Magnesium anode

[upnorth]

Yupper, I did some reading. And I also got tired of all the fiddle farting that I would have to do to get some legit Doans mag bars or chunks of raw magnesium. So I just went down to a hardware chain and grabbed a magnesium anode for a water heater. It came to around $25.00 after tax. Research revealed that mag anodes are made basicly in two common states. An alloy with 90% mag and another that is 99%. I really don't care what I got because 90% magnesium is fine with me. I did 2-3 shaving tests and they lit up just fine and dandy. I figure that after I slice it up I have a lifetime supply for twenty five bucks, with this bar of 36-40 ? inches. No complaints here. Sorry about the scruffy pics, the batteries were dying.

 

[j_d]

Excellent. I love posts like this that are practical and save money.
Josh

 

[foxyrick]

Sacrificial anode - nice find at a great price!

I've been watching a seller on ebay here (UK) selling 1kg blocks of 99% magnesium for about $20 delivered. I might pull the trigger at the end of the month...

 

[scruffuk]

Excellent idea amigo!

Hope you are keeping warm.

 

[Shotgun]

Neat. Any precautions on cutting it up?

 

[upnorth]

Excellent. I love posts like this that are practical and save money.
Josh

Indeed. I have too many other interests and bills to buy everything fancy. If surplus or a functional improvisation I'm on it yesterday. :thumbup:

 

[upnorth]

Sacrificial anode - nice find at a great price!

I've been watching a seller on ebay here (UK) selling 1kg blocks of 99% magnesium for about $20 delivered. I might pull the trigger at the end of the month...

I would be watching that also. :thumbup: I looked at many optional sources such as high school and tech suppliers. This seemed the simplest to just walk in and grab. I could have dug anodes out of scrapped house hold water heaters but the return for effort wasn't attractive to me.

 

[upnorth]

Sacrificial anode - nice find at a great price!

I've been watching a seller on ebay here (UK) selling 1kg blocks of 99% magnesium for about $20 delivered. I might pull the trigger at the end of the month...

Sacrificial anode - nice find at a great price!

I've been watching a seller on ebay here (UK) selling 1kg blocks of 99% magnesium for about $20 delivered. I might pull the trigger at the end of the month...

I would be watching that also. :thumbup: I looked at many optional sources such as high school and tech suppliers. This seemed the simplest to just walk in and grab. I could have dug anodes out of scrapped house hold water heaters but the return for effort wasn't attractive to me.

 

[upnorth]

Excellent idea amigo!

Hope you are keeping warm.

Thanks. It has been bouncing around -7 -8 C day time this week. With spring around the corner it is fluctuating, today was +1 and a storm coming in tonight. Winter is kicking the bucket here now. Lots of snow this year.

 

[upnorth]

Neat. Any precautions on cutting it up?

Sorry, I would have to do some google fu as I don't know. I was wondering myself and will take precautions. Can you imagine if I set this entire rod on fire ? I'd be sleeping in a card board box after that.

 

[foxyrick]

Neat. Any precautions on cutting it up?

I've cut Mg bar with a hacksaw, no problem. It's soft and easy to cut. If cutting a very thick bar I might just keep a check on the temperature and maybe add a little lubricant, although I cannot imagine it getting hot enough to ignite from hand cutting unless you are really trying hard.

I wouldn't try using anything powered though unless you can run it on a slow speed. I can only imagine what an angle grinder would to with a bar of Mg...

Cut over a container so you can collect the magnesium particles.

In a previous life as a science teacher, I got the kids making simple fireworks with potassium nitrate, sugar and magnesium turnings. The magnesium makes bright stars in the jet. Beware of using magnesium filings for this though - they are too fine and make more of a low explosive than a firework.

 

[Liam Ryan]

Wow, how often do you use magnesium? A doan would last me a lifetime and then some.
It does burn awful hot though, has anyone ever combined shavings with pj cotton balls? Would be like 5000 degree sprinkles to help ignite tinder.

 

[upnorth]

I've cut Mg bar with a hacksaw, no problem. It's soft and easy to cut. If cutting a very thick bar I might just keep a check on the temperature and maybe add a little lubricant, although I cannot imagine it getting hot enough to ignite from hand cutting unless you are really trying hard.

I wouldn't try using anything powered though unless you can run it on a slow speed. I can only imagine what an angle grinder would to with a bar of Mg...

Cut over a container so you can collect the magnesium particles.

In a previous life as a science teacher, I got the kids making simple fireworks with potassium nitrate, sugar and magnesium turnings. The magnesium makes bright stars in the jet. Beware of using magnesium filings for this though - they are too fine and make more of a low explosive than a firework.

Yes, I cut it all up with a hack saw also, it was fairly easy. And I put a piece of paper under to catch the particals. I almost filled one of the orange Coughlan's match safes with filings. Man I am learning more and more about magnesium's burning properties with experimentation. My last ignited pile was quarter sized or more. I was lifting\poking the pile after ignition and the extra oxygen ? made the pile repeatedly burst into fresh intensely white hot points of intensity. This stuff is powerful and a little vicious. I am at a higher level of respect and caution now for its power.

 

[upnorth]

Wow, how often do you use magnesium? A doan would last me a lifetime and then some.
It does burn awful hot though, has anyone ever combined shavings with pj cotton balls? Would be like 5000 degree sprinkles to help ignite tinder.

Valid point on excess. I wanted to spread pieces all through knife and pack kits, as I do with fatwood and PJ balls etc. About a month ago I mixed mag and FW shavings and packed them in a couple of those orange match safes. I'd like to do 4-5 of those and spread them through my gear. One for the car glove box also. I have an oiled Mora Robust in there. It's those last minute ''let's go catch some jacks'', or go have an evening fire, trips with the warden were I get caught without some outdoor tools. Trying to learn from past mistakes and prep a wee bit. You are right though, there is a fine line for myself between mild preping and going over the top.

 

[upnorth]

Wow, how often do you use magnesium? A doan would last me a lifetime and then some.
It does burn awful hot though, has anyone ever combined shavings with pj cotton balls? Would be like 5000 degree sprinkles to help ignite tinder.

Valid point on excess. I wanted to spread pieces all through knife and pack kits, as I do with fatwood and PJ balls etc. About a month ago I mixed mag and FW shavings and packed them in a couple of those orange match safes. I'd like to do 4-5 of those and spread them through my gear. One for the car glove box also. I have an oiled Mora Robust in there. It's those last minute ''let's go catch some jacks'', or go have an evening fire, trips with the warden were I get caught without some outdoor tools. Trying to learn from past mistakes and prep a wee bit. You are right though, there is a fine line for myself between mild preping and going over the top.

 

[foxyrick]

Lots of bars distributed amongst kit - my thoughts exactly. Also, there is enough to share with friends!

Those 1kg blocks I'm watching look like recast surplus and 1kg should be a little over 4" x 2" x 2", so I could cut that into a lot (18?) of Doan-sized blocks with a bit of effort. Not bad for $20, about the cost of two Doan-type bars here. OK, the price of a small ferro rod needs to be added to that, but it's still good.

I will probably cut it into smaller bars than that though, probably the size of a thick ferro rod, and drill a hole for a cord. As said, a Doan bar is a lifetime's worth.

For mixing with PJ, I guess that courser shavings or turnings might be better. The shavings need to be thin to heat up enough to ignite from a spark, but given a flame to ignite it you could ignite a thicker piece which would burn longer. I smell an experiment...

Bear in mind when working with Mg that it burns hot enough to dissociate carbon dioxide into carbon and oxygen. Thus it can even burn in CO[SUB]2[/SUB]. You can't put out a metal fire with a CO[SUB]2[/SUB] extinguisher.

 

[Liam Ryan]

For mixing with PJ, I guess that courser shavings or turnings might be better. The shavings need to be thin to heat up enough to ignite from a spark, but given a flame to ignite it you could ignite a thicker piece which would burn longer. I smell an experiment...

I can't take credit for this idea, I am sure I must have picked it up somewhere, or just assumed other people were doing this fairly often. I just picked up a doan and it certainly was not cheap, they used to be much less. I think it was like 7 bucks at walmart.
I might make a pile of shavings and try it out, the only ways I have to make shavings are a file and a hacksaw though. How would you get a bigger shaving?

 

[upnorth]

Lots of bars distributed amongst kit - my thoughts exactly. Also, there is enough to share with friends!

Those 1kg blocks I'm watching look like recast surplus and 1kg should be a little over 4" x 2" x 2", so I could cut that into a lot (18?) of Doan-sized blocks with a bit of effort. Not bad for $20, about the cost of two Doan-type bars here. OK, the price of a small ferro rod needs to be added to that, but it's still good.

I will probably cut it into smaller bars than that though, probably the size of a thick ferro rod, and drill a hole for a cord. As said, a Doan bar is a lifetime's worth.

For mixing with PJ, I guess that courser shavings or turnings might be better. The shavings need to be thin to heat up enough to ignite from a spark, but given a flame to ignite it you could ignite a thicker piece which would burn longer. I smell an experiment...

Bear in mind when working with Mg that it burns hot enough to dissociate carbon dioxide into carbon and oxygen. Thus it can even burn in CO[SUB]2[/SUB]. You can't put out a metal fire with a CO[SUB]2[/SUB] extinguisher.

My rod chunks are about 4-5 inches long and I'd like to cut them down the middle on a band saw or somesuch. Then a drill through for para cord. If you do any experiments could you please post up as I'm interested. Thanks.
:thumbup:

 

[upnorth]

I can't take credit for this idea, I am sure I must have picked it up somewhere, or just assumed other people were doing this fairly often. I just picked up a doan and it certainly was not cheap, they used to be much less. I think it was like 7 bucks at walmart.
I might make a pile of shavings and try it out, the only ways I have to make shavings are a file and a hacksaw though. How would you get a bigger shaving?

I looked around and saw small chunks of magnesium sold for marine use, but there is little of that activity around here. I checked out Fleabay and they wanted the same price as this anode, basicly close to four times the U.S. asking price for a Doans bar. I was going to contact Doans directly and get 2-3 bars, so...... this was simple, direct, and quick. It also lets me tinker a bit while the snow is still around. I use the saw blade on my multi tools to get larger flakes off of my Coughlan's bars. It works well and no explosions when lit off a ferro rod. I think that many of us of a like mind think of doing the same things re: adding shaving to other flammables. I think that it is intuitive. I will admit though that I knew very little about magnesium and its properties. It is extreme and I will take that into consideration were I use it.

 

[foxyrick]

I might make a pile of shavings and try it out, the only ways I have to make shavings are a file and a hacksaw though. How would you get a bigger shaving?

The best way I've found to get turnings (rather than the fine shavings that scraping with a blade gives) is to slowly drill into the block. The lighter the pressure on the drill bit, the finer the turnings will be.

It's a long time since I've played about with magnesium, but I recall making a mixture of finer and thicker turnings with cotton wool. The finer turnings ignite quite easily and in turn ignite the thicker turnings which then provide a good burn.

I also recall mixing some fine filings with a strong oxidiser, intending an incendiary mixture along the lines of potassium permanganate and sugar, but better. It was so much better that a few grams of the mixture blew a smoking four inch hole in the ground when I lit it. Good thing I did it outside!

Another use for magnesium (usually ribbon) is igniting thermite.