Magnesium, Use?

Jens Schuetz

Jens Schuetz

Joined
Jun 24, 2013
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I have a tablet beyond warranty and wasn't able to fix it myself.
It contains a nice 6 by 4 inch sheet of magnesium. It appears to be less than 1mm thick and would be useless for scales I think.
How would a magnesium blade perform or are there cooler (knife related) uses for that material?
When working it, I guess the piece wouldn't catch fire but I think the sparks would be something else compared to normal steel grinding. Are there any special precautions one should take besides goggles and nothing flammable close by?
Thank you.
 
There is magnesium, and there is "magnesium alloy". Unless it is pure magnesium, it is not a lot more useful than a thin sheet of aluminum.
In magnesium, aluminum, and titanium, most of it used to make things is an alloy.
 
Thanks guys.
The device's description stated magnesium but didn't specify if its an alloy. It's not that unusual to have magnesium where weight matters. Mg is found in camera housings for example.

Using it for fire feels like a waste especially because I already have a few blocks with built in ferro rods.

How soft is it compared to copper which has been used in blades?

If there is no better use I'd just cut out a credit card shape and sharpen a corner of it.
 
Magnesium is a cool material once one realizes the limitations... IIRC there was a horrific reminder of that in formula one some 60 years ago (French GP at Rouen in '68) with Honda car catching fire and literally burning to a crisp (along with the driver, which I off top of my head, believe to have been Jan-Louis Schlesser) in front of full packed audience...
 
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