Magnesium Ribbon

[Topcat1308]

Hi,

I had a thought the other week whilst tediously shaving a magnesium block watching filings blown to every corner of the yard, and with what was left catching alight with firesteel but burning out in a blink.

I thought scraping some magnesium ribbon would be better, with shavings remaining on the strip ready to ignite and in turn ignite the ribbon which would burn for longer...unsuccessful to say the least. Ribbon just wont catch with a firesteel, wont even catch with a match.

Anyone have any experience with Mg as a firestarter - any comments?

 

[fishfish]

only at school,we lit ribon easy with a bic lighter.

 

[Kepis]

Anyone have any experience with Mg as a firestarter - any comments?

Was pratting around with it a few months back

[video=youtube;6AtyRFb5MFU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AtyRFb5MFU[/video]

 

[Topcat1308]

only at school,we lit ribon easy with a bic lighter.

Could not light it with a zippo, so much so that I thought i'd been mugged and it was aluminium - tested it on the kitchen cooker...mrs was not happy smoke alarm the lot. Funny though.

 

[resnikov]

I know we used to use it as a fuse to start the thermite reaction in my chem lab. Now that was fun!

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Topcat1308]

I know we used to use it as a fuse to start the thermite reaction in my chem lab. Now that was fun!

Some cretins near me were using thermite to melt through payphones and ATMs - one of which was nicked having lost half his calf!

 

[tombear]

I once made a little pot full of shavings from one of those mg blocks ( i was very bored) and to stop them blowing away and also to stop them oxidising I eventually mixed them into a pot of Vaseline and shredded cotton wool. Seamed to work well. Just a bit of Vaseline mixed in with the scrapings would probably work as well with regard to stopping them blowing away and get them to take a spark.

I suppose you could fill a old toothpaste tube with the stuff for convenience.

I'll get my coat...

Atb

Tom

 

[Topcat1308]

a pot of Vaseline and shredded cotton wool

My favourite tinder - very amusing seeing the faces of the ignorant when they see a large tub of vaseline on a venture.

 

[tombear]

Aye, it's grand stuff.

One thing if you are doing a job lot of magnesium scrapings a old Surform does a grand job.

Atb

Tom

 

[Craig88]

Magnesium has a very high combustion point you'd probably get it with a "jet" lighter something like that but i highly doubt you would ever be able to start it from a firesteel. this is why only shavings work they work as like a boost once other material has combusted. But none the less a good idea.Also the actual ribbon once lit burns with a very bright light its actually harmful like looking at a welder so is quite "dangerous" as apposed to other methods

 

[Topcat1308]

Just ordered a bottle of magnesium powder. Going to mix it with hezamine powder and see what joy I have with that. Should light with a firesteel....maybe