resin limbs or anything load-bearing, at the cost of a slower cure.

How do you fix a magnet glued in the wrong way round?

You have three options, in order of preference. Drill it out with the same bit — neodymium is brittle and shatters into powder fairly readily, so wear eye protection and work over a tray. Alternatively, glue a matching magnet on top in the correct orientation and accept the joint sitting slightly proud. Or, if it is on the arm rather than the body, magnetise a replacement arm and keep the wrong one as a spare. Trying to lever it out with a knife usually gouges the socket.

Should you magnetise before or after painting?

Before, always. Drilling a painted model means chips and dust in the paintwork, and it is far easier to paint separated arms and torsos than to reach into a closed joint afterwards. Magnetising first also speeds up painting a full squad, because subassemblies give you clean access to areas that are unreachable once the model is together.

If the model is already painted, mask the surrounding area with tape before drilling and expect to touch in the joint afterwards.

What about magnetising the base?

Same method, easier execution — most bases have a recess underneath that already takes a 3x1mm or 5x1mm magnet with almost no drilling. Pair it with steel paper in a tray or on a shelf rather than a second magnet, so any model fits any slot without polarity mattering. We cover the whole process, including how to pack out a recess that is too deep, in our guide to magnetising miniature bases.

Safety note

Neodymium magnets can cause serious internal injury if swallowed, because two or more will attract through the wall of the gut. Work over a tray, account for anything you drop, and store spares in a sealed pot out of reach of children and pets. Wear eye protection when drilling one out — the fragments are sharp.

Independent guide published by Blubbercove Ltd/WarSplay. This article is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, authorised by or licensed by Games Workshop Limited. Warhammer 40,000 is a trade mark of Games Workshop Limited.