Voldemortism Posted December 28, 2012 Posted December 28, 2012 Im looking to make a thermite thats still hot, but burns slow. Im looking to use it cut steel plate about 1/2" thick. Thanks in advance!
NightHawkInLight Posted December 28, 2012 Posted December 28, 2012 To cut steel plate or to just burn a hole through it? If you want to cut it, good luck, not likely. Find someone with a torch and it will save you a lot of trouble. If the thermite burns too slowly it will not work to melt through that thick of plate because the heat will diffuse into the entire plate faster than it will melt the area it's setting on. If your mind's made up on trying to cut the plate with thermite, the slower the burn the messier the cut will be, if it cuts at all. That said, to slow the burn of thermite, increase the particle size of the aluminum used.
Voldemortism Posted December 28, 2012 Author Posted December 28, 2012 To cut steel plate or to just burn a hole through it? If you want to cut it, good luck, not likely. Find someone with a torch and it will save you a lot of trouble. If the thermite burns too slowly it will not work to melt through that thick of plate because the heat will diffuse into the entire plate faster than it will melt the area it's setting on. If your mind's made up on trying to cut the plate with thermite, the slower the burn the messier the cut will be, if it cuts at all. That said, to slow the burn of thermite, increase the particle size of the aluminum used. Ok, noted. So if I did want to burn a hole through it, should I just make a normal thermite, and then make holes through it in a line?
psyco_1322 Posted December 28, 2012 Posted December 28, 2012 Thermite is not really good for cutting through thick metal. The way it is possible for it to accomplish this is by dripping onto the surface, which has to be hot enough already for the "drip" to splatter metal off the plate. You will not cut any 1/2" plate with thermite, unless you plan to waste $1000's and use up drums of thermite. So either:1) Find someone with a torch.or2) Stop getting bad ideas, from crap you read/watched on the internet, that will likely just end up with you in trouble with the law.
Voldemortism Posted December 28, 2012 Author Posted December 28, 2012 (edited) Thermite is not really good for cutting through thick metal. The way it is possible for it to accomplish this is by dripping onto the surface, which has to be hot enough already for the "drip" to splatter metal off the plate. You will not cut any 1/2" plate with thermite, unless you plan to waste $1000's and use up drums of thermite. So either:1) Find someone with a torch.or2) Stop getting bad ideas, from crap you read/watched on the internet, that will likely just end up with you in trouble with the law.Ok, thanks. Edited December 28, 2012 by Voldemortism
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