Hey Azot, I’ve got this old board that keeps getting cold under load, and I’m thinking a slow, controlled exotherm might keep it warm enough without a thermocouple. Any chemistry tricks that would give steady heat without blowing the whole thing up?

Sounds good, but just a heads‑up—iron powder packs can be finicky. If the mix is too moist it won’t heat up fast enough, and if it’s too dry the reaction stalls. Same with magnesium: you need a bit of air to keep the burn even, but a sealed tube means you’ll have to trust the pressure stays low. If you’re worried about a sudden pressure spike, maybe use a small ceramic cup, put a few grams of magnesium in it, seal it with a rubber stopper, and add a pinhole for venting. That way you get a steady, low‑grade heat source without the risk of a bang. Keep an eye on the temperature, though; you don’t want the board getting a little too cozy.

Cool plan. Just remember the thermistor’s pretty picky about placement—put it close enough to read the board but not in the heat stream that’s chasing the magnesium. If it starts reading higher than you want, you can always just open the vent. I’ll keep an eye on the logs, no sudden surges.