I'm thinking turning aluminum drums on a brake lathe could lead to a real disaster. Fine aluminum shavings plus rusty steel shavings already in the bottom would make one helluva thermite reaction if it got ignited. Could burn right through the bottom of your lathe and THEN the concrete floor.

I've never actually heard of it happening, although I have read about several Porsche magnesium engine casings that burned right through concrete floors when guys workign on 'em with grinders accidentally ignited 'em. Water just makes a magnesium fire burn even hotter, so don't bother calling the fire department.

W

Edited December 12, 201212 yr by Wade Nelson

Water just makes a magnesium fire burn even hotter, so don't bother calling the fire department. W

I have no idea what you mean. I wouldn't know anything about throwing magnesium auto parts on a campfire and then spraying it with water. Nope... I had no idea magnesium even burns.

I'm thinking turning aluminum drums on a brake lathe could lead to a real disaster. Fine aluminum shavings plus rusty steel shavings already in the bottom would make one helluva thermite reaction if it got ignited. Could burn right through the bottom of your lathe and THEN the concrete floor.

I've never actually heard of it happening, although I have read about several Porsche magnesium engine casings that burned right through concrete floors when guys workign on 'em with grinders accidentally ignited 'em. Water just makes a magnesium fire burn even hotter, so don't bother calling the fire department.

W

The aluminum drums have a steel sleeve inside for the braking surface and your fire department should carry Class "D" extinguishers.

Any metals that contain high amounts of sodium, Potassium, or magnesium with burn when heated to ignition point and are hard to control. I have never seen aluminium and steel react to each other without one of the catylists metals.

I had no idea magnesium even burns.

Pics or it never happened.

You would be amazed by the intense heat and light emitted when magnesium burns. Underwater flairs are made of magnesium. 'Sea Hunt', 'Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea'.

I worked in a ductile iron foundry for several years. To take cast iron and make it ductile we added about 7-10 pounds of 5%+or- magnesium ore to the ladle and poured 750 lbs of 2800 degree F iron on top of it. A violent and intense eruption of white light and smoke melted the mag into the iron. It was always a sight to behold!

Bonzi Lon