Mag shavings that won't burn

cjpgeyer

cjpgeyer

Joined
Sep 7, 2006
Messages
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Hi y'all! I am trying to burn some magnesium shavings, and am a little stumped. I've smashed up the shavings and tried to ignite with ferro rods, to no avail. After trying a few times, I wondered if these shavings were not too bright to be magnesium. I took a small piece (2mm by 2mm) and put it in pliers. I applied a flame to the material until it turned red. No ignition. The material is still whole and flexable, although blackened by carbonizing. Has anyone had a problem like this? My mag bars work great, but I am at a loss.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Chuck:confused:
 
I take it the shavings aren't off of a mag bar firestarter then? Where did you get these shavings? Could they be too large to ignited if they are magnesium? Although 2mm x 2mm isn't big, it may be too big to be readily ignited by a ferro rod spark. I could be wrong on that, though.
 
Where did you get these "magnesium" filings? It sounds like they are either some other metal. Also how big are the filings? Is it possible that magnesium has to be pretty small to be lit at lowr temps?

I made my own filings by drilling out several holes in my magnesium fire starter. I'm pretty sure I tried lighting them at the time, but now I'd better check! :eek:


-- FLIX
 
I got the shavings 'mail order' until I determine what's what here. I agree the piece I used with a lighter and pliers was too big for a ferro rod, that's why I tried the lighter. I figure the metal turning red without ignition is a bad sign, tho. I had ground the shavings with my SAK prior to trying my spark tools. When they failed, I tried to light the pile with the lighter with no effect. That's when I moved to pliers and lighter. I have now tried a 1mm x 1mm piece with no ignition, only blackened. Any ideas? Could this be Aluminium? :(
 
Try a flame from a propane torch. If the material doesn't burn bright blue-white it is not magnesium. See if it is magnetic, if it is magnetic it is not magnesium. Magnesium is more brittle than aluminum. It tends to crumble if you pound on it. If you get magnesium wet it tends to oxidize easily. It smells a little bit like wet matches if you get it wet.
 
Sounds more like Aluminum (or Aluminium for our friends in the UK)

Where did you get them? I noticed somebody selling Mag shavings in the Gadgets and Gear section.. Is this them?
 
Yeah the brittleness bothers me. After being exposed to a naked flame for 2 min. even the smallest piece is still ductile. Something is not right, and it would not grind into a powder. Just breaks, but will not crumble. Gonna try mortar and pestle next. I will try the magnet and wet some, too. Thanks Jeff!
 
I have seen this. I have some pieces of metal that were supposed to be magnesium, but won't ignite. I think it may be a magnesium alloy and not pure magnesium. Besides magnesium, the metal can contain aluminum, zinc, manganese, and zirconium.

I can get the stuff I have to ignite with a propane torch, but that doesn't do me any good unless I want to carry a torch with me and if I have a torch, I don't need the magnesium. :D
 
I just retried the filings I made for myself. They work fine. :D I'm guessing you've got aluminum as well.

-- FLIX

P.S. Maybe I should hit it with my plastic ray gun! :rolleyes:
 
cjpgeyer said:
Hi y'all! I am trying to burn some magnesium shavings, and am a little stumped. I've smashed up the shavings and tried to ignite with ferro rods, to no avail. After trying a few times, I wondered if these shavings were not too bright to be magnesium. I took a small piece (2mm by 2mm) and put it in pliers. I applied a flame to the material until it turned red. No ignition. The material is still whole and flexable, although blackened by carbonizing. Has anyone had a problem like this? My mag bars work great, but I am at a loss.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Chuck:confused:
Click to expand...

put some battery acid on the piece of metal or shavings,
magnesium turn black and will foam....a small drop will do.
 
Flix=email me and I'll give you my addy to send the ray gun!
Uffda- could be an alloy, nice thought. I don't happen to have a torch handy!
Evil Eye-great! I'll try that next!

Whatever it is is non-magnetic, and does not have a discernable oder when wet.
When I try to break it up, it keeps making slivers of itself. Strange, huh?

Oh, and IF this is not as advertised, you will see a thread in GB&U with 'the rest of the story'.
 
Whatever this is, it is useless for firestarting. I just took the smallest sliver I could pick up with my SAK pliers. The piece of metal looks like a very fine splinter, can't measure it is so small. 30 sec. of full on bic lighter...nothing. Shouldn't that ignite?
 
cjpgeyer said:
Whatever this is, it is useless for firestarting. I just took the smallest sliver I could pick up with my SAK pliers. The piece of metal looks like a very fine splinter, can't measure it is so small. 30 sec. of full on bic lighter...nothing. Shouldn't that ignite?
Click to expand...

It is probably an aluminum alloy which may contain some magnesium but not enough to ignite. It sounds like the person you bought the stuff from doesn't know what he is selling and doesn't test it. He may be getting it from a machine shop and is depending on what they tell him.

Did you pay for this stuff? If so, why don't you contact the seller and see what he says?
 
If you held flame to it for 2 mins, and it didnt burn white-hot, then it's not magnesium. My guess is like RescueMike's aluminium (aluminum).
More precisely "cast aluminum" which will mimic some of the properties of magnesium.

In pyrotechnics aluminum dust can help make for huge flames, sparkles and bigger booms. Aluminum ignites at a higher temp than magnesium, so, sometimes they will combine the two elements, the magnesium burns hot enough to kick off the aluminum reaction. Usually an oxidizer accompanies them.

So, perhaps they got mixed up, as most of the mail-order folks are dealing several types of these metals, and numerous textures.

Contact them, let them know something doesn't seem right.

A file is a good way to make small particles, sandpaper to make fine dust.
A rasp to make small gravel like peices. A hacksaw blade makes finer pieces than rasp.

I do NOT believe you have magnesium there. But, for a good test, use a fine file, and make some "dust" in a ring about the size of a nickel on a small peice of newspaper. Try to ignite it with a match by lighting the paper.
The magnesium should catch and burn fast and hot.

I bought a hunk of magnesium, and made some fero-rod/mag kits.
I cut the chunk with a metal cutting bandsaw, and got a lot of shavings in the process.
The shavings don't take flint spark really well, but add a little fine mag dust, and POOF! you get a mini-arc welder.

VISION SAFETY NOTE: Magnesium burns at something like 5400°.
It is VERY bright. It is akin to watching an arc welder.
Prolonged viewing of Magnesium burning can hurt your eyes.
The very small amounts we discuss, such as igniting tinder isn't a big deal, but should anyone get industrious, and want to burn some chunks, for fun, you are watching an arc welder and harming your vision.

I've read about people burning Magnesium auto parts, wheels, and even engine blocks, you need a welding mask for that and protective clothing. When dealing with sutff that large, it can give you 2nd degree skin burns from 20 or 30 feet away, just like arc welding.

BEWARE.
 
Thanks to all on this one...seller insists he uses it all the time with a sparker and a lighter with no problems. I got it to burn on a flaming cotton ball, so there is magnesium in there. I am going to err on the seller's side on this one. I still have yet to get it to burn on its own, so I will try to get some to grind to powder and try that test, Skunkwerx.
Chuck
 
Chuck tell me how it goes. Since you have shavings already....

try two peice of sandpaper with some shaving inside,
anything to make it as dusty and powdery as possible.

My shavings that come right out the bandsaw need a little ooomph to get them started.

Oh yeah, try a little oil on them, or petroleum jelly, or even grind a couple of match heads as a catalyst.
 
has anyone tried to do this and what was the result? I am thinking of trying this one out.
 
Almost any metal will burn if you powder it except for the heavy metals like gold, silver, and copper. You might try a spark comparison test. Make yourself some aluminum powder by filing a little material off something aluminum. Make similar powder from your unknown. Sprinkle the materials over a lit candle flame. As I recall aluminum burns a bit whiter than magnesium which tends to have an arc-welder bluish cast.
 
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