Necron Obelisk & Tesseract Vault Magnetization Guide

This article explains how to magnetize the Necron Obelisk & Tesseract Vault model using our magnetization kit. You will be able to use the end model as any of the Obelisk and Tesseract Vault builds available in that box.

Please follow the normal assembly instructions that come with the plastic kit; the steps below cover only the magnetization.

To keep track of magnet polarity we use a set of Magnicator tools. We refer to a magnet's polarity as "red" or "blue," after the Magnicator end that is attracted to that magnet's surface. If you do not have those tools, use another method to track polarity, for example mark one face of a large spare magnet and reference it every time you place a magnet.

This Guide will walk you through the steps to build and magnetize the Obelisk as well as the Tesseract Vault for your Necron Army.

When building your mighty Necron refrigerator, this guide will make reference to certain steps from the manual and explain how to magnetize AT those steps.

The kit comes with a set of 37 magnets, 1 flight stand component, and 1 3D printed part.

Magnets

Diameter (mm)	Thickness (mm)	#
5	1	18
5	1.5	8
5	2	8
6	1	3
Total		37

Flight Stand Components

Component	#
Pre-measured acrylic rod flight stand for the C'tan Shard	1

3D Printed Parts

Name	Magnet	#
Rock (small)	6mm x 1mm	1

Tools For this guide you will need

• Necron Obelisk & Tesseract Vault magnetization kit: every magnet and part this guide uses.
• Thick or gel super glue, such as Maxi-Cure Plus: glues each magnet in place without running the way thin CA glue does.
• Magnicators V2: show which face of a magnet is red or blue, so every pair attracts.
• Needle files or sandpaper: clean up a hole or socket so the magnet sits flush.
• Hobby knife or clippers: remove parts from the sprue and trim the areas the steps call out.
• Drill bits, 3mm and 5mm: the bit sizes the steps drill with.
• Small Hand Drill: holds bits from 1mm to 3mm and turns them by hand.
• Large Pin Vise: holds bits from 0.5mm to 8mm and turns them by hand.
• Drill Bit Small Metric Bundle: supplies the 1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, and 3mm bits.
• Drill Bit Medium Metric Bundle: supplies the 4mm, 5mm, and 6mm bits.
• Milliput epoxy putty (optional): fills a gap or builds up a seat for a magnet.
• Drill bit stop collars, 3mm to 12mm (optional): stop the bit at the depth the steps call for.
• Masking tape (optional): marks the drill depth on the bit when you have no stop collar.
• Insta-Set accelerator (optional): sets the super glue faster.

Step 1 Building the Core

Magnets Used

Size	#	Where
5mm x 1mm	8	Clipped end of each upper cable (4) and the clipped piece glued to each pylon (4)

In the Manual, Step 1-A (Obelisk) will have you clip and remove the end of the upper cable that connects to the center pylons.

You will need to remove the entirety of the middle section that connects the end of the cable to the 1st node on each respective cable.

You will do this step 4 times (once for each cable and pylon).

PLEASE NOTE THAT STEP 1-B in the manual is incorrect for this project. You will need to glue the clipped piece onto the pylon, but the part will be rotated 180 degrees.

You can build the central section (Obelisk Step 1-C) as shown in the manual. You will need to score the faces of the clipped end of each cable as well as the part you have glued to the pylons.

Using the RED end of your Magnicator Tool, hold a 5mm x 1mm disc magnet in place, then use a flat needle file, coarse sanding stick or sand paper to remove the mirror finish from the side of each 5mm x 1mm magnet that will be glued to each cable.

Using the BLUE end of your Magnicator Tool, glue a 5mm x 1mm disc magnet to each clipped piece you glued to the pylons, so it pulls against its cable magnet.

DO NOT COMPLETE MANUAL STEP 1-D

Step 2 Drilling the Pylons and Extensions

Magnets Used

Size	#	Where
5mm x 2mm	8	Pylon branches, 2 per pylon

Once you have all pylons (with cable connections added and magnetized) as well as all pylon extensions removed from sprue, you will need to lightly cut a small amount of the pylon away, just behind the pre-moulded peg holes (2 per pylon).

Using your 5mm drill bit and pin vise (with stop collar or by marking your drill bit with masking tape) carefully drill into each pylon branch, drill to a depth of 2mm.

Go slowly while drilling as the bit will be sharp and you MAY go through the pylon. (we have a fix for that, should you happen to go all the way through).

Once you have drilled all 4 pylons, you need to do the same to each pylon extension (drilling to a depth of 1mm). Again, if you happen to drill all the way through, we will show you how to hide this.

Using the BLUE end of your Magnicator Tool, hold a 5mm x 2mm disc magnet in place and lightly score the face up side of the magnet (like you did with the cables and pylon face). Glue one 5mm x 2mm disc magnet into each hole that you drilled into the pylons only.

Next you will use the RED end of your Magnicator Tool and 5mm x 1mm disc magnets, score each magnet and glue one into each pylon extension.

Once the pylons and the pylon extensions are fully magged, you will glue the base of each pylon into their respective spots (as shown in Manual Step 1-D).

STOP AT MANUAL STEP 2-A

Step 3 Building the Walls

Magnets Used

Size	#	Where
5mm x 1.5mm	8	The SHELF of each wall corner half

Each of the 4 walls of this Obelisk / Vault are made up of 2 pieces that come together to make a corner. You will need to keep these pieces all separated until after you have drilled and magged them.

Building the parts fully will make the magnetization process more challenging. It CAN be done, but it won't be as easy.

On the interior side of each corner half, there is a flat slab of plastic that has 4 moulded points, we will be calling this section of the part, the SHELF.

The 2nd point on the SHELF will be the longest of the 4, you will need to remove the tip of this point, cutting it flush in line with the 3 others.

On the underside of each SHELF, there will be 4 moulded rectangular blocks. Clip away the front of the 2nd block (opposite the point you clipped).

Once you have done this to all 8 parts, use your 3mm drill bit and pin vise, slowly drill into the spot shown below.

You will drill through the SHELF.

After you have drilled through with your 3mm bit, you will gently drill through that same spot again, this time with your 5mm bit. Go slowly so as not to damage the shelf spacing too much.

Once you have drilled out all 8 spots, you will need to use the RED end of your Magnicator Tool, and hold a 5mm x 1.5mm disc magnet in place, scoring the surface of the magnet just as you did before in Step 2.

You will need to clip some of the scarabs that come as add-ons to the model, this is how we will cover any overdrill spots and hide what magnets we can.

Using a scarab of your choosing (either large or small) glue the scarab to the scored magnet surface and once the glue has cured place the magnet onto each SHELF, the scarab will act as a stop to make sure the magnet is perfectly flush.

After all eight 5mm x 1.5mm magnets have been set into their respective shelf, you can complete Manual Step 2-B.

At this point you have completed the Obelisk Core and its outer walls.

The pylons will mag and pull each SHELF while all 4 corners will support each other without the need to glue them.

Step 4 Tesseract Vault

Magnets Used

Size	#	Where
5mm x 1mm	8	Connecting end of each pylon extension

To expand your Obelisk into a Tesseract Vault, you will need to make use of the Pylon Extensions that support the outer walls when they are away from the core.

To magnetize the pylon extensions, you will first need to clip and remove the pre-moulded peg at the connecting end of each extension.

You will need to use the flat needle file to level the flat surface to make sure it is smooth for drilling.

Once all pegs have been removed, you will need to use your hand drill and 3mm bit to gently drill into the corner of the flat surface and small raised wall of the extension. Drill at a 45 degree angle, about 1mm in.

Next you will use your hand drill and 5mm bit to widen the hole and make space for the 5mm x 1mm disc magnet that will be placed into each pylon extension. Be careful not to drill all the way through, if this happens, simply use one of the Scarabs to cover the damage like we did in the Obelisk guide (shelf section).

Using the RED end of your Magnicator Tool, dry fit a 5mm x 1mm disc magnet into the drilled hole, making sure the Magnicator Tool sits flush. You will want the flat part of the extensions as flush as possible as they will be supporting weight / magnetic pull from the outer walls.

Once all pylon extensions have been magnetized this way, you can magnetically attach them to the pylons.

Each extension branch will push fit into the Vault's outer walls. Pairing this with the core cable you magnetized earlier, you will be able to push fit each set of extension and cables into the core and Vault walls.

Step 5 Only C'tans

Magnets Used

Size	#	Where
6mm x 1mm	3	Base of the C'tan Shard's feet, the acrylic rod flight stand on the rock, and the cage floor
5mm x 1mm	2	Tail section of the cage and the back end of the Wraith spine

Flight Stand Components

Component	#
Pre-measured acrylic rod flight stand for the C'tan Shard	1

3D Printed Parts

Name	#
Rock (small)	1

Now that you've fully built and magnetized your 40k pokeball, we need to get its inhabitant ready for their big debut.

The final step of this guide is building the internal cage system and C'tan Shard.

Build the C'tan Shard as shown in Manual Steps 10 to 12. When you get to Manual Step 12, you will glue the tip of the flight stand that is provided with the model.

Assemble the shard's main body as listed in the instruction manual but do not build the cage, we will do that after the shard is complete.

Glue the clear acrylic tip of the flight stand into the feet of the shard and once cured, clip the acrylic stand as flush to the bottom of his feet as possible.

Using your flat needle file, level out the bottom of the shard's feet until flush across the plastic and acrylic.

Using the RED end of your Magnicator Tool, hold a 6mm x 1mm disc magnet in place and score the face of the magnet. Then glue the magnet to the base of the shard's feet.

Included in the Magnetization Kit is a 3d printed 'rock' and a section of pre-measured acrylic rod that acts as a flight stand.

Using the BLUE end of your Magnicator Tool, score and remove the mirror finish from the 6mm x 1mm disc magnet that will be glued as well as lightly scoring both ends of the acrylic rod. This will ensure that the glue will bond more securely to the mostly smooth surfaces.

DO NOT GLUE THE CAGE SECTION TO THE CORE. THIS WILL ALLOW THE CAGE TO BE REMOVED WHEN CLOSING THE VAULT

Next you will need to clip and remove the peg stand in the center of the Vault 'cage' that the C'tan Shard would normally stand on. You will need to make it as flush as possible.

Using the BLUE end of your Magnicator Tool, glue a 6mm x 1mm disc magnet into the spot where the peg was located. Make sure the magnet is flush and level.

This will give your C'tan Shard a steady and strong place to stand while in and out of the Vault.

Finally, we will be making sure the Necron Wraith Warden is magnetized so that you can remove your Shard as needed.

Much like the Vault wall cables earlier, you will be removing a section and replacing that gap with 5mm x 1mm magnets.

Clip and remove the 2nd section of spine that connects the wraith body to the cage, trim the plastic and make the 2 spine sections as flush as possible.

Use the BLUE end of your Magnicator Tool to glue a 5mm x 1mm disc magnet to the tail section of the cage.

Next, using the RED end of your Magnicator Tool, mark the face of another 5mm x 1mm disc magnet and glue it into place at the back end of the wraith spine, where the tail will connect. (I used the flat end of a drill bit as the Magnicator Tool is too wide)

You have now fully built and magnetized one of, if not THE largest plastic model that exists for the tabletop and made it fully swappable.

Initiate Reanimation Protocols and march onward to reclaim what was lost!