Other Everything else not covered in the main topics goes here. Please avoid brand and flame wars. Don't try and up your post count. It won't work in here.

Anybody ever play with thermite?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Dec 11, 2006 | 05:25 PM
  #1  
Begle1's Avatar
Thread Starter
Banned
 
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,451
Likes: 1
Anybody ever play with thermite?

Now, according to my knowledge of chemistry, aluminum powder mixed with iron rust and lit with a magnesium fuse will create molten iron.

Needless to say, this is something that needs to be done.

Aluminum powder is easy to get, but what about iron oxide? Does anybody know where I could get me some iron oxide? (Like, some pure Grade-A professional iron oxide, not the stuff scraped off my exhaust manifold...)


Would that be something a welding supply shop could sell me, or is it restricted access for some reason?
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2006 | 05:35 PM
  #2  
03 ant a hemi's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 958
Likes: 1
From: Alberta
Why is it you want to make this?
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2006 | 05:44 PM
  #3  
chaikwa's Avatar
Administrator
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,331
Likes: 2
From: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Originally Posted by Begle1
Now, according to my knowledge of chemistry, aluminum powder mixed with iron rust and lit with a magnesium fuse will create molten iron. Needless to say, this is something that needs to be done.
Oh good Lord, Begle's back!

Welding up some railroad iron are ya? I don't know where to get it, and honestly, I don't know if I'd want YOU to have it if I did!

I can't wait to hear why you wanna try this!

chaikwa.
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2006 | 06:04 PM
  #4  
htgreen3's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
From: Central Virginia
go over to biggerhammer.com, its a 50 bmg board that gets on the thermite useage every so often.
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2006 | 06:43 PM
  #5  
Fronty Owner's Avatar
'People of Wal-Mart' 2010 finalist
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 456
Likes: 0
From: Oklahoma/Texas
According to my sources, the best source for iron oxide is to rust away a nail.
You can probably mix some iron filing (available at welding shops or your local school supply shop) with salt water and put and electric current thru it. After you bake off the water, you will have some salt mixed it with your iron oxide solution, but it should be negligable.

Pick up a copy of the anarchist handbook, it has these steps and more fun chemistry.
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2006 | 07:11 PM
  #6  
TheBigNasty's Avatar
Banned
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,048
Likes: 0
From: Central "By God" Texas
IIRC I looked it up on E-bay....readily available and pretty cheap.
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2006 | 07:13 PM
  #7  
TheBigNasty's Avatar
Banned
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,048
Likes: 0
From: Central "By God" Texas
the thermite i mean..
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2006 | 07:15 PM
  #8  
displacedtexan's Avatar
Banned
 
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,337
Likes: 0
From: Place with no quail:(
Welcome back Beagle!!! Glad to see they let you out of the pound. Now we can resume planning our coup of Lizzard Boy
Originally Posted by 03 ant a hemi
Why is it you want to make this?
Because he is Beagle...
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2006 | 07:39 PM
  #9  
Totallyrad's Avatar
Administrator / Free Time Specialist
 
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,707
Likes: 16
From: Birmingham, Alabama
Originally Posted by Begle1
Now, according to my knowledge of chemistry, aluminum powder mixed with iron rust and lit with a magnesium fuse will create molten iron.

Needless to say, this is something that needs to be done.
He's alive! He's alive! But, would this chemistry question have anything to do with the recent hiatus?
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2006 | 07:50 PM
  #10  
Fronty Owner's Avatar
'People of Wal-Mart' 2010 finalist
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 456
Likes: 0
From: Oklahoma/Texas
or perhaps, he needs this chemistry question answered to get out of his hiatus....
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2006 | 09:00 PM
  #11  
Begle1's Avatar
Thread Starter
Banned
 
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,451
Likes: 1
I gotta get out of this place,
If it's the last thing
I ever do...
A little aluminum and rust,
To melt these bars
On through...



The thought was to build a ceramic mold and take an arc welder. Fill the mold up with thermite, place the ground cable in one end of the mold and the electrode in the other end (with a dixie cup taped around it so it won't spark through the powder). When you light off the thermite, it will burn through the dixie cup. You now have a mold of liquid iron with 50 amperes going through it.

My conjecture is that it will be able to pull a nail out of a fence from 20 feet. I don't quite now though; that's what I need to figure out.
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2006 | 09:11 PM
  #12  
Totallyrad's Avatar
Administrator / Free Time Specialist
 
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 7,707
Likes: 16
From: Birmingham, Alabama
Ohhhh....I get it. This is a fuel economy experiment. Attach about a hundred of these things to the front of your truck and draft anything that goes by. One thing for certain, you wouldn't have to worry about nails in your tires.
Reply
Old Dec 12, 2006 | 06:24 AM
  #13  
Jim Lane's Avatar
Administrator
20 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,084
Likes: 235
From: Southern California
Begle1

What are we really working on now?
Chemical lasers or some homebrewed power supply for a rail gun?

Hmm.. Makes me wonder if you were at your little 1 room cabin deep in the woods somewhere.

BTW welcome back we were all wondering what happened to you and had all kinds of scenarios buzzing in our heads.

I will keep an eye to the South/East for the smoke cloud.

Jim
Reply
Old Dec 12, 2006 | 06:57 AM
  #14  
DieselDaze's Avatar
Administrator
 
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,360
Likes: 5
From: MidWest
Why do I get the feeling that this thread is being watched by certain government agents who dress in black and have no sense of humor?

Rich.
Reply
Old Dec 12, 2006 | 07:09 AM
  #15  
jrs_dodge_diesel's Avatar
Administrator
 
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,569
Likes: 40
From: League City, TX
Originally Posted by DieselDaze
Why do I get the feeling that this thread is being watched by certain government agents who dress in black and have no sense of humor?

Rich.

You rang ?

Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:12 AM.