[rescue] Accidentally destroying hardware..

[George Adkins]

On Tuesday 26 March 2002 12:59 am, you wrote:
> I'm not familiar with sintering.  Does your description mean that the
> whole rack/computer was burned/melted down?
>
Sintering is the process by which a mass of bits is partially fused together.

Imagine a bucket full of glass marbles.  Now, imagine heating them all up 
until they stick together everywhere they touch each other, but not enough to 
melt them completely or cause them to lose their shape too much.

this is the process by which, for instance, ceramics are fired (sort of) or 
by which metal powder is packed together and fused into light but strong and 
flexible material for things like turbine blades.

(Attention please: this is a very over-simplified description.  It is NOT an 
invitation for a self proclaimed expert-on-everything to come and point out 
it's little technical flaws in an effort to look bigger in the schoolyard.  
You know who you are.  Please do not interfere in the conversation.)