Disassembly of microwave

B

Bob McCarty

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Staff member
Our 30 year old one bit the bullet last night, lighting a potato on fire :shock: . If I take it apart is there anything that might "bite" (like a capacitor, etc.)?

Thanks, Bob
 
When our 15 year old microwave started to give us trouble, the appliance repair guy we use wouldn't even come out to look at it. He said, even if he could get the parts, it's cheaper to buy a new one. Give it up, Bob. :D
 
I have not dug into the new ones, but the ones I went to school on 35 years ago definitely would bite, even after being disconnected a while. You will be disappointed when you open it up, it consists of a timer on a chip, plus the push buttons and display, several safety switches, a high voltage power supply, a Magnetron tube inside a shielded cavity. And finally ducts to direct the energy from the Magnetron into the oven cavity. As I recall, there is a very minute amount of radioactive material in that Magnetron tube, I suggest not breaking it, though it is pretty sturdy.
 
Hmm....Dennis you may be on to something. Bob in another post today mentioned that he did an exact floor layout of his cubs, implements and other stuff while sizing his new building, in order to have enough floor space. My question to Bob is "did you make space allowance for future purchases".
 
My FIL is a former telephone man and knows a lot about electronics. When their 30+ year old microwave went on the fritz, he took it apart and got it going, but it didn't last long.

Al
 
Extend your lifetime a bit and replace the microwave.
Those old microwaves really radiate a lot (leak). You should be wearing one of those dentist issued lead blankets while using that old beast!
 
outdoors4evr":18io1ylh said:
Extend your lifetime a bit and replace the microwave.
Those old microwaves really radiate a lot (leak). You should be wearing one of those dentist issued lead blankets while using that old beast!
Click to expand...

Bob might just have a dentist apron. He does have a few dental picks around the shop.
 
Since Bob is a retired dentist, I imagine he has quite a few dental tools laying around.

Bob, I'm glad you didn't really plan to fix it.
 
John *.?-!.* cub owner":2ax2rli5 said:
I have not dug into the new ones, but the ones I went to school on 35 years ago definitely would bite, even after being disconnected a while. You will be disappointed when you open it up, it consists of a timer on a chip, plus the push buttons and display, several safety switches, a high voltage power supply, a Magnetron tube inside a shielded cavity. And finally ducts to direct the energy from the Magnetron into the oven cavity. As I recall, there is a very minute amount of radioactive material in that Magnetron tube, I suggest not breaking it, though it is pretty sturdy.
Click to expand...

John, there is no residual radiation in the tube. The radiation is electrically produced, and disappears, as soon as the power is turned off.
Ed (retired radiology technologist)
 
Bob just wants to do a post mortem! I like to see into things to see what makes them work too. Some things can be fixed (usually not) and some things can be salvaged, mostly I do it to see what makes them tick. Most recently I cleaned and calabrated two water pump gauges, got the ants out of a light switch, and took the spring out of its cage for a steel tape (had been submerged) cleaned and oiled and put back. Most difficult, but now I have a good 25' Stanley tape. There is a reason they say not to open them! Good luck Bob, but ground that capacitor first, lol!
 
ScottyD'sdad":3f3w1j8w said:
......
John, there is no residual radiation in the tube. The radiation is electrically produced, and disappears, as soon as the power is turned off.
Ed (retired radiology technologist)
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May not be on ones made now, but to the best of my memory the ones made 40+ years ago did have, or so they told us at the Litton school I attended. We were warned several times not to do anything that might damage the old magnetron when replacing it. At that time they cost the average person over a weeks wages. By the time any of them failed they were so cheap people just bought new ones rather than paying to get the old ones repaired and we never got to make use of the training.
 
John *.?-!.* cub owner":1gj1pik8 said:
ScottyD'sdad":1gj1pik8 said:
......
John, there is no residual radiation in the tube. The radiation is electrically produced, and disappears, as soon as the power is turned off.
Ed (retired radiology technologist)
Click to expand...
May not be on ones made now, but to the best of my memory the ones made 40+ years ago did have, or so they told us at the Litton school I attended. We were warned several times not to do anything that might damage the old magnetron when replacing it. At that time they cost the average person over a weeks wages. By the time any of them failed they were so cheap people just bought new ones rather than paying to get the old ones repaired and we never got to make use of the training.
Click to expand...
John, the "do not do anything to damage the tube", is probably because it contained a high vacuum, and could shatter and shower you with glass fragments, like the old cathode ray TV picture tubes. X-ray tubes were constructed that way, also.
Ed
 
These weren't made from glass, they were ceramic, it was not a case of fragile, we were warned not to mess with them.
That does not mean the instructors knew what they were talking about though.
 
Yesterday, I read this and thought what could you do with a microwave transformer (other than the spot welder mentioned).

Today, I saw on Pinterest where you can take two old microwave transformers, a wet board, and hook some jumper cables to each end and turn on the juice and create interesting burn traces on the board. Hhhhuuuummmm, high voltage electricity, water, and fire on a flammable surface. What could possibly go wrong here.
 
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