Date:         Wed, 5 Jun 96 09:53:34 +0200
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         verbeek@the-hague.stbv.slb.com (brian verbeek)
Subject:      ! Magnesium grinding

All,

When grinding magnesium beware of steel bolts or dowels near the
spot you want to grind.

A couple of years ago I modified a T IV fanhousing and i wanted
to grind of some things, after a few minutes there was quite some
magnesium powder on the floor and workbench in my basement, the
magnesium doesn't give sparks when ground, but then I hit a steel
dowel with the disc, I reacted instantly and only a few sparks
came off but, unfortunatly, that was enough to ignite it, it gave a
flash you wouldn't believe, bright blueish white, I turned around
and saw my shadow on the opposite wall, i ran up into the kitchen
and the only thing i could grab was a pan of spinach, i ran down
again and trew it onto the bench, the magnesium allready stopped
burning, but the spinach put out the phone and some other things
that had cought fire.


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x Magnesium powder is very easily set on fire, be very carefull. x
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And another thing, after all the things you might have read here on
the list you might be interested in burning an engine case, someone
might have told you allready but be carefull, porosities in the
casting can cause explosions that spread pieces of burning magnesium.

I read that several cars burned out at the Bug Ins at Orange County
Raceway (if i have the name right) because of people burning cases.


Brian.