Metal Casting Zone

Magnesium casting

Anyone here ever tried casting with magnesium?

I have a casting project that requires magnesium. The product is a fire starting device similar to one that you would find in the camping section of sporting goods stores. When you shave the magnesium into a small pile, it then can catch a spark from a ferrocerium rod.

Before even looking into the subject I knew there would be problems, being that the ignition point is far below the melting point. I also know that it is possible to cast magnesium, at least in an industrial setting.

I am not in an industrial setting.

After getting the numbers
ignition point 883F
melting point 1202F
burns at 5400F

I have found little to no information on any effective techniques on casting magnesium in a home foundry. I have also come up empty on what techniques are used in an industrial process, feasible or not for my home foundry.


I am fully aware that this might not be an option to me, but I am now trying to learn a little more on the subject, weather or not I attempt to apply it to a practical aplication. A simple “don't try this at home” has never been enough for me. If so, I would have never started casting in the first place

hmm never tried it, maybe if you used an electric furnace in a chamber flooded with argon. you would also have to be able to pour it while it is in there also.
definetly would have to research it out some more, but anything is possible.

I recently saw a video on "How it's Made" where they were casting Magnesium, they used either an Argon or Nitrogen bleed over the open top of the crucible so that you have an inert interface, this is maintained as you poor. You could also rig up a small tube or small pipe attached to your melting furnace which is flexable. If you cut your melt in small pieces you should not have any problems.

very interesting i havent tried it as i cant find any scrap. jammer has played around with it so we will have to await his post.

I haven't cast any, I used some 1/4" printing plate From Hot stamping. I drilled it and made some cuts to cast lead sinkers in. It worked good, but the sinkers didn't. I went back to conventional sinker molds.
My son and I set some on fire yesterday, does that count? We put about 2 tablespoons of Mg saw chips in an aluminum can with a ground up Sparkler left over from the 4th of July, then we lit it with another sparkler. There was a bright white flare up and the can was gone. A little pile of smoldering oxides was all that's left. Sorry no photos.

still experimenting at your age jammer???i wish i could get hold of some!