MadMax Posted March 11, 2011 Posted March 11, 2011 Here's something you might consider... Buy a 1 pound magnesium rod for under 10 bucks. http://cgi.ebay.com/Pure-Magnesium-Metal-Round-Rod-1-pound-Mg-/150575040065?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item230ef8c641 It's solid so not really all that dangerous to have. You can sand it, carve flakes off, or even saw it into mg disks for melting into Al. If you want powder it would not be hard. All you'd need is a bench grinder and some Tupperware. You can drill a hole at one end, insert a metal pin and use the bench grinder to spin the rod. The other wide of the rod will have to have another similar pin that is mounted at a height so to keep the bar perfectly horizontal allowing it to spin. Putting the other side's peg inside a mounted rollerblade wheel works fine as long as the peg fits snug. Once stabilized and spinning at the lowest setting a stabilized abrasive device like a metal file or sanding block should be rested on the bar from above. The abrasive should be wide enough to act on the entire length of the bar. Due to the positioning of the abrasive above powder should not accumulate and gum up the abrasive. It should be free to fall. The entire spinning rod and abrasive should be inside a Tupperware container to prevent any dust from escaping. There should be holes drilled in the container on either side to allow the spindles. At the bottom of the container should be a thin liquid such as mineral oil alcohol or acetone. Don't use water it will react with the aluminum. Additionally you could rub down the inside of the container with a thin layer of graphite to lubricate it so no mg particles will get stuck to the side of the container. Leave this spinning. When it is done you should have a thin rod left or no rod at all. Then evaporate the liquid or if you used oil dry on a papertowel. Oil helps to passivate it but also makes it less reactive in comps. It can be washed in alcohol or acetone at a later date to remove some or all of the oil if that is desired too. Good luck. Be safe.
Ralph Posted March 12, 2011 Posted March 12, 2011 If you want powder it would not be hard. All you'd need is a bench grinder and some Tupperware. all good till the whole tub catches fire and sets fire to your shop
MadMax Posted March 16, 2011 Posted March 16, 2011 Yeah that makes sense. If it were done in a lightweight oil though like baby oil but the grinding surface were submerged in the oil that might be safer I guess. No chance of a spark that way. all good till the whole tub catches fire and sets fire to your shop
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