Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!apple!voder!kontron!optilink!cramer
From: cramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: NeXT FACTS (Magnesium case)
Message-ID: <607@optilink.UUCP>
Date: 27 Oct 88 18:20:26 GMT
References: <23336@sri-unix.SRI.COM> <1988Oct25.190655.10391@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: Optilink Corporation, Petaluma, CA
Lines: 21

In article <1988Oct25.190655.10391@utzoo.uucp>, henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes:
> In article <23336@sri-unix.SRI.COM> kr0k+@andrew.cmu.edu (Kenton Arthur Radek) writes:
> >... The main unit's cubic housing is made of lightweight magnesium...
> 
> That's gonna be fun if you ever have a power-supply fire!
> -- 
> The dream *IS* alive...         |    Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology

I don't think that's as much a problem as you think.  Back in high
school, some friends of mine and I attached a chunk of magnesium
ribbon to an 8' hydrogen-filled weather balloon (young, foolish, and
lucky to be alive) and attempted to light the ribbon.  We made repeated
efforts, and it just would not light with any combination of 
firestarting devices we had available.  Magnesium powder burns very
nicely (in fact, many powdered metals do well at this), but a solid
mass of magnesium is going to take a lot more flame to ignite than
a power supply.  (By the time the case catches fire, I suspect 
burning magnesium will be the least of your worries).
-- 
Clayton E. Cramer
..!ames!pyramid!kontron!optilin!cramer