# So....Is there anything worthwile in an old broken down microwave oven?



## 12bolts (Nov 15, 2012)

So guys, educate me here
Is it worth the effort of dismantling a conventional microwave oven for whatever goodies might be hidden inside?
Any hazards to look out for?

Cheers Phil


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## DMS (Nov 15, 2012)

The transformers are beefy, and can be re-wound to produce high current for a spot welder for example. Lots of vids on youtube. There is also usually a squirrel cage fan, and a timing motor in the base if the  unit had a turntable. Attached to the output of the transformer will be a large metal capacitor. That can be charged up with enough voltage to knock you flat, and you might not get up. Before you dig in, make sure the unit is unplugged, and short across the terminals with something metal that you don't care about.

There may be other bits in there, but those were the things I noticed when I ripped my parents old unit apart.


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## bhowden (Nov 15, 2012)

The transformer can deliver up to an amp at 2000 volts and is current limited.    Good for a tesla coil.  Done properly you can get up to 4 foot sparks. (along with a lot of noise)  The diode and cap can be used as a voltage doubler to get 4000 volts.  You can take the magnatron apart and get a couple of decent round magnets.  They are not rare earth but still plenty strong and fairly useful for holding stuff down.  I usually keep the microswitches.  I have been able to repair a couple of ovens with salvaged switches.  Also worth keeping the slow blow fuse for the same reason.  The power cord is usually fairly beefy and three prong for use on a machine tool.  The outside case is usually flat sheet steel with a large enough area to be useful.  The glass tray is useful if you break the one in your kitchen.  The little metal roller that the tray rotates on seems like a good idea for something but I have only used the idea so far.  They are also designed to be put together very quickly so they come apart with very little work.  Lots of clip in modules.

Brian


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## jgedde (Nov 15, 2012)

The turntable motor is a useful gizmo...  Every time it gets powered it reverses direction!

ohn


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## Grumpy Gator (Nov 15, 2012)

If harvest of neat and useful stuff is the goal I go for old printers,fax, copy and vcr's. Tons of small gears and bearings,shafts not to mention the vast amount of micro screws and fasteners.The tempered glass from scanners is great to mix bondo or epoxy.I have even used one with some lapping compound to true up some harley heads.
************Just Saying*******Gator***Bonehead of the month and proud of it*********


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## Hawkeye (Nov 15, 2012)

If you use a magnetic chuck, such as on a surface grinder, you can modify the transformer to make a strong demagnetizer.


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## jpfabricator (Nov 16, 2012)

I cut the side of a stainless microwave out for a pick gaurd on my bass guitar. It was a great upgrade from the plastic one. Looked cool to:thumbzup:


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## mhooper (Nov 16, 2012)

I used the fan from an old microwave oven to cool a 120 volt dc motor that I put on my vertical mill.
Works great.
The metal screen in the door is kinda handy.

mhooper


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## 12bolts (Nov 24, 2012)

sorry for being slow to get back to here.
Thanks everybody for the replies, will jsut go ahead and see what I can salvage out of it.

Cheers Phil


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## Allen (Nov 26, 2012)

There was an awful lot of blue smoke inside ours. It blew up a week ago and that corner of the kitchen STILL stinks


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## jtrain (Nov 26, 2012)

There are two round magnets inside.  Could be good for something.
John


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