Funny a friend at NM Tech was just telling me about their chemistry lab yesterday which was refining Mn and another element using thermite. They had trouble getting it started too and had to borrow a torch from the Geology lab folks. Of course high winds made it hard to light the Mg.
Some of the Sprues from RR rail welding will harden, some of them look like wootz when forged at low temps due to the coarse crystallization. Some don't.
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Thomas
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