Property damage is undesireable but upsetting the neighbours could cause you much more harm and local ill feeling.
Can you not buy magnesium powdered to the size and style that you want? Magnesium from a chemical supply house should have a specific analysis, magnesium found as supposedly magnesium castings at a scrap yard will have no known analysis".
I am lucky to have friendly, understanding and sympathetic neighbours, who are fascinated by my rather unconventional hobby of amateur pyrotechnics. My neighbours look forward to being entertained by my roman candles, fountains/gerbs, cakes, etc.
I am studying chemistry and I consider myself to be competent in handling small quantities of potentially hazardous chemicals, but this does not make it any easier for me when it comes to purchasing chemicals from science supply companies who are only willing to sell to professionals in the scientific community, as opposed to retail outlets who sell less hazardous chemicals to the general public. So, I have no option other than to make my own hard to obtain chemicals.
Quote: (Cooperman): "If not then opening the jar regulally will allow air and therefore oxygen into the jar and allow the surface of the freshly milled metal to oxidise slowly and in a controlled manner preventing or at least reducing the chances of an accidental ignition which would only occour when opening the jar with the rush of air entering the now oxygen starved mill jar (oxygen starved due to the reaction inside the jar with what oxygen was available but not replaced)"
I vent the jar regularly, about every 20 minutes. Wearing heat resistant fireman's gloves! And googles designed to prevent UV light from giving my retinas a good roasting in the event of a magnesium fire.
Edited by Gary, 09 August 2008 - 07:40 PM.
