On Sun, 11 Jun 2017 16:18:06 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

On 6/11/2017 3:42 PM, wrote:
On Sun, 11 Jun 2017 13:55:45 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

My old freebie Homelite chainsaw has worn the hole where the starter
rope comes out pretty badly and today when a sharp edge sliced my
almost-new starter rope in two I decided maybe I should address the
problem . I was going to fire up the TIG welder , but decided because
the piece is so light to test it and see if it's magmesium - and it is ,
vinegar bubbled vigorously when I put a few drops on it . So now it has
a brass bushing glued in there with some JB quick weld . Not too many
years ago I wouldn't have checked , and most likely would have burned my
shop to the ground when I lit up on that piece . I learned the vinegar
test here ...

--

Snag
Your TIG welder would not have ignited the casting because of the
argon gas doing its job of keeping oxygen from the HAZ. I've burned
lots of magnesium. Solid pieces, as compared to chips from milling, do
no ignite easily. Once burning though water makes it burn even better,
which is why I have burned so much magnesium.
Eric

The thing is that I sometimes move the torch off before things have
cooled ... I'm still learning about TIG welding and haven't built an
ingrained pattern . Sure as I'd lit up on that I'd have burned it . And
I only have one ... bought another identical saw for parts , but gave it
to my son because he "needed a chainsaw and couldn't afford one" . He
promptly broke it .

--

Snag
And then he threw it away because it was "broken"? - so now you still
don't have any spare parts -. Kids....