Re: [T3] painting fan shrouds

[Steven Ayres <comwest@att.net>]

<x-flowed>=>> magnesium, not aluminum.
JimA=> Is there a simple way to tell the difference?

Try tossing one in a campfire, what they call destructive testing. Stand 
well back. :{

To me there's a clear difference in feel -- the mag is noticeably 
lighter, like metal foam. It's softer than Al, scratches easier, and 
it'll pill up if you get too aggressive with a wire brush, say. (That's 
why always jump in when someone mentiones sandblasting one of these -- 
if the media's too aggrssive, you can damage the part.) When it's 
polished up, where Al is a sort of cool or neutral silver, mag looks 
warmer. Compare a mag Type 1/2/3 engine case with that of a Type 4, 
which is Al.

Steven Ayres, Prescott AZ
'66 343

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