[modeleng] Re: Cutting aluminium DANGER !!!!

It's been a long time since I used Thermit to weld steel railroad rails
together with, but I don't think the aluminium was exactly in powder form,
more like very fine chips I think.  Of course it has been 40 years since I
used the stuff and I do remember one thing, once you get it started burning,
it gets hot HOT in a hurry HOT, but makes beautimus welds.  I have never
tried to see if aluminium dust is very inflammable, but I know Magnesium
dust is bad stuff if a spark gets on it.  I doubt that iron oxide forms on
linisher dust in any quantity unless it stays in a damp atmosphere for a
while.  Howsomever, I knew a guy in Jackson, TN who refinished cast iron
cylinder heads with a flat grinding wheel. From time to time, he cleaned out
the dust and threw it outside his shop where it accumulated.  One day
someone tossed a cigarette butt and it landed on the dust pile.  In an hour
or so there was a circle of discoloured dust spreading out from the place
where the butt landed and a lot of heat was being generated. In this case,
the iron dust (swarf to you Brits) was oxidizing while you waited so to
speak.

Meanwhile back at the fort as they used to say in :B: movies, I have started
drawing up the plans for a Filer and Stowell steam hoist like the ones used
on decks of WWII Liberty ships.  Oscillating cylinder with trunnion at the
bottom end.  Gonna be hard to mill those little 1/32" wide slots for the
steam ports, but I gonna try!  Stay tuned!

Jesse in Tennessee USA

> I don't know but I think that Al and Fe dust are no more hazardous in
> combination than alone. Maybe that should be just as dangerous in
> combination as alone.

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