Nothing like the blare of the fire pager to wake you up.

Listened to a local department who were called to a "Possible structure
fire" last week. They called for a lot of water and then haz-mat crews.
Didn't sound like fun.
Got to talk to a member who filled in a few details. Seems the fire
was in a small storage shed (10X20 or so) BUT the owner liked to restore
vintage VW & Porsche cars. This was his engine storage building. He had
pictures showing at least 30 engines plus racks of parts and bare engine
blocks.

For folks who don't know VW and Porsche used magnesium alloy in many of
their engines.
Once the magnesium ignites it's very difficult to put out because it
burns so hot that the heat will turn the water to steam almost instantly
and then break the molecules down into hydrogen and oxygen. So dumping
water on it actually increases the fire!

They were fortunate because only a few blocks actually got hot enough to
ignite. The haz-mat team was called because the fire was hot enough to
melt a LOT of the other parts and caused a big glob of metal that they
needed the hot suits to get near enough to dump purple-K on it.


Oh and magnesium has made a BIG comeback in modern vehicles. Engine
blocks, valve covers, intakes, transmission cases, some large truck
frames, grilles, rims, AC parts, water pumps, steering columns, the Ford
F-150's entire radiator support, and more.

Makes it interesting to fight fires these days...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY9ri-UOoLo
That's a Jeep Liberty in the video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1hhgTbtsCs
Looks like an F-150

--
Steve W.

On 12/26/2014 12:49 PM, Steve W. wrote:
Nothing like the blare of the fire pager to wake you up.

Listened to a local department who were called to a "Possible structure
fire" last week. They called for a lot of water and then haz-mat crews.
Didn't sound like fun.
Got to talk to a member who filled in a few details. Seems the fire
was in a small storage shed (10X20 or so) BUT the owner liked to restore
vintage VW & Porsche cars. This was his engine storage building. He had
pictures showing at least 30 engines plus racks of parts and bare engine
blocks.

For folks who don't know VW and Porsche used magnesium alloy in many of
their engines.
Once the magnesium ignites it's very difficult to put out because it
burns so hot that the heat will turn the water to steam almost instantly
and then break the molecules down into hydrogen and oxygen. So dumping
water on it actually increases the fire!

They were fortunate because only a few blocks actually got hot enough to
ignite. The haz-mat team was called because the fire was hot enough to
melt a LOT of the other parts and caused a big glob of metal that they
needed the hot suits to get near enough to dump purple-K on it.


Oh and magnesium has made a BIG comeback in modern vehicles. Engine
blocks, valve covers, intakes, transmission cases, some large truck
frames, grilles, rims, AC parts, water pumps, steering columns, the Ford
F-150's entire radiator support, and more.

Makes it interesting to fight fires these days...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY9ri-UOoLo
That's a Jeep Liberty in the video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1hhgTbtsCs
Looks like an F-150

Twelve years ago or so I was cutting up some engine blocks for the Al.
It was an alloy of AL-Mg like you said - makes fine flows into forms -
makes the AL more liquid and all of that. Makes for a strong engine.

I started my furnace and put in a couple of pounds into my home made
unit. Turned my back to make the forms - I was making a 'blank' for my
friend and we got talking as I pounded the green sand.

I noticed a trickle of AL out of the bottom - xxxxxx was said - and I
ran for the Propane to shut it down - and about that time a mighty roar
was coming from my furnace. It was hotter - white hot - glad I had 4K
degree cement in that furnace - After it started to cool, I got it out
and put it into a hole in the ground.

It melted my 1/4" SS vessel I used for Al. Turned into MgO.
I hunted up a new vessel and started over - nerves a bit on end.
My buddy was engineman John Taylor in Santa Cruz - now long passed.

Martin

"Steve W." writes:

For folks who don't know VW and Porsche used magnesium alloy in many of
their engines.

Once upon a time, I needed the the starter motor mount from a VW
transmission so I could bolt it to a engine to bench-start it. So I
tried to hack a piece off an old tranny with a torch. Set the thing on
fire, column of Mg oxide flakes climbing to the high ceiling, gear
case burning merrily.

I hadn't know beforehand that the tranny was Mg but realized it
immediately when it ignited. Put it out with a CO2 extinguisher.

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

Mike Spencer fired this volley in
:

tranny was Mg

Almost Mg. It was "Elektron Alloy" which is commonly called "magnalium".
Percentages differ from alloy to alloy, even within the brand name.

Fireworkers build 'spark' effects from granulated 50/50 magnalium.

Lloyd

On 29 Dec 2014 05:11:10 -0400, Mike Spencer
wrote:


"Steve W." writes:

For folks who don't know VW and Porsche used magnesium alloy in many of
their engines.

Once upon a time, I needed the the starter motor mount from a VW
transmission so I could bolt it to a engine to bench-start it. So I
tried to hack a piece off an old tranny with a torch. Set the thing on
fire, column of Mg oxide flakes climbing to the high ceiling, gear
case burning merrily.

I hadn't know beforehand that the tranny was Mg but realized it
immediately when it ignited. Put it out with a CO2 extinguisher.

It's lucky an inert gas was available. g

Next time, have one of these on hand to do the dirty.
http://www.harborfreight.com/high-sp...saw-91753.html
I keep meaning to buy one at HF every time, but never see 'em.

--
Poverty is easy. It's Charity and Chastity that are hard.
--anon

Larry Jaques writes:

On 29 Dec 2014 05:11:10 -0400, Mike Spencer
wrote:


"Steve W." writes:

For folks who don't know VW and Porsche used magnesium alloy in many of
their engines.

Once upon a time, I needed the the starter motor mount from a VW
transmission so I could bolt it to a engine to bench-start it. So I
tried to hack a piece off an old tranny with a torch. Set the thing on
fire, column of Mg oxide flakes climbing to the high ceiling, gear
case burning merrily.

I hadn't know beforehand that the tranny was Mg but realized it
immediately when it ignited. Put it out with a CO2 extinguisher.

It's lucky an inert gas was available. g

Yes. The boss, Navy vet from WWII Pacific, believed in them.


Next time, have one of these on hand to do the dirty.
http://www.harborfreight.com/high-sp...saw-91753.html

Cool. I could use one of those now. O'course neither it nor HF was
probably around in '67.

I keep meaning to buy one at HF every time, but never see 'em.

I'll check at Princess Auto next time I go by.

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

On 30 Dec 2014 18:13:26 -0400, Mike Spencer
wrote:


Larry Jaques writes:

On 29 Dec 2014 05:11:10 -0400, Mike Spencer
wrote:


"Steve W." writes:

For folks who don't know VW and Porsche used magnesium alloy in many of
their engines.

Once upon a time, I needed the the starter motor mount from a VW
transmission so I could bolt it to a engine to bench-start it. So I
tried to hack a piece off an old tranny with a torch. Set the thing on
fire, column of Mg oxide flakes climbing to the high ceiling, gear
case burning merrily.

I hadn't know beforehand that the tranny was Mg but realized it
immediately when it ignited. Put it out with a CO2 extinguisher.

It's lucky an inert gas was available. g

Yes. The boss, Navy vet from WWII Pacific, believed in them.


Next time, have one of these on hand to do the dirty.
http://www.harborfreight.com/high-sp...saw-91753.html

Cool. I could use one of those now. O'course neither it nor HF was
probably around in '67.

I keep meaning to buy one at HF every time, but never see 'em.

I'll check at Princess Auto next time I go by.

Oh, too bad you're up in the GWN. I just got a coupon from HF for
those at $12.99. Maybe I'll make the run sooner, as I missed Trader
Joe's on the last trip and I'm kinda feeling like having some chicken
and cheese tamales sometime soon.

--
Poverty is easy. It's Charity and Chastity that are hard.
--anon