[TheForge] Sodium filled valves

[terry l. ridder]

hello ron;

On Thu, 22 Jan 2009, Ron Childers wrote:

>
>
> A friend who recently joined our group was given a bucket of engine valves
> and wants to "make things out of them". He has no idea what kind of vehicles
> the valves came from.
>
> The old air cooled VW and Chevrolet valves are ok, but not knowing, I told
> him not to do anything with them 'til I consulted my panel of experts. I
> have heard forging or cutting the sodium-filled valves could be hazardous.
>
<snip>
>
> 4. Does anyone have any first hand knowledge of misadventures involving
> sodium-filled valves?
>

my only experience happened many years ago and not with a forge but a
crucible furnace. i was at a friend's home watching him pour some parts
for something he was building. it was not to be such a large melt just a
small melt of mallable steel. he was pre-heating pieces to place in the
crucible at the vent hole in the top of the furnace. he had a 5 gallon
bucket of engine valves. they were from car, trucks, tractors, and
earthmovers. after placing a few large engine valves near the vent hole
it was clear when they started to vent and rupture that something 'bad'
was going to happen. those of us bystanders decided that it would be
best to vacate the shop as quickly as possible. not sure what happened
after we left but the shop was burned down to the ground. it was an
event to remember. there were several oxy-fuel welding rigs in the shop
numerous propane cylinder hand torches. the fire department just kept a
good distance and kept it from spreading to other buildings and farm
fields. watched as several of the industrial gas cylinders just launched
into the sky.

>
> I heard in aircraft mechanics school that many engines do have sodium-filled
> valves and that it's a bad idea to try to make punches or drifts out of
> them.
>
> Ron C
>

-- 
terry l. ridder ><>