Use of magnets for mounting?

[framinzfun]

I have a customer that brought in some civil war stuff to be shadowboxed. There is a leather case that he would like me to mount a corps pin onto. He doesn't mind if I poke a hole into the leather to mount the pin, but I do. I had a thought of using a strong (maybe one of those rare earth jobs) magnet inside the leather that would hold the metal part of the pin in place. Is this a totally silly idea? Can a magnet possibly be that strong? What other options do I have, that wouldn't be overly visible as mounting.... I had thought of a mylar strap or monofiliment, but was looking for a method that was invisible.

 

[CAGallery]

Take a look at Raphael's Fabrics website. They have something done with earth magnets towards the bottom of this page:

http://raphaelstoday.com/ideasandimages.aspx

They are also GREAT to work with! We deal with them even though they are clear across the country.

 

[Jim Miller]

...There is a leather case that he would like me to mount a corps pin onto. He doesn't mind if I poke a hole into the leather to mount the pin...

Describe these two items in detail, please. Photos would help. Suggestions are more likely to be workable if we have an idea of what we're talking about.

 

[framinzfun]

Good idea.

He wants the leather case in the configuration where the black part is showing... as in the first image. The corps pin is pictured on the leather case in the second photo. The leather is maybe 1/8" thick. It's a quandry....

 

[Jim Miller]

What's on the back of the corps pin?

If it has a pinback, could you make it vertical, so you could slip a clear film strap through it horizontally? A horizontal strap could also provide partial support for the leather case, wrapped over its sides and attached to the back of the mounting board through slots.

Or, using two sheets of optically coated glazing might work, regardless of what's on the back of the corps pin. Place one acrylic sheet on spacers directly above the leather case, but not touching it. Attach the corps pin to the acrylic sheet by drilling a hole or two or making a slot for a clear film strap. Place the second sheet of glazing on spacers directly above the pin, with enough elevation to avoid touching it.

This way, the corps pin would appear to be floating by levitation above the leather case. The two sheets of acrylic would be nearly invisible, and their combined weight would be about the same as a single layer of glass.

 

[canada framer]

You can find strong magnets for such a job at Leevaley.com they are in almost every Canadian province.