So today i finally got around to shaping the grip on an older metal compound riser that i am turning into a recurve. so after i was done shaping the grip i was emptying my belt sander, when i suddenly remembered reading somewhere that older risers were made from MAGNESIUM!!! Well last year i took high school chemistry and we did a magnesium shavings/powder experiment. We lit the magnesium on fire and it burned extremely hot and violently when we added oxygen to it.So i freaked out about the entire cups worth of shavings on my garage floor along with about a gallon of saw dust, not knowing whether it was magnesium or aluminum.my brother and i swept it all up and put it in a tin foil pan and took it into my back yard.We lit it on fire and it created a white hot flame that was about 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. That combined with all of the saw dust could have created a house fire and destroyed my home. so i figured i would warn any of you who like to tinker with old bow risers and express the caution that must be taken, one spark and your house could burn down.
Those shavings and dust make really good fire starter for you survival pack. :thumbsup:
old bike frames as well. and do not ever throw water on a magnesium fire...
That it will,I remember an old Macgyer episode that he took an old bicycle.He filed the metal frame into a pipe and made a blow torch to cut into an armored van with it!
Same goes for sandblasting magnesium. Cautioned someone yesterday. If sandblasting use the ground walnut shells.
LONG LIVE MACGYVER!
Good thought.
There has been more then one machine shop burned to the ground as a result of working magnesium.
Bad stuff for sure.
Mike
QuoteOriginally posted by AZ_Longbow:
old bike frames as well. and do not ever throw water on a magnesium fire...
I have never seen a magnesium fire that burned long enough to throw water on it!!!stuff burns super fast!!LOL!!
the martin archery factory burned down due to a magnesium fire earlier this year.
you should have filled up an aluminum arrow shaft with the shavings...
Then,
Rigged up a sort of fuse that would burn about 5 seconds,
Then,
At night, drew it back, have an other light the fuse and shoot it in the air.
...Or better,yet, have someone else shoot the bow, too.
Just out of high school I worked in a luggage factory that had a shop for extruding magnesium frames.
A fire in the extruding shop was almost a weekly event! :eek: