How to Take Apart a Microwave

Taking apart microwaves can be dangerous, on this instructable I will show you how to take apart a microwave safely and explain the parts and what you can do with them...

I found this microwave (pictured) lying around in the streets, I took it home with me and took it apart, meanwhile, I decided to make an instructable so you can get an idea of how to take apart a microwave and what its parts can be used for.

Step 1: What Equipment You Will Need...

You will need tools to take apart a microwave, your bare hands won't work. :-)

• A set of screw drivers with different shapes and sizes.
• Wire cutters
• Pliers
• Alligator clip
• Hammer (you don't need this unless something needs to be banged apart)

You might need other types of tools depending on the type of microwave you are going to take apart.

Step 2: Warning!

Yeah, thats right, taking apart microwave can be very dangerous if you do it improperly...

There is an high voltage capacitor in there that can be still charge and can give out an lethal shock.

Step 3: Begin Taking Off the Cover

Start taking the top cover off carefully and try avoid touching the wiring!

Step 4: Discharge the Capacitor

Locate the capacitor, it should be near the big fat chunk of metal, the high voltage transformer. Then get your alligator clips and very carefully touch both terminals of the capacitor...

You may get an loud "SNAP" (which is unlikely) and that indicate the capacitor is discharged, do this a few more time to really make sure the capacitor is discharged..

And you're done! The microwave is safe to gut out!

Step 5: Gut Out the Microwave

Well, what are you waiting for? Gut the microwave part you want!

Step 6: What to Do With All of This Stuff?

After you had gutted the microwave, you can find a lot of pretty good stuff, read on through the instructable to fine out what they are and what you could do with them!

Step 7: The Magnetron

This device, the magnetron, is what heats up our foods...

There is hardly any use for this device, but the magnetron have two very large and powerful ceramic magnets! You can hack the magnetron open and extract the magnets and use them for your other projects.

Step 8: The High Voltage Transformer

Now this one, is the most dangerous microwave component of all... The high voltage transformer...

The transformer give out 2Kv (2000) AC with outputs of 500mA to 2 amps, far more than enough to instantly kill a person...

The transformer can be put to good use for many high power projects, but most often, people would mod them, and use them to draw arcs for fun... But that is going to be another instructable...

Here is an video of me drawing arcs and lighting sparklers with the microwave transformers.

For some very odd reason, after the sparkler is burnt out, the arcs are much longer, I don't know why it is doing it... Can any body give me an explanation?

Step 9: Capacitor and Diode

You can use those for some of your high power projects like tesla coils, can crusher, ect.

Step 10: Line Filter

Those things can be useful if you know what you are doing with them...

Step 11: Cooling Fan

You can use the fan to cool your self down on a hot day...

I used it as a ventilation fan for my workshop to get rid of all or the solder fumes and other smokes...

Step 12: Turntable Motor

Those motors spin very slowly, you can add an plate on it rotors and display your things on the table.

Step 13: Power Relay and Light Bulb

You can use the relay for heavy load switching and if the light bulb still works, you can save it as an replacement bulb for other microwaves.

Step 14: Bell and Timers

You could use them as a timer for something?

Step 15: Thermal Fuses

Sometimes, you can find an thermal fuse(s) in a microwave - often found near the magnetron. They are used to break the circuit from the mains if the magnetron overheats...

Step 16: Safety Switches

The safety switches can be found near the door. You can use it for safety on your other projects or possibly build a beam robot with it...

Step 17: Heating Tubes

Very strangely, my microwave has two quartz halogen heater tubes.

If you have those tubes, you could use it to make your own heater, or you can salvage the tubes for the nichrome wire (heating element) and use it for some of your other experiments...

Step 18: The End

Well, I hope you find this instructable helpful!

If you have any questions, or need help, or found an error, or anything, make a comment!
^{I like comments! :-)}

Comments

[dflounders]

Daft gits! Discharging of large capacitors should be Dr be done with jump leads, screwdrivers, etc, that will cause a zero ohm resistive short circuit. Use something like a 2 watt - 2Kohm resistor across the cap terminals. You only need a few hundred milliamp shock to put your heart into cardiac arrest. Yes, caps usually discharge quick, assuming they are designed properly and the unit is not faulty, but neither case is guaranteed. Safety first or lose your tool.

[CurbStanley]

Magnetron ceramic insulators can contain beryllium oxide which can be fatal when inhaled

[zacker]

when discharging the cap in the Microwave, what is the best/safest way to do so? Is there an instructable on this? Also, talking about the ceramic things on the magnatron and about the dust causing cancer, would it be a good idea to try and fully wrap them in tape before messing around trying to get the magnets out? (i would probably just leve the magnets in iot and dispose of the whole thing...)

[agatornz]

my mate reckons you just take the plugs off the capacitor and take it out and chuck it in the river to short it? before taking it out for the bin? is this a new fishing technique or pointless?>

[HatNugget]

I don't know if that's very safe. After all, you'd be near or in the river.

[For Better Or Worse]

In my opinion, it would be sheer stupidity to fire up an unshielded magnetron. Not only would it cause cancer, but if left on for a few seconds, and your body would look like a tv dinner that was just cooked. If you want to fire one up, use sheet metal(steel) as shielding, and be warned that electronics would be fryed and probably your hand to if you stuck it in the why of the microwave beam.

[RedstoneM]

It doesnt cause cancer as it has no ionizing radiation. For any future people.

[HatNugget]

Yes, but it contains potentially carcinogenic beryllium oxide. Either way, screwing with it is not a good idea.

[HatNugget]

Hello, I have noticed you suggested messing with the magnetron. While there might be nice magnets inside, some models may also contain Beryllium oxide dust (toxic when inhaled), so make sure to remind people to use protection when handling it, and not make any dust clouds.

[unkn0wn77]

Pretty sure short circuiting the two leads from the capacitor is a recipe for disaster. Now if there were a resistor in between, you won't commit sacricide

[SethJ13]

is it a bad thing if your magnetron was the part that burned?

[sverige]

the magnetron has two beryllium insulators on the ends, they are the colored ceramic things on it. The dust from these WILL give you cancer. don't break them. also getting shocked from a microwave capacitor is the most unpleasant thing that has ever happened to me. don't touch it.

[trust_me_im_a_dolphin]

I did it, but I had an accident. I've accidentally got shocked by the capacitor. It was TERRIBLE! I didn't feel my whole hand for about an hour. I'm very lucky to be alive ?

[vaffangool]

I assure you one would rather be electrocuted than die of berylliosis.

[NicoleS47]

FYI there are a lot of very dangerous ideas in the instructions and comments.

Capacitors can kill you. High voltage transformers can kill you. Magnetrons can hurt you really badly or maybe kill you.

Always wear insulated gloves & use insulated tools designed for high-voltage use if you insist on disassembling a microwave.

Always discharge the capacitor properly as dflounders said using a 2 watt - 2000 ohm resistor while wearing insulated gloves designed for high-voltage protection.

Never power up the magnetron or disassemble it. Even if you try to build some shielding, unless you're an electrical engineer you're not going to have much chance of doing it right.

The microwave uses a Faraday cage to contain the microwave radiation. You can't kludge one of these together safely.

[BlakeJ11]

I have officially decided to NOT AT ALL EVER take apart a microwave.

I personally prefer not dying, as well as not being irradiated.

[NicoleS47]

oh yeah the reason not to disassemble the magnetron for the magnets is the barium oxide, which will kill you as mentioned by other comments. this is all very stupid.

[yankleber]

My overall advice is: NEVER play with stuff that you don't know how if works. Along my life I have heard about several awful accidents resulting in serious injury and death by curious people disassembling or misusing things such as microwave ovens, airbags, medical radioactive equipment, air compressors, laboratory disposed matter, guns, etc. Just leave such stuff alone!

[libertyrules]

Good thing Tesla wasn't guided by your "Just leave such stuff alone!" advice.

[AaronT9]

Be extremely careful when you want to take the magnetron apart for the diode and 2 ferro magnets, because the ceramic isolators on each end (cylindrical pieces about an inch wide) tend to be made up of Barium Oxide, which is very toxic.