A slight, but related sidetrack on your conversation about flammable magnesium.I'm having a good old ding dong on the Arb Forum. I have always had this fantastic ability to upset folk with the slightest thing. Its to do with Stihl making the first magnesium piston chainsaw. All I said was Audi made a magnesium head and the engine went on fire and I eventually put it out with tons of water. That started the ball rolling, do you think Stihl would spend all that money if it wasn't tested? I said obviously VW did and big companies do the silliest of things now like the emissions scandal. Its still going on but we will find out in a few years if it works. ?
I have a magnesium bar/Ferro rod for firelighting when I haul out for a brew when I'm sea kayaking and for lighting my old paraffin Primus camping stove. I imported it from America as they vary in quality. I did some research to get the best I could. It's a six inches x half inch metal rod. I don't know the science of how a metal bar will burn but it's totally reliable and the sparks are extremely hot. Hot enough to scorch/pit my steel knife, the spine of which I use as a striker. They will still work even if wet, which is one of the main reasons I bought one for sea kayaking.
The method is to place the spine of the knife firmly against the bar near the top and slide the knife down fast and hard. This scrapes off a tiny amount of dusty, magnesium shavings and if done with enough speed will create extremely hot sparks which I focus onto some cotton wool damped in a little meths.
Plenty footage on YouTube of these being used, under the subject ; Nathan 4071 Ferro Rod Fire Starters, if anyone apart from me is interested.??
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