chemistry class revisited..magnesium.

vash · vash's Garage

i've heard talk on this board of lighting a magnesium case on fire during the process of removing stubborn fasteners with heat. has anyone actually seen this? i know the little strip of magnesium i lit into a bright glowing orb in chemistry class is the pure stuff. our cases are some alloy,right?. this i would like to see a picture of. no way a regular fire extiquisher can put out a blaze like that. maybe i can borrow my buddies fishing high tech fishing reel, i think it is made with a similar alloy.

just wondering.

Bobboloo · Bobboloo's Garage

The magnesium case dissipates the heat so fast by heat sinking that it would be very hard to if not impossible with a propane torch. Make no mistake it does burn though. Just take that torch and aim it at the magnesium bits that drop to the floor after you remove head studs. Can you say sparklers?

I would think the risk would be greater with an oxy-ace torch but even then it would have to be a hot day and no breeze so that it would be harder for the case to heat sink.

dvkk · 12-06-2003, 02:43 AM

I have tossed chunks of old VW mag engine cases into a very hot bon fire. The chunks took a good 4-5 min surrounded by yellow coals to get going. I think it would be very difficult to light a case, even if you were trying.

Cornpanzer · 12-06-2003, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dvkk
I have tossed chunks of old VW mag engine cases into a very hot bon fire. The chunks took a good 4-5 min surrounded by yellow coals to get going. I think it would be very difficult to light a case, even if you were trying.

Hmm, this explains your lack of eyebrows......

beepbeep · 12-06-2003, 06:39 AM

Hehe...but if it finally lights off, you're in for few really bright moments

john walker's workshop · 12-06-2003, 07:59 AM

i have seen one that burned in a house fire. you could see the crank thru the top. it would really take some effort to light one off, doing stud removal. i used to resurface the end covers on vw transmissions years ago, by using a belt sander. occasionally you would get a bright burst of flame when the dust ignited. kind of scary.

Fritz · 12-07-2003, 11:06 AM

I agree, it takes substantial amount of heat to get them started.

BUT...once you do get it lit, stand back cause you ain't gonna put it out.

My brothers were into drag racing pretty heavily back in early 70's and tried some magnesium third member cases (rear end housing) from Halibrand. They would periodically get a crack and be trash. We had a neighbor who was into desert bikes and dune buggy's where he and a bunch of his friends would go to the desert and ride all weekend. He asked if he could have a trashed housing. He used a band saw to cut it into chunks and threw the chunks into their nightly fire. He claimed the only problem was with how bright the magnesium burned...they had to move their chairs back a bit and wear sunglasses.