Has anyone made an electro magnetic chuck from the guts of a microwave?

I never would have thought of using a mag chuck on a drill press, but now I kinda want one. :)
 
What was he babbling about the thing that needs to be discharged in the microwave? Do I just stick my finger in there to drain the charge, or...?

I've got a line on one microwave already...
 
I used to have a boat load of similar transformers from an auction of street lights. I also had some large ones from a large 3 phase welder. I ended giving them away. I only kept one for making a spot welder, not very good for my result.

I now have 2 more microwave transformers to use.
These are probably easy to find for cheap.
 
"What was he babbling about the thing that needs to be discharged in the microwave? Do I just stick my finger in there to drain the charge, or...?"

He was referring to the high voltage power supply in the microwave. A screwdriver (with an insulated handle) might work, depending on the HV capacitor. Long-nosed pliers with insulated grips would work, too.

If the cap IS charged up, you might get a pretty good "bang" out of it. Also, FYI, high voltage capacitors can RE-charge themselves if their terminals aren't shorted together, especially if they've been recently charged up. To prevent potentially fatal shock, HV caps usually are shipped with shorting wires, as shown for this product. If you buy some and they don't come that way, treat them like they were a rattlesnake. Many Ebay vendors don't know s**t about what they're selling and this is a case where ignorance could result in a nasty surprise.
 
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It's a high voltage capacitor. Use something with an insulated handle to short the terminals. Those can hold a charge for a long time unplugged. Much like the old picture tube TVs. Do not touch anything in there until you do this. The charge is enough to be fatal if you get across it. One rule to follow is to keep one hand away from the device. That way, any charge you get on doesn't have a path through your heart. He's using needlenose pliers to short them.

In reality, the danger is low if you treat it with a little respect. It's just not as obvious as a spinning lathe chuck that it can hurt you. In 90% of cases, there is a bleed resistor on those that discharges them over a few minutes, but those can fail.

Ebay has the transformers, even new ones, for about $20. That said, old microwaves are probably available free most anywhere. Older is better. Some of the newer ones use a switching power supply and don't have these big cores to harvest.
 
Thanks, @homebrewed. It's probably a good thing that I didn't have a lot of old microwaves laying around when I was a kid, or else I would have taken one apart like everything else and probably found out the hard way!
 
I heard there is danger in the ceramic breaking if you get carried away and dissemble the magnet from the magnetron. Not that I didn't do it :)
Also, maybe it's a bit safer if it's more recent.
 
pontiac428 said:
Thanks, @homebrewed. It's probably a good thing that I didn't have a lot of old microwaves laying around when I was a kid, or else I would have taken one apart like everything else and probably found out the hard way!
Click to expand...
I DID discover this the hard way, playing around with an old tube-type TV. Fortunately I wasn't bit too bad!
 
pontiac428 said:
Thanks, @homebrewed. It's probably a good thing that I didn't have a lot of old microwaves laying around when I was a kid, or else I would have taken one apart like everything else and probably found out the hard way!
Click to expand...
You never want to pick up an automotive condenser (points and condenser) when sitting on the break room table. YEEOOWW!!
They bite.

I'm looking for a microwave. The drill press mag chuck makes all kinds of sense to me. Have wings on the frame to bolt to the t-slots in the table.
 
Janderso said:
You never want to pick up an automotive condenser (points and condenser) when sitting on the break room table. YEEOOWW!!
They bite.

I'm looking for a microwave. The drill press mag chuck makes all kinds of sense to me. Have wings on the frame to bolt to the t-slots in the table.
Click to expand...
Surely that condenser wasn't left there deliberately :big grin:. And NO, I did not call you Shirley. Time to go now...
 
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