HP-2116A chassis (or repairing cast aluminum)

[Teo Zenios]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jules Richardson" <julesrichardsonuk at yahoo.co.uk>
To: <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 17, 2005 11:01 AM
Subject: Re: HP-2116A chassis (or repairing cast aluminum)


> 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 ignites at 476 C and burns at 2200 C so if the case is pure
enough (doubtful, additives change the burning properties) and you get it
hot enough then good luck trying to put the fire out.