How do I powder aluminium?

[ALIHISGREAT]

well i would expect more specialist items to be in a hobby shop not stuff that could be found at any hardware shop... and what is a hobby shop's definition of a hobby exactly?

[paaiyan]

I don't really know. The one closest to me carries a lot of textiles, sewing supplies, small tools, wodden doodads, decorative stuff, and some model rocket supplies. I haven't checked it for aluminum powder though.

As an unrelated side note, fog sucks. The visibility here is dwindling down. You've got about 30 yards till somethings obscure, and about 50 until it completely disappears, assuming it isn't illuminated.

[MrCrowley]

I would try a paint shop, they usually carry a lot of aluminium powder for metallic paints and would sell the stuff I would think. You might have to go to a big paint store not just a local one, but i'm not sure.

[paaiyan]

I would try a paint shop, they usually carry a lot of aluminium powder for metallic paints and would sell the stuff I would think. You might have to go to a big paint store not just a local one, but i'm not sure.

Ah, I hadn't thought of that one. They use it for thermally reflective paints right? Sherwin-Williams doesn't appear to have anything.

[MrCrowley]

Ah not sure on that, they could do though.

I was just told to go to a big paint store where you would order a lot of paint or a custom ordered paint, not just a small local store.

But it could be different in America and South Africa.

[paaiyan]

Well, Sherwin-Williams is like Wal-Mart, but with just paint. The thermally reflective idea comes from mythbusters. They did an episode on the Hindenburg, it was apparently painted with layers of paint containing aluminum oxide, in order to reflect heat and prevent the hydrogen from igniting. It was also painted with another type of paint. One containing iron oxide. Nice one boys.

Oh my God, the programmer guys next to me are about to crack me up. They're talking abuot some idiot who tried to use the arrows on a program to scroll the year back to about 10 BC. One at a time. Now they're talking about some bank manager who wanted them to write a program that would automatically email customers when the servers go down.

[grumpy]

it is used for powder coating such as paintball markers, jewlry boxes and so on, you can buy it prety cheap on ebay.

[benstern]

I also need Al powder. I have a bunch of the black iron oxide and a half pound of lead oxide I need to dispose of....

[kdaviper]

actually, aluminum oxidizes fairly quickly, but the layer of aluminum oxide on the surface protects from further oxidation. If you were to put some mercury into your aluminum oxide powder, it would all oxidize within minutes. guess why only licensed meteorologists are allowed to take mercury on airplanes

[)DEMON(]

So who's to say that the aluminium powder meant for paint will not be aluminium oxide powder? I still have not tried it but my ball mill should be ready in a week or so, I just have to get bearings.

[FeLeX]

Where would you get iron oxide then? And about the sparkler. I thought it took alot higher temperature than that to light it.

[MaxuS the 2nd]

And about the sparkler. I thought it took alot higher temperature than that to light it.

No, it never once failed for me.

You can either make Iron Oxide III, or you can buy it from pottery shops that use it as a pigment.
Don't use large piles of Thermite at a time, I did it once to melt through an old engine block and the pile just exploded.

[FeLeX]

Dang True. Ok thanks for all of your advice(s).

[iPaintball]

The fastest way to get your shavings down to a workable powder would be to buy a cheap coffe grinder and throw 'em in. After this, ball mill the powder until you get the mesh you are looking for. Hobby shops sell aluminum flake that usually runs about 1000 mesh, so it's pretty perfect for use in thermite and pretty good in some flash powders. Oh, and by the way, making thermite is not illegal, but making flash powder is unless you have a BATF High Explosives manufacturing liscense. Good luck, an I hope I could help.

[Pete Zaria]

This topic may just be on the lines of those "illegal discussions" talked about in the rules. We might just want to take it easy and answer the original question.

To the extent of my knowledge, making and using thermite for non-mischievous purposes, on one's own property, is not a crime.

As long as you guys don't talk about DOING anything illegal with the thermite, I personally have no objection to this thread.

Remember, as in the forum rules, ANYTHING you do/build/try as a result of a post on this site is your own responsibility and no one else's. Don't come trying to sue us when you burn a hole through your engine block... or your hand...

Peace,
Pete Zaria.