Scraping magnesium

[Anthony]

The other day I got a Doan magnesium bar from EDC Depot and have been playing around with it and an old ash tray.  I've been using various things to scrape some shavings off with and found the big awl on my Vic Pioneer and Farmer works the best.  I can scrape a decent pile and strike the flint with it also.  I haven't noticed any damage to the awl, but was wondering what other things you guys use to get a decent mag pile.  Apparetly some people use knife blades...but that doesn't sould too smart  

It's a cool peice of kit although I don't think I'll be in any survival situations here in my town...still a nice things to have and know how to use.

[prime77]

I used a magnesium fire starter a couple of times this summer. There really cool. I use the knife blade on my beater kick to get a good pile and then use the spine of the large flat head to strike the flint. The large flathead gets some black soot marks that I wipe off. The farmer awl does sound easier to use than a main blade. I'll have to try it sometime.

[NutSAK]

Same as you, I use the awl on the ALOX models.  Works great, and I've not noticed any damage either.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

The awl works well, but you could use the back of the saw blade on the farmer too, it just takes longer

[Leatherman123]

I have found the striking the flint with like a fixed blade at an angle produces a huge spark. When I went camping last year in the mt's, I didn't even want to try to shave it. Simply just hit the edge against flint and a huge spark comes!

[Anthony]

I have found the striking the flint with like a fixed blade at an angle produces a huge spark. When I went camping last year in the mt's, I didn't even want to try to shave it. Simply just hit the edge against flint and a huge spark comes!

Did you use the edge of the blade or the spine?

[Leatherman123]

Edge

[WhichDawg]

I like a small pile of magnesium for getting damp or windy tinder in poor conditions going.
the mag pile last a few seconds and does the job better for me than just sparks,
even big sparks. I will try the awl on the tool, sounds like a good idea

[FredKJ]

I use a small flat cheap gimme knife I keep on the chain with the magnesium bar.  They are rough on an edge so I prefer not to use a good knife on one.  The one I have attached to my magnesium bar is an old give away I got years ago from Tech America.  It's small and flat with metal sides.  I keep it in a kit in an Altoids tin with some cotton balls and wax/woodchip firestarter.  The knife also has a bottle opener/screwdriver, can opener, phillips screwdriver, nail file along with the knife blade. h

[Viper]

LM123: The magnesium is supposed to be used with the spark. You shave a decent ammount of magnesium onto some tinder, then strike the flint. The flint lights the magnesium, which in turn lights the tinder. From there you add on fuel (wood, leaves, and the like).

[hawkchucker]

I use with my bars a hacksaw blade piece about 3 inches long and I uae the tooth side instead of the back. I find I get double the amount of shavings in half the time.

[Grant Lamontagne]

If you have a multitool try using the file.

Def

[Leatherman123]

Oh, I am well aware of how to use it- but striking the steel with the knife will give you a huge spark and it goes right on the magnesium...

[WhichDawg]

Oh, I am well aware of how to use it- but striking the steel with the knife will give you a huge spark and it goes right on the magnesium...

I guess my question is, are you using the whole bar of magnesium when striking? because if you are, couldn't the whole thing ignite!

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Oh, I am well aware of how to use it- but striking the steel with the knife will give you a huge spark and it goes right on the magnesium...

I guess my question is, are you using the whole bar of magnesium when striking? because if you are, couldn't the whole thing ignite!

Big lumps of magnesium do burn really well, just ask the Luftwaffe

[Benner]

Oh, I am well aware of how to use it- but striking the steel with the knife will give you a huge spark and it goes right on the magnesium...

I guess my question is, are you using the whole bar of magnesium when striking? because if you are, couldn't the whole thing ignite!

Big lumps of magnesium do burn really well, just ask the Luftwaffe

What's the story there then mate?

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Oh, I am well aware of how to use it- but striking the steel with the knife will give you a huge spark and it goes right on the magnesium...

I guess my question is, are you using the whole bar of magnesium when striking? because if you are, couldn't the whole thing ignite!

Big lumps of magnesium do burn really well, just ask the Luftwaffe

What's the story there then mate?

Raf bomber command bomber crew's (who flew night raids) knew if a shot down aircraft was a fellow Raf bomber or a Luftwaffe night fighter, by the colour it burned , if it was a normal yellow orange flame, it was a Raf aircraft, if it burned with an intence blue/green it was a night fighter (the Germans used a lot of magnisuim in the high performance aircraft)

[Benner]

Thanks for that.    I never knew that.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Thanks for that.    I never knew that.

Just one more useless fact I had cluttering up my tiny, wee brain

[WhichDawg]

wow that's pretty interesting! thanks Micky, I never knew that either.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

wow that's pretty interesting! thanks Micky, I never knew that either.

Just enrichening the lives of all those around me

[I'm Still Bison]

Speaking of aircraft fires;the US Navy's F-8 Crusader used a lot of magnesium in the landing gear.Hard landings onboard carriers caused more than one fire.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Speaking of aircraft fires;the US Navy's F-8 Crusader used a lot of magnesium in the landing gear.Hard landings onboard carriers caused more than one fire.

I didn't know that, it's a bit of a design oversight putting such a combustable metal in a high stress part of an aircraft

The A7's where resposable for a very big fire once too...

[Grant Lamontagne]

Magnesium is light and strong and used in stress points for lots of things.  Many race cars have frames or roll cages made from magnesium.  Seriously, the next time you have a magnesium rod handy, try to break it and you'll see what I mean!

Titanium has similar problems.  I'm not certain how true this is, but I have been told that once titanium hits a certain temperature it will ignite and it is impossible to extinguish until it is all consumed.

Def

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Magnesium is light and strong and used in stress points for lots of things.  Many race cars have frames or roll cages made from magnesium.  Seriously, the next time you have a magnesium rod handy, try to break it and you'll see what I mean!

Titanium has similar problems.  I'm not certain how true this is, but I have been told that once titanium hits a certain temperature it will ignite and it is impossible to extinguish until it is all consumed.

Def

I quite understand the use of magnisium, a mate of mine had magnisum wheels on his Ducati , my point is if somethings under a constant amount of stress thats fine, but something like landing gear that's subject to massive shock loadings strikes me as a bit of a bad idea

[Grant Lamontagne]

I agree with you to a point, but if it's the best metal to stand up to repeated shocks like that, then it's the best choice, even if say after every 200 landings it needs to be replaced or it may snap and the friction could cause a fire.  Better than using a less suitable metal and risk dropping a $20 million dollar plane on the deck of a $500 million carrier!

I think I would poo myself if I had a Ducati (or anything else) with magnesium wheels.  Imagine the lightshow if he gets a blowout! 

Def

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I agree with you to a point, but if it's the best metal to stand up to repeated shocks like that, then it's the best choice, even if say after every 200 landings it needs to be replaced or it may snap and the friction could cause a fire.  Better than using a less suitable metal and risk dropping a $20 million dollar plane on the deck of a $500 million carrier!

I think I would poo myself if I had a Ducati (or anything else) with magnesium wheels.  Imagine the lightshow if he gets a blowout! 

Def

There not airtight either

As for the aircraft, I would imagine it was the lightest metal around in the late fifties when the F8 was designed and thats why they used it, a steel would have been better and stronger, but would have carried to great a weight penalty in my opinion.