HP-2116A chassis (or repairing cast aluminum)

[Doc Shipley]

Jules Richardson wrote:

> On Sun, 2005-04-17 at 07:32 -0700, Vintage Computer Festival wrote:
> 
>>On Sat, 16 Apr 2005, Bob Shannon wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I think the actual frame here is magnesium alloy, not aluminum.
>>>
>>>Any attempt to weld this might be spectacularly bad idea.
>>
>>Listen to the man (with an emphasis on "spectacular" in the true sense of
>>the word).
> 
> 
> Don't know about welding the stuff, but ISTR a website recording
> someone's efforts to get a magnesium-cased NeXT to burn - quite the
> opposite of spectacular to be honest. (the page was put up well after
> the fact, and it was a few years ago that I saw it - no idea of a URL(

   Pure magnesium burns like a mother******, but it's rarely used as 
structural material.  Most magnesium alloys burn well when powdered or 
as shavings, but then so will pure iron.

   A magnesium-aluminum alloy is very unlikely to be dangerously 
volatile, even at welding temperatures.  The oxidation properties of 
both metals make those alloys a bitch to weld, though.


	Doc