WATER QUENCHING DIY Mg/Al

[50AE]

Do you pour the MgAl at once or by small batches? I do it step by step and there are always pop corns that want to float.

[dagabu]

Do you pour the MgAl at once or by small batches? I do it step by step and there are always pop corns that want to float.

 

I pour it down an angle iron trough into the water. My theory is that it cools before hitting the water and it is a stream that submerges completely then shatters as it gets to the bottom.

 

-dag

[FrankRizzo]

Dag - How does that extra "air time" while traveling down the angle iron not cause the stream to ignite?

[dagabu]

Dag - How does that extra "air time" while traveling down the angle iron not cause the stream to ignite?

 

It cools quite a bit as it travels down, in fact, it cools so much that it dams at the end sometimes and I have to stop the pour, remelt the alloy and pour again. The iron gets coated with the alloy and has the be smacked against the concrete to knock it off.

 

I have a brand new charcoal starter and stainless shaker, we are looking for the Mg as we speak. When we melt some late fall, I will have Thunderr1 take video of the pour for you.

 

Wasn't that your class at PGI in mason city? The MgAl class in the C area?

 

OG, do you have issues with flame up?

 

-dag

Edited September 8, 2011 by dagabu

[Algenco]

I've had those flare ups if I pour too fast

[oldguy]

OG, do you have issues with flame up?

 

-dag

 

A time or 2, it flamed up. One big dump, it will flame like hell. Because it created a big cloud of steam FAST

Trouble was the small diameter handle on the crucible.

Which was hard to twist, thus difficult to control.

I built some big ass tongs, to resolve that. They work PERFECTLY

1/2 gallon there for scale

Edited September 8, 2011 by oldguy

[50AE]

Aa'right, pouring slowly is the key.

 

My MgAl has dried and I just reduced it to 4mm chunks, then screened the fines. It's ball milling time.

[hillbillyreefer]

Sweet. Has anyone tried this with just aluminum. I'm wondering if the rapid quenching of aluminum would make it any easier to mill. I doubt it, and intend to experiment soon.

[dagabu]

Sweet. Has anyone tried this with just aluminum. I'm wondering if the rapid quenching of aluminum would make it any easier to mill. I doubt it, and intend to experiment soon.

 

When I was a kid, me and my dad cast thousands of cast aluminum rosettes for making deep fried cookies in the 1970's and when cooling and washing off the tooling, we ended up with lots of aluminum BBs that I would use in sling shots. They didn't seem to be very brittle and I dont think I ever broke one.

 

I have never poured aluminum into water on purpose though so I am not sure what would happen if you did so.

 

-dag

[dan999ification]

not quite poured but interesting, behaves different than expected, stumbled across this the other day looking for actual footage of the mg/al being poured that would be good if you could get it filmed.

<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2qJzDYsQfck" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

dan.

 

 

[dagabu]

not quite poured but interesting, behaves different than expected, stumbled across this the other day looking for actual footage of the mg/al being poured that would be good if you could get it filmed.

<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.c...bed/2qJzDYsQfck" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

dan.

 

 

 

Cooling MgAl is fine but dropping it into a bucket is really dangerous. The steam explosion that could result would be devastating.

 

-dag

[oldguy]

I am thinking if you did the same with mgal, the result would be an INFERNO.

 

http://www.amateurpyro.com/forums/topic/6361-standing-in-an-inferno/page__p__81887__fromsearch__1?do=findComment&comment=81887

[dagabu]

Thanks for the link OG, good to refresh our memories.

 

-dag

[dan999ification]

Cooling MgAl is fine but dropping it into a bucket is really dangerous. The steam explosion that could result would be devastating.

 

-dag

 

 

oh i know i thought that al would behave the same though, and most metalsin a large enough quantity, ive had small scale steam explosion when casting lead, not fun

 

dan.

Edited September 8, 2011 by dan999ification

[AdmiralDonSnider]

Has anyone already tried the method with 70/30 or 30/70 MgAl? Really hard to crush-stuff, usually. Don´t know how it turns out after quenching...

[oldguy]

Has anyone already tried the method with 70/30 or 30/70 MgAl? Really hard to crush-stuff, usually. Don´t know how it turns out after quenching...

 

Not 70/30 or 30/70, but fairly close.

I water quenched some 60/40 Mg/Al & another batch of 60/40 Al/Mg with the same easy to crush popcorn results.

 

I also added 3 or 4% tin (actually lead free pewter) to a small (left over excess) batch of 50/50 Mg/Al with the same water quenched easy to crush popcorn results.

That little batch seems to ignite sligtly faster than normal 50/50 Mg/Al.

[AdmiralDonSnider]

Not 70/30 or 30/70, but fairly close.

I water quenched some 60/40 Mg/Al & another batch of 60/40 Al/Mg with the same easy to crush popcorn results.

 

Sounds really good, but I´m not sure if 60/40 or 40/60 is really that close to 70/30 and 30/70 - physically. I think that these 10% can make a difference. I will try it out. Just sceptical because the 70/30 ingots kept smiling at me when I tried to crush them with a hammer.

[Bonny]

Sounds really good, but I´m not sure if 60/40 or 40/60 is really that close to 70/30 and 30/70 - physically. I think that these 10% can make a difference. I will try it out. Just sceptical because the 70/30 ingots kept smiling at me when I tried to crush them with a hammer.

 

It is possible that the molten mix is not mixed enough. I had that issue a few years ago making 50/50 MgAl. The melt was not sufficiently stirred and would not break up. It was not water quenched though. After re-melting and stirring the material, it was nice and brittle, as it should be.

[M1l2n]

wow, this looks like it might be fun, I have a scrap yard getting me some Mag together. He said it would be between 1.50 to 1.75 per pound. not to bad when I dont have time to go and look myself. Has anyone tryed this with Alum?

 

 

[M1l2n]

Hey what about building a sheild using a sheet of plywood and framing with 2x4s. 4' wide x 8' tall then you could cut a slot in the side of it just above the height of you water bucket to side your crucible holder in that slot and pour. You could even cut a window just above that and put a piece of Lexan in it to see through. Prob would be a good idea to add a deflector on top to make sure the water doesnt come over and get you

Edited December 15, 2011 by M1l2n

[kleberrios]

Magnesium wheels

Score @ garage sale $25

One is damaged from running on a flat tire.

68 lbs total weight

Seems a shame to cut them up.

But, thats life & I would rather have the mgal.

 

Hello OldGuy . We can not forget that these wheels Mg alloy are alloy 9010, ie 90% Al x 10% Mg. I use these alloys to make Magnalium since 1999 using the method of quenching in water. I discovered this method accidentally when I was cool the ingots with water.Suddenly the ingots began to crack and become brittle.

Soon to have 200 kg 5050 Magnalium the formula is as follows:

 

90 kg of aluminum scrap, aluminum pure, if not it will become dark Magnaliuim

100 kg of Magnesium Scrap (Mg allyoy already has 10kg of Al )

Edited January 29, 2012 by kleberrios

[californiapyro]

wouldn't that make a 90:100 ratio of mg to al?

[kleberrios]

wouldn't that make a 90:100 ratio of mg to al?

 

 

 

Okay californiapyro. Mg Wheels have a 90% Mg and 10% Al. Soon as we make the alloy 5050 Magnalio have to take into account the 10% of the existing of Al alloy wheel.

 

 

If you work with equal weights will not be 5050 Magnalium.

 

Eg: 100 g of Wheel Al + 100 g of pure Mg = Magnalium 90 Mg x 110 Al. Do you get it?

Edited February 25, 2012 by kleberrios

[FrankRizzo]

Okay californiapyro. Mg Wheels have a 90% Mg and 10% Al. Soon as we make the alloy 5050 Magnalio have to take into account the 10% of the existing of Al alloy wheel.

 

 

If you work with equal weights will not be 5050 Magnalium.

 

Eg: 100 g of Wheel Al + 100 g of pure Mg = Magnalium 90 Mg x 110 Al. Do you get it?

 

Kleberrios - Califoniapyro is correct.

 

100g Wheel Mg (90g magnesium, 10g Aluminum) + 90g pure Al = 90g Magnesium + 100g Aluminum

 

Your alloy will be 90:100 (heavy on aluminum). Ideally, you want to be slightly heavy on magnesium to cover for burn losses that will happen during the melt.

Edited February 26, 2012 by FrankRizzo

[BurritoBandito]

I realize that this is a very old thread, but FrankRizzo how much extra magnesium are we talking about here? Like in terms of percentages would I be shooting for a 1% surplus of magnesium (101:100 - mg:al) or about how much?