This really isnt a modding thing, but it is a guide!

Sit down folks and prepare to read and look at pictures. Today we are taking apart A Microwave. A microwave has many useful parts, and even some parts might apeal to the modder.


Here is our victim: I picked her up on the side of the road (best place the find useful crap!)

Apon opening the hatch thingy, it looks as if somone put a pen or AL foil inside..I wanted to plug the thing in, but it was raining a bit today and didnt want the garage to catch fire...
http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0045.JPG
After removing the screws to take off the case, we find there is an abundance of parts!!
http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0046.JPG
Going from Top Left, Magentron, Control Circuitry, HV Transformer, HV cap, along with HV diode, and finally a fan.

A little Info on the stuff you are looking at

Magentron- Emits Microwaves, thats it, but does contain 2 VERY powerful Magnets. Do not under any circumstance power this with HV, unless you want to be cooked.

Control Circuity- Contains switches, relays (may be of use to watercoolers or others), and a VFD (Vacuum Fluorescent display). A VFD is very cool, its basically (almost, but not quite) Just like your TV, it works on the same princible.

HV Stuff- You MUST be careful around the HV cap (its ovalish) DIsconnect ALL powerleads FIRST before you attempt anything else, Mine had plastic insulators around it so the connectors werent sticking out. To dishcharge it, Get a screwdriver with an insulated handle and put it across the leads of the cap, it should spark, if it doesnt, then its discharged, but do it couple times to make sure

Our first victim to my screwdriver of death was the fan, hmm its clear Modding Possiblites maybe? Its 120v 60Hz.

http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0047.JPG

Our next step is too turn the thing over and remove the screws holding the plate down. The window thing in the front will fall off, so dont worry.

http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0049.JPG

(sorry for the blurry pic)

Heres a close up shot of the HV transformer and cap

http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0050.JPG

Some people go as far as rewinding the HV transformer (they make a good High Current Low voltage transformer, and just to note this thing only puts out 2kV and can blow a 20 Amp Breaker, so 2kV is useless)

My next victim was this thing, the turn table motor, useless, Yes (to me) to somone else, think of something.
http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0051.JPG

Now I have removed the magnetron and went for the coup de gracie..

Close up shot:
http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0052.JPG

Isnt she a beauty? Notice the 2 black things. Those are magnets I was after.

Next I tackled the control panel, and I found these switches. They look very useful, some how I bet you could impliment them into a door of some kind OR make an alarm system with them.

http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0053.JPG

Heres the control panel. Notice there is NOTHING left of the microwave

http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0055.JPG

Now, for whats inside the Control panel. The keypad is useless, so rip that off the circuit board and throw it away..There was a relay and one other thing (triac?). The relay may be of use for watercooling enthusiasts.

http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0056.JPG

Notice the display board also, Very Pretty when lited up. It glows a greenish blue glow. It runs on 12V (Yay for us). Its basicaly a tube.

And here is the Transformer taken off the board. Its heavy, I think about 10lbs... Just dont drop it on your foot....

http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0057.JPG

tools used:
http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0058.JPG

Everything that was salvaged from the microwave:


And now you might be wondering, Well Nerdz, How do we get those Magnets out the of the magnetron? Brute Force baby.. Some will have screws, and some you have to use force...Time to have fun with tools..

http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0061.JPG

Those are coming out no matter what!

Use the backend of a hammer (the curved end you use to take out nails) And just Chuck away until you get the little box off. Then use it as a crow bar to remove it some more. Be careful not to damage the magnets. You want to preserve them (its ok if its a little chip)

Keep choping away until you get this:
http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0063.JPG

And then to this:
http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0064.JPG

And then Finally, to this:
http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0065.JPG
Yea you can throw that away...

And now what we came for:

http://members.fesgaming.com/kaiba/i...e/PICT0066.JPG

If you get any metal or magnet chips on the magnets, use ducktape to get it off, then once its all clean, wrap it up in ducktape. You may be wondering why, well its so you wont get hurt also, plus they look nicer

So concludes an article..god that was long..lol

You may be also wondering why I didnt link pictures. Even on DSL, it would take forever to load this page, so I made it DSL and 56k friendly.

Got any questions? Ask here and I shall tell

Look around in a couple weeks, I tell how to make the VFD work.

EDIT: of course the power cord is useful too.

A 56k warning needs to be added to this thread.

Can I get a mod to change the title to Microwave *56k Warning*

Interesting... As though anything would ever possess me to dive into a microwave. But, eh, who knows? One of these days I'll come unhinged and start having an even stronger death-wish.

Good parts, man. The fan would be killer for a super-iffic-air-cooled-super-OC, but otherwise, no real-life use.

Have fun with the VFD!

Kratos.

Well if you just observe caution (and respect electricity), your pretty much fine.

I did have an Idea of using the Microwave case (the whole thing) for a computer. It would be kinda like a cube computer...

there wqas a microwave being thrown out down the road along with a washing machine,
i would`ve had the microve just for the metal inside for drive cages,mobo tray,
but lack of space at the moment made me leave it where it is

i did find an old 110 volt fan that came out of a machine,
but it is 110 volts,
so being in the uk i`m pretty much stuck as we use 240
i could possibly fit it to a computer but it would`nt be worth the while as it would`nt spin that fast

Have you guys ever heard of using a microwave to build a welder?

tell us more
got me interested now,
as long as it`s stable

i almost burned the house down with a microwave when i was little....

MOT's (microwave oven transformers) can blow a 20Amp breaker when powered up...Sure you can rewire the transformer to make one hell of a high amp powersupply..

A pc inside a microwave case would be seriously cool.... but only if you put a screen in the front, and had a fold-out keyboard, so you could use it as a laptop. You'd get some seriously weird looks on the train.

Quote: Originally Posted by jimbob A pc inside a microwave case would be seriously cool.... but only if you put a screen in the front, and had a fold-out keyboard, so you could use it as a laptop. You'd get some seriously weird looks on the train.

Gee, look at this.



I honestly want to know what they do with those knobs and dials on the front. Possibly some temp. monitering on that LCD, fo' sho'.

Quote: Originally Posted by Kratos Gee, look at this. I honestly want to know what they do with those knobs and dials on the front. Possibly some temp. monitering on that LCD, fo' sho'.

Now thats a kewl Idea!! looks like I need to go to da dump and find an old microwave oven!

Just send me the parts if your going to scrap them, Im building a collection of these things

Just to tell people let the microwave sit a day or so befor messing w/ the guts, because it can hold power in there for a day after being unpluged. Just ask my dad he got a zaped from an unpluged one and he had a big burn going up his hand.

Good read, I LOL'ed

Reminds me of something me and my old friend would do, take apart junk and take little peices out and stuff. Its funny how the goal of this mod was to get those magnets - and stop at nothing to get them! lol just like somethign I would do..