What time is it?

[badmotogoozer]

speaking of burning, here's a little magnesium fire we had at the lake last summer.

 

flame on!

 

Rj

[antonio carroccio]

That's what I call burn out!!!

[jrt]

Where the hell did you get magnesium? And don't look at if fer chrissake- the flame spews out gobs of UV light (which will damage your retina). Oy vey.

[al_roethlisberger]

My grandfather had an entire push lawnmower made of magnesium, and of course there's the old VW engines people burn....

 

al

[badmotogoozer]

This year we have a mag. lawn mover we're gonna start up and see how long it will run while burning...

 

That prev. pic started off as half of a helicopter transmission case. Here's how it started...

[belfastguzzi]

You really are a bad, bad motogoozer!

 

Not least for posting such GIGANTIC pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[badmotogoozer]

I cropped them down tons too, thought they wouldn't be that big... maybe a kind soul will resize them for me?

 

Rj

[badmotogoozer]

Where the hell did you get magnesium?

 

Rj

[antonio carroccio]

Where the hell did you get magnesium? 

From some wheels at Laguna Seca.

[jrt]

 

Rj

Clever boy.

Alright- you're old enough to take care of yourself. careful with your eyeballs, though.

[badmotogoozer]

Thanks for the concern re my eyes... We all had our "blue blockers" on, at least those who were sober enough to have their eyes open! I did learn a few things in those chem courses oh so long ago! Next year - sodium in the lake!

 

I must confess, we got the magnesium legitimately. A friend of mine reworks helicopter cases that the manufacturer rejected as out of tolerance. Usually he is able to machine them to spec (and they pay him VERY well for this). This was one that was not reworkable, so he ended up having a fifty pound chunk of magnesium under his desk for a number of years... It was only a matter of time before somebody clued in

 

cheers,

 

Rj

[belfastguzzi]

It was only a matter of

TIME

before somebody clued in

I'm relieved to see that this latest avenue of discussion, despite initial worrying impressions, is actually on-topic.

[jrt]

Let's see if I can stay on topic.

Now, you didn't hear this from me...but if you encase your sodium is something like a coffee can (with holes in to allow water in), then you can DELAY the TIME before which it...uh...goes off. The trick is to be able to collect the hydrogen produced. You also want the sodium to splinter a bit- those little beads that jump off are hot, and ignite the hydrogen.

Caution though- the products of the reaction (2Na + 2H2O--> H2 + 2NaOH) are quite reactive themselves- hydrogen (covered that) and sodium hydroxide, which will burn you pretty good. So don't get any liquid on ya' when it goes off like a TIME bomb.

 

OK, that last sentance was gratuitous.

[badmotogoozer]

This is what got us thinking about sodium next year. The TIME is right!

 

http://www.theodoregray.com/PeriodicTable/...11.2/index.html

 

good TIMES, good TIMES...

 

Rj

[Admin Jaap]

Here in the eastern part of Holland there is a new year's tradition to shoot with sodium (Dutch: carbid) They take old milkcans, drill a small hole in the bottom, put the sodium in it, ignite it and shoot the lid or a plastic ball away. On December 31st and January 1st you can hear the (illegal) bangs from miles away. Love it.

There are even specialists who have made a trailer with 5 or more cans and sparkplug ignition...