Occasional Happiness

[tentacles]

took a 140g piece of 6011 Al bar

tentacles: is there a reason you used 6011 Al.? the 6000 series has magnesium and silicon as the main alloys. The 5000 series would be better for magnaluim since its only main alloy is mg.

It's simply what I had... the only alternative would have been to wait until monday (and do the melt next week) to get some unknown scrap. Or to use foil, which (based on my last attempt) seems to make dirtier MgAl.

[asilentbob]

Just tested my black match from the other day... The stuff that was made at the beginning is excellent... The stuff closer to the end is horrible... I'll have to separate it into the good and bad sections at a later date.

[mormanman]

Made some magnalium today... took a 140g piece of 6011 Al bar, chopped it into 4" pieces and melted that in a can, then added Mg shavings I got from firefox a while back... I used about 165g of Mg, and some was lost dropping it into the can.. I used two propane torches (one would probably have done it) and some charcoal briquettes in my BBQ.

 

Result... 254g of magnalium, somewhere around 50/50 (burns easily and crackles nicely).

 

Pics:

http://www.apcforum.net/files/DCP_6.JPG

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/DCP_5.JPG

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/DCP_4.JPG

Took exactly 15 minutes from meat grinder to weighing again...

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/DCP_3.JPG

 

The entire operation took me about an hour and a half.

Can you use Al foil and Mg powder from like drug store tablets to make magnalium or is that just crap in a can?

[Mumbles]

You need to do some research. Magnesium does not come in drug store tablets. I don't know how many times I've seen people asking if they could use magnesium, calcium, or zinc tablets to make fireworks. They are all the oxides or carbonates. The human body can not make use of very many, if any, pure solid elements.

[deadman]

I was given a bottle of Magnesium U.S.P. approved dietary supplement as a gift once. Magnesium oxide was actually just a small portion of the many random ingredients in there.

[tentacles]

Closest way to get Mg from a common product is to synthesize it from MgCl (high end ice melt). I think this is done with electrolisys, but I can't imagine it's very fast or economical. You could check with metal recycling outfits, or scrap yards for magnesium. Al can be foil or whatever, but my opinion is that melting down foil leaves a messier product (the foil is more likely to start burning when you're getting it to melt).

[deadman]

I get my magnesium from sacrificial anodes. I think there may be a zinc rod down the middle of it but haven't used it for the year and a half I've had it so I may be wrong.

[pudidotdk]

Some pencil sharpeners are also made of magnesium.

Put a drop of vinegar on, if it bubbles it is magnesium (but may contain aluminium or so.)

[tentacles]

Great tip! I had been wondering an easy way to tell, since the appearance is so similar.. Thanks!

[crazyboy25]

i am happy. i just tested my flash powder which as it turns out is VERY powerfull and i just finished rolling my very first stars (magnalium strobe) which came out suprisingly good

[mormanman]

i am happy. i just tested my flash powder which as it turns out is VERY powerfull and i just finished rolling my very first stars (magnalium strobe) which came out suprisingly good

Argh man I wish I could be going along with pyro as fast as you. That sounds like fun though but I got a wheat grinder and I am happy about that.

[tentacles]

I was a busy beaver last night, installed the break and timefuse in 30 easter eggs last night (I use a small tube filled with flash for break).

 

Also got that balsa charcoal from another member, it is amazing!! I made 400g of BP with it:

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/DCP_2391.JPG

 

 

I upgraded my mill to 6" (1.28 gallon) also. I use a belt around the jar, and the jar sits on caster wheels, so I only have to change the belt size to switch between 4" and 6".

[mormanman]

Wooooooo I got 15lbs of sulfur for $8.99 and 2lbs of corn statch for dextrin for $.89 a lbs and now I have some black powder mix but no ball mill to mill it with so I have to save up to $34.99 to go to Fort Worth and buy a harbor freight rock tumblers and I have like $22.87. I hate money.

[Mumbles]

I love money, I just don't have much of it.

[h0lx]

Tentacles, could you post a pic of your mill? Hard to imagine with your description.

 

EDIT:

The human body can not make use of very many, if any, pure solid elements.

Theoretically... the element dissolves in stomach HCl and then the chloride is absorbed.

[Mumbles]

Take a look at the list of major and minor chemical nutrients we need though. Which ones do you want to swallow in their elemental form and let the react with HCl in your stomach. The asterisked ones are the ones that off the top of my head will react with HCl in a reasonable time frame at room temp.

 

The macrominerals include:

calcium*

chlorine

magnesium*

phosphorus

sodium*

sulfur

Potassium*

 

The microminerals include

arsenic

boron

chromium*

cobalt*

copper

fluorine

iodine

iron*

manganese*

molybdenum*

nickel*

selenium

silicon

tin*

vanadium*

zinc*

[Mardec]

Potassium swallowing will be by far the whorst. God imagine that burning down your throth.

 

Mumbles you A-hole, this is the Occasional Happieness Thread, not some torture thread

 

Now I am all freaked out imagining that pain, I am not happy anymore. People read this to feel good, not for reading sick thoughts like that.

 

(The A-hole part was just for joke, just to be clear )

[crazyboy25]

Potassium swallowing will be by far the whorst.

yeah..no doubt elemntal potassium would light on fire and burn your throat but i think elemental white phosphorus would be worse.

[Mumbles]

But after eating the elemental WP, you wouldn't have to worry about eating anything else as your jaw would be locked in place. White P wouldn't physically be too unpleasant, as long as you don't breathe. Though I am sure some would get stuck in your teeth due to the waxy nature of it. If done properly, you could probably actually make your shit smoke and burst into flames.

 

I think I will stop, it really is bringing down the happiness level of the occasional happiness thread.

[deadman]

On the contrary, I could not help but literally laugh out loud at that last post.

[mormanman]

On the contrary, I could not help but literally laugh out loud at that last post.

I totally agree that was hilraous.

[tentacles]

The big 6" barrel, it holds 1.28 gallons. The PVC for it was free from my local plumbing supplier - after a windstorm they always have some pipes fall from the racks and the ends shatter, so he let me cut off a whack from one of those.

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/DCP_2393.JPG

 

Here's with the 4" barrel - I need to get another o-ring or make a belt for it, but as you can see it fits right on there.

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/DCP_2394.JPG

[h0lx]

Oh, what a clever design, I will probably use some of your ideas for rebuilding my mill. If you don't mind ofcourse.

[tentacles]

Not at all! The only problem I've had so far is the gearmotor I'm using is not continuous duty rated - it's rated for .5 sec on 1.5 sec off.... hence the fan. It does all right if I leave the lid propped open a bit, though. Not bad for $4.95. The motor turns 145RPM (they have it at surpluscenter.com - but I bought it locally). The belt is just a gigantic o-ring, you could also use a strip of neoprene , or a piece of tire tube or something. For the 6" barrel I have the end cap and the lid ride against the wheels, keeping it in place. The 4" barrel requires little stop blocks to keep it centered.

 

If I can find a motor that runs cool enough, this is is really very quiet with the lid shut. Plus, old coolers are easy to find cheap or even free. I sit the board that everything is mounted on, on top of some scotch brite pads to insulate it from vibration (they were handy, and it works well).

 

That black dust you see is NOT BP, BTW - it's rubber from the lid, it's rubbing off against the wheels because I have them adjusted poorly, I actually fixed that after I took the pictures.

[jacob]

OH, HAPPY DAY, my 3/4 bp rocket tool set got here today from greg boyd, man i can't wait to try it out.