35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:19 -0400, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.

We've got a block of tungsten that pretty much fills up the inside of
a little plastic Pelican case. It's funny watching people do a
double-take when they pick it up.

Spehro Pefhany wrote:
On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:19 -0400, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.

We've got a block of tungsten that pretty much fills up the inside of
a little plastic Pelican case. It's funny watching people do a
double-take when they pick it up.

What's it for?

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:18:26 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Spehro Pefhany wrote:
On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:19 -0400, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.

We've got a block of tungsten that pretty much fills up the inside of
a little plastic Pelican case. It's funny watching people do a
double-take when they pick it up.

What's it for?

Testing a gravitational sensing instrument, so something close to a
point mass is useful.

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:27:12 -0400, Spehro Pefhany
wrote:

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:18:26 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Spehro Pefhany wrote:
On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:19 -0400, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.

We've got a block of tungsten that pretty much fills up the inside of
a little plastic Pelican case. It's funny watching people do a
double-take when they pick it up.

What's it for?

Testing a gravitational sensing instrument, so something close to a
point mass is useful.

What..couldnt get a good deal on a micro blackhole? Check Edmonds
Scientific, I think they are running a special this week.

Grin

Gunner

The methodology of the left has always been:

1. Lie
2. Repeat the lie as many times as possible
3. Have as many people repeat the lie as often as possible
4. Eventually, the uninformed believe the lie
5. The lie will then be made into some form oflaw
6. Then everyone must conform to the lie

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:05:10 -0700, Gunner wrote:

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:27:12 -0400, Spehro Pefhany
wrote:

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:18:26 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Spehro Pefhany wrote:
On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:19 -0400, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.

We've got a block of tungsten that pretty much fills up the inside of
a little plastic Pelican case. It's funny watching people do a
double-take when they pick it up.

What's it for?

Testing a gravitational sensing instrument, so something close to a
point mass is useful.

What..couldnt get a good deal on a micro blackhole? Check Edmonds
Scientific, I think they are running a special this week.

Those damned things evaporate too fast.

--
My liberal friends think I'm a conservative kook.
My conservative friends think I'm a liberal kook.
Why am I not happy that they have found common ground?

Tim Wescott, Communications, Control, Circuits & Software
http://www.wescottdesign.com

On 3/18/2013 5:05 PM, Gunner wrote:
On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:27:12 -0400, Spehro Pefhany
wrote:

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:18:26 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Spehro wrote:
On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:19 -0400, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel& 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.

We've got a block of tungsten that pretty much fills up the inside of
a little plastic Pelican case. It's funny watching people do a
double-take when they pick it up.

What's it for?

Testing a gravitational sensing instrument, so something close to a
point mass is useful.

What..couldnt get a good deal on a micro blackhole? Check Edmonds
Scientific, I think they are running a special this week.

Grin

Gunner


Some interesting new approaches to studying such phenomena -

http://www.economist.com/news/scienc...hing-how-build)

Gunner on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:05:10 -0700 typed
in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:
On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:27:12 -0400, Spehro Pefhany
wrote:

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:18:26 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Spehro Pefhany wrote:
On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:19 -0400, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.

We've got a block of tungsten that pretty much fills up the inside of
a little plastic Pelican case. It's funny watching people do a
double-take when they pick it up.

What's it for?

Testing a gravitational sensing instrument, so something close to a
point mass is useful.

What..couldnt get a good deal on a micro blackhole? Check Edmonds
Scientific, I think they are running a special this week.

Grin

Check Harbour Fright
--
pyotr filipivich
"With Age comes Wisdom. Although more often, Age travels alone."

On Monday, March 18, 2013 3:18:26 PM UTC-5, Cydrome Leader wrote:
Spehro Pefhany wrote:

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:19 -0400, Bob Engelhardt

wrote:



35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877



http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/



Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay

for the little space that it saves.



We've got a block of tungsten that pretty much fills up the inside of

a little plastic Pelican case. It's funny watching people do a

double-take when they pick it up.



What's it for?

Gold plating tungsten will increase it's value VERY dramatically.
It has been a very popular thing to do lately.

Cross-Slide wrote:
On Monday, March 18, 2013 3:18:26 PM UTC-5, Cydrome Leader wrote:
Spehro Pefhany wrote:

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:19 -0400, Bob Engelhardt

wrote:



35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877



http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/



Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay

for the little space that it saves.



We've got a block of tungsten that pretty much fills up the inside of

a little plastic Pelican case. It's funny watching people do a

double-take when they pick it up.



What's it for?

Gold plating tungsten will increase it's value VERY dramatically.
It has been a very popular thing to do lately.

I've read about the gold bars filled with tungsten rods. That stuff must
come from russia.

On Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:00:36 +0000 (UTC), the renowned Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Cross-Slide wrote:
On Monday, March 18, 2013 3:18:26 PM UTC-5, Cydrome Leader wrote:
Spehro Pefhany wrote:

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:19 -0400, Bob Engelhardt

wrote:



35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877



http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/



Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay

for the little space that it saves.



We've got a block of tungsten that pretty much fills up the inside of

a little plastic Pelican case. It's funny watching people do a

double-take when they pick it up.



What's it for?

Gold plating tungsten will increase it's value VERY dramatically.
It has been a very popular thing to do lately.

I've read about the gold bars filled with tungsten rods. That stuff must
come from russia.


Or maybe Langley.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:19 -0400, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.

It's probably about CG more than space (or volume).

I never saw tungsten blocks used for ballast when I was an SCCA/CART
tech inspector, back in the '80s. It usually was a plate of steel cut
to fit on the floor, somehow, with a torch.

--
Ed Huntress

Bob Engelhardt wrote:
35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.

Allows you to play with weight distribution easier than larger chunks of lead/steel.

You build the car as close as you can to the weight distribution you want BUT you build it
light. Then you add weight to put the extra where it will do the most good for the type of
race and still come up to minimum weight with an empty tank.

--
Steve W.

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:19 -0400, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.

I used to work at an aerospace company that made extensive use of
tungsten weights in an assembly that had to be balanced just so, and was
a 5.000 pound bag with 4.999 pounds of s**t in it.

Sometimes they could use brass.

When the assembly costs enough, a few chunks of tungsten aren't that much
by comparison.

--
My liberal friends think I'm a conservative kook.
My conservative friends think I'm a liberal kook.
Why am I not happy that they have found common ground?

Tim Wescott, Communications, Control, Circuits & Software
http://www.wescottdesign.com

In article ,
Tim Wescott wrote:

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:19 -0400, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.

I used to work at an aerospace company that made extensive use of
tungsten weights in an assembly that had to be balanced just so, and was
a 5.000 pound bag with 4.999 pounds of s**t in it.

Sometimes they could use brass.

When the assembly costs enough, a few chunks of tungsten aren't that much
by comparison.



They used to (and may still for all I know) use depleted uranium for
control surface balance weights on some large commercial & military
aircraft. IIRC, it's like 68+% heavier than lead. (Have also heard,
possibly here in this NG, that the military uses it for some projectiles
as well.)

I know that after a crash of an aircraft equipped with DU weights,
finding them is a big priority.

Erik

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 22:30:35 -0700, Erik wrote:

In article ,
Tim Wescott wrote:

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:19 -0400, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.

I used to work at an aerospace company that made extensive use of
tungsten weights in an assembly that had to be balanced just so, and
was a 5.000 pound bag with 4.999 pounds of s**t in it.

Sometimes they could use brass.

When the assembly costs enough, a few chunks of tungsten aren't that
much by comparison.



They used to (and may still for all I know) use depleted uranium for
control surface balance weights on some large commercial & military
aircraft. IIRC, it's like 68+% heavier than lead. (Have also heard,
possibly here in this NG, that the military uses it for some projectiles
as well.)

I know that after a crash of an aircraft equipped with DU weights,
finding them is a big priority.

I think depleted uranium is cheaper than tungsten -- at least if you're
the military. My understanding is that the stuff is chemically toxic,
but not that harmful as an emitter of radiation. It has to be easier to
machine.

They used depleted uranium slugs in the Phalanx anti-missile defense
system, but changed to tungsten due to environmental concerns.

I know that they used to use depleted uranium in anti-tank rounds both
for density and for the fact that it'll ignite in air if it's hot. The
slug was designed so that on impact it would penetrate the tank's armor
and squirt molten depleted uranium into the interior of the tank. If it
was in an oxygen atmosphere it would catch on fire and hopefully do even
more damage.

I don't know if they still use the stuff in anti-tank rounds -- perhaps
they have them in storage someplace, in case we get into a serious
shooting war with someone who actually has tanks.

--
My liberal friends think I'm a conservative kook.
My conservative friends think I'm a liberal kook.
Why am I not happy that they have found common ground?

Tim Wescott, Communications, Control, Circuits & Software
http://www.wescottdesign.com

On 3/19/2013 12:29 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
....

... My understanding is that the stuff is chemically toxic,
but not that harmful as an emitter of radiation....

Ingested, it's a chemical hazard to the kidney but unless very high
levels it has not shown to be very strongly detrimental--studies of
long-term workers has shown no association w/ low-level DU exposure and
adverse health effects.

U is an alpha-emitter so it is trivial to shield an external source for
radiation--a sheet of paper or two is plenty. It is a hazard if inhaled
in a very fine insoluble form that could remain in lungs for indefinite
period. But again, studies haven't shown any excess prevalence of lung
cancer in workers in places like Fernald, etc.

--

dpb wrote:

On 3/19/2013 12:29 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
...

... My understanding is that the stuff is chemically toxic,
but not that harmful as an emitter of radiation....

Ingested, it's a chemical hazard to the kidney but unless very high
levels it has not shown to be very strongly detrimental--studies of
long-term workers has shown no association w/ low-level DU exposure and
adverse health effects.

U is an alpha-emitter so it is trivial to shield an external source for
radiation--a sheet of paper or two is plenty. It is a hazard if inhaled
in a very fine insoluble form that could remain in lungs for indefinite
period. But again, studies haven't shown any excess prevalence of lung
cancer in workers in places like Fernald, etc.

DU has been used from time to time for sailboat keel weights. Denser, so
lower cross section and displacement and less resulting drag. But most
racing regs have ruled against its use.

--
Paul Hovnanian
------------------------------------------------------------------
I had a dog that would chase anyone riding a bicycle.
In the end I had to take his bicycle away.

Look at the atomic numbers - there is 72 for light bulbs and
9x, 1xx for the various depletion - meaning the half life is
reducing the radiation...

When you have 1/3 to 1/2 more hit in unit volume and the physical
bullet is limited in size. More/different powder makes them go.

If you recall, the tank killers used them and after the war,
the army went back over the battlefield with sensing equipment
and searched the sands and tanks/trucks for the spent rounds.

Martin


On 3/19/2013 12:29 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 22:30:35 -0700, Erik wrote:

In article ,
Tim Wescott wrote:

On Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:54:19 -0400, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.

I used to work at an aerospace company that made extensive use of
tungsten weights in an assembly that had to be balanced just so, and
was a 5.000 pound bag with 4.999 pounds of s**t in it.

Sometimes they could use brass.

When the assembly costs enough, a few chunks of tungsten aren't that
much by comparison.



They used to (and may still for all I know) use depleted uranium for
control surface balance weights on some large commercial & military
aircraft. IIRC, it's like 68+% heavier than lead. (Have also heard,
possibly here in this NG, that the military uses it for some projectiles
as well.)

I know that after a crash of an aircraft equipped with DU weights,
finding them is a big priority.

I think depleted uranium is cheaper than tungsten -- at least if you're
the military. My understanding is that the stuff is chemically toxic,
but not that harmful as an emitter of radiation. It has to be easier to
machine.

They used depleted uranium slugs in the Phalanx anti-missile defense
system, but changed to tungsten due to environmental concerns.

I know that they used to use depleted uranium in anti-tank rounds both
for density and for the fact that it'll ignite in air if it's hot. The
slug was designed so that on impact it would penetrate the tank's armor
and squirt molten depleted uranium into the interior of the tank. If it
was in an oxygen atmosphere it would catch on fire and hopefully do even
more damage.

I don't know if they still use the stuff in anti-tank rounds -- perhaps
they have them in storage someplace, in case we get into a serious
shooting war with someone who actually has tanks.

On 3/20/2013 12:02 AM, Martin Eastburn wrote:
Look at the atomic numbers - there is 72 for light bulbs and
9x, 1xx for the various depletion - meaning the half life is
reducing the radiation...
....

???

The half-life of 92U238 is ~4.5x10E9 _yrs_...(that's 4 billion w/ a B
years). One doesn't observe much change in specific radioactivity w/
time in a normal lifetime.

--

On 3/18/2013 12:54 PM, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.
isn't uranium even better? nukes should pay you to haul it away.

On Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:29:07 -0700, mike wrote:

On 3/18/2013 12:54 PM, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
35 lb tungsten "ballast" blocks (race cars): $1877

http://www.stockcarsteel.com/tungsten/

Twice as dense as steel & 50% more than lead, but what a price to pay
for the little space that it saves.
isn't uranium even better? nukes should pay you to haul it away.

No, tungsten is about 3% denser than uranium, and among materials
with similar density, is one of the cheapest and most available.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Density#Various_materials :
(Numbers are kg per cubic meter)

Silicon 2,330
Aluminium 2,700
Titanium 4,540
Selenium 4,800
Vanadium 6,100
Antimony 6,690
Zinc 7,000
Chromium 7,200
Manganese 7,325
Tin 7,310
Iron 7,870
Niobium 8,570
Cadmium 8,650
Cobalt 8,900
Nickel 8,900
Copper 8,940
Bismuth 9,750
Molybdenum 10,220
Silver 10,500
Lead 11,340
Thorium 11,700
Rhodium 12,410
Mercury 13,546
Tantalum 16,600
Uranium 18,800
Tungsten 19,300
Gold 19,320
Plutonium 19,840
Platinum 21,450
Iridium 22,420
Osmium 22,570

--
jiw