On 23-Mar-2012, Sqwertz > wrote:
> On Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:28:02 GMT, wrote:
>
> > You want to see water burn, just dump some on burning
> > magnesium. Spectacular.
>
> I took some magnesium motorcycle engine part(s) - I forget which -
> and I lit up the Twin Lakes beach next to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
> It burned for over an hour. It was practically daylight from 2-3 AM
> and it attracted a few too many spectators (oops) making shadows
> against the cliff walls.
>
> 2 hours in jail, no charges, and very worth it.
>
> -sw
I once lived near a Bendix Aviation plant where they machined a
lot of magnesium parts producing truckloads of shavings. They got
rid of the shavings by burning them in an open field while stirring
the pile with a fire hose. I'm not sure of the science, but I think
the burning magnesium actually decomposes water into it's basic
elements which then feed the blaze with atomic fury. Suffice it to
say that you cannot extinguish a magnesium fire with water.
--
Brick(Better to remain silent and be thought a fool
then to speak up and remove all doubt)