HP-2116A chassis (or repairing cast aluminum)

[Alexander Schreiber]

On Sun, Apr 17, 2005 at 12:19:32PM -0400, Teo Zenios wrote:
> 
> ----- 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.

No need to worry - trying to get a magnesium case to burn is _hard_
work, es evidenced when some misguided individual tried to get an empty
NeXTCube case to burn:

http://simson.net/photos/hacks/cubefire.html

Regards,
      Alex.
-- 
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and
 looks like work."                                      -- Thomas A. Edison