Magnetic Ring Launcher. This very simple toy keeps amazing me with new tricks. My friend Jef Raskin first described it to me, and we have both been having fun with variations ever since. All it consists of is ten little magnetic beads on a carbon graphite composite rod. The beads all repel one another, and arrange themselves in a way that clearly shows the effect of gravity -- the beads at the bottom are closer together than the ones at the top, forming a beautiful mathematical progression. Click on image for larger picture The fun doesn't stop there, though. Push down on the top bead, and then let it go. There are two configurations we like to play with. If you let it stick to the refrigerator, then pull the top or the bottom, the magnets bunch up at the other end.
It's mesmerizing just to turn it upside down again and again, and watch the beads orient themselves, flowing like water down the rod. The second form is the Ring Launcher. Building the Ring Launcher We carry the rods and the beads in our catalog. Google. How to make your own magnet toys. Magnet Crafts. Magnet Powered Catapult. My Magnetic Pendulum.