Melt Metals in the Microwave | The Ultimate Guide

*MAKE SURE TO WEAR A RESPIRATOR WHEN WORKING WITH CERAMIC FIBRE AS WELL AS USING THE CHAMBER TO MELT METALS!*
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There are many things you can do inside of the microwave, but it's not just food heating. Microwave can be used to melt metals.
From making your own chambers to making your own crucibles. In this video you'll find everything you need to know to get started with microwave metal melting #mmm

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*Chapters*
00:00
00:25 Short style metal melting example
01:17 Intro
02:28 Making the Chamber&Base
06:05 Making the Sanding Glass
10:02 Applying the Kiln Wash
10:57 How to make a Kiln Wash
13:50 Boric Acid Hardening
15:27 Aluminium Oxide
16:02 Short style metal melting example
17:36 How to make a silicon carbide crucible (glass method)
21:39 How to make a silicon carbide crucible (freezing method)
27:04 Example of using wrong materials for making the chamber
29:06 Microwave power effects on metal melting
29:59 How fast can you melt and how hot can you go
32:06 A word about the safety

Correction:
2:27 Make sure to wear a respirator and eye protection at all times, including when melting the metal. We are working with nasty materials that can produce serious health issues if PPE is not worn. I am NOT a perfect example. Personal accountability is key when it comes to wearing the right protection.

[johnbrennan]

I am very impressed with all you presented here, especially the notes a couple times about safety, primarily around breathing the dust from the ceramic fiber. Please continue to do this yourself and recommend to others on future videos to protect their lungs. This is especially important when handling ceramic fiber after the firing is done. Any cutting, scraping, etc of ceramic fiber which has been subjected to very high temperatures may / probably contains cristobalite, which is a form of silica which is cancerous.

I spend my 40 year career designing, constructing and rebuilding various kilns, lehrs, dryers, ovens for the glass and ceramic industry. Your understanding of basic to advanced heat transfer, high temperature materials and at least the basics of microwave oven operation is awesome. Thankfully, my employer (I have been retired for almost 4 years) allowed me to "Tinker" with various thermal process equipment types, mostly in non-typical applications of thermal energy or energy that would become thermal. That lead me to a few US Patents for the company.

When trying to use a "disposed" or a "disposable" commercial microwave oven for the kind of things you are, you have to understand a few things, most of which you've already covered. But the YouTube Community out there seems to really soak up not only the content of good videos, but they also seem drawn to read many of the comments / dialog, so here are my thoughts and they are all going to be worth every cent you pay for it. lol.

Everyone freaks over turning on a microwave with nothing on the turn table. The microwaves are contained within the box if you haven't started to tinker with it yet. The typical home microwave is 2.45 GHz. To contain that wavelength within the box, 1/4 wavelength distance is all that you need to "chock" the energy from leaking out. Eventually, some of that microwave energy will bounce off the walls enough to potentially work it's way back thru the "waveguide" and burn up the magnetron.

If you are trying to warm up last night's dinner, the plate might have meat on one side, mashed potatoes on the other and maybe gravy across the entire meal. The ability to accept microwave energy at room temperature for a given material depends on a variety of factors, but mashed potatoes and meat are probably different, as would be the gravy. This is one reason for the turn table that spins the food. I haven't taken a commercial microwave apart recently, but there used to be a spinning disk, called a stirrer at the exit of the waveguide that would "stir" the microwaves as they entered the chamber. The disk was not flat, but might look like an aluminum umbrella that was just shy of 100% open. The microwaves would reflect off this spinning stirrer and distribute the microwave energy more evenly within the box.

The later combination of the stirrer and the turntable resulted in much better / even heating. So turning the microwave oven on it's side may result in the bearings for the motor driving the stirrer to fail. There were safeguards in place that if the stirrer was not spinning, the magnetron would shut off. So that may be more of the issue than the magnetron.

Like I said, different materials heat in different ways in a microwave field. Most of the microwave properties change as the temperature goes up. Ceramic Fiber blanket does not heat very much on its own in microwave fields. The higher the alumina content, the more "transparent" it is to heating by microwave energy alone. But if you were to put your SiC crucible in the microwave without it, you would quickly see a bright glow then a melt down of your microwave.

This is because the SiC heats up easily and starts to radiate the thermal energy to it's surroundings which would be the inside of the microwave. Putting the crucible inside the ceramic fiber blanket contains the thermal energy created by the microwave energy because the ceramic fiber blanket has a very low thermal conductivity. There are several companies which make the ceramic fiber blanket that also make ceramic fiber board material. So, in theory, if you got high alumina fiber board, you could fabricate a 6 sided box on it's side, with an end panel you could pop off when you open the door, you could more easily get to your crucible or whatever you are trying to heat with microwave energy. Having some distance between the crucible and the ceramic fiber board walls would allow radiation of thermal energy from the crucible to the walls and back to the cooler areas of the crucible. Thermal energy always goes from hot to cold.

Follow good sound safety practices dealing with ceramic fiber, high temperature materials / burn potential, as well as a good way to kill the power very quickly to the mw oven and extinguish flames properly. Don't do this stuff in your kitchen! Best if done in a workshop without combustible materials around. Dumb people make dumb mistakes. Smart people burn their houses down because they think they are so smart. don't do that! If you do, you are on your own.

Have safe fun, learn new things and share what you learn!

[evrenedip]

*_I was there Denny, 3000 years ago, when you made a bottle cutter._* With your video, I made a one as well and after that I watched every one of your videos. In my opinion you are one of the unique creators.

Amount of work and effort behinds this progress is really remarkable. I hope you get more than enough interaction. And please keep them coming.

[autismuskaefer]

Wow. This seems like a very effective low-budged method for melting and casting method. I like how well you explained everything in detail so it is repeatable easily. Good video. Thanks👍

[trollface]

Oh my god I just spent hundreds of dollars YESTERDAY buying a furnace and a graphite crucible and blow torch and Tongs.... But this method is absolutely amazing...game changer!!!

You my friend deserve the Nobel peace prize and three olympic gold medals for this 😮😮😮

[gangleweed]

I actually watched the second video on microwave melting first, but I'm highly impressed with the technique and the narration that explains it.

[carlm.m.]

All of this, shows how knowledge dispels the need for bravery. There's no way I would nave considered smelting metal in a microwave, until this very smart and well read young man demonstrated how it could be done,
Curious people that change the perspective create great progress. You have done that for sure.
Thank you for showing others the way.

[unusualfabrication]

that mold design trick with the allen key loosening it is GENIUS!!!!

[Xspy]

Manufacturers: Do not put metal into the microwave
Shake the Future: I am become microwave blacksmith

[letmetwistyourmind]

Meanwhile back in the kitchen, I'm halfway through melting some brass, when I hear the cry 'Hi honey, I'm home.' Oh it's the mrs... Followed by 'Why is the microwave on it's side?' Time to run! 😂😂😂

[miles]

I have wanted to get into metal casting for so long and suddenly you have created a path for me to do so.

[ShakeTheFuture]

I know it’s been a while, but trust me. I had a good reason behind promising this video and not delivering on time.
Better late than never!
This has been a long project….very long. I had this video shot and ready at least 3 times and then I decided to change something….that led to reshooting a big portion of the video.
At the end, all the delays only made this video better.


Ps. I know my face is not super sharp in some parts (focus issues…time to upgrade cameras).
Keep an eye on youtube shorts.

[kennethseymour]

Often when I try to develop a new "youtube skill" I watch several videos...and very often end up frustrated. You present the material wonderfully, with caveats, "gotchas", and "dont worries", better and worse, and remiders that skills take practice. New subscriber, immediate big fan. Keep up the good work, and cheers!

[herrgerd]

That 3D-printed crucible making jig is awesome! Using an allen key to twist the inner part to get it out is brilliant!

[olborer]

Thx, people like you keep my belief in humanity not being lost completely 😉

[OktoPutsch]

Stuck in an appartment, with very small space (16m²) and not having my workshop anymore, I think i'll go for this method. thanks for all the details and explanations, very good work and video editing. Inspiring

[quaternion]

I was watching an interesting video when my 9mo woke up and kicked the smartphone out of my hand. When I picked it up this video was playing. It's absolutely true what they say... Children are a blessing 😂😇

[andyh]

The kiln wash is a also good idea because it helps keep those kaowool fibers from becoming breathed in.

[Gooshytgoose]

There I was, on a slow Sunday afternoon. Scrolling through the YouTube feed when suddenly I found it. And it changed my life forever.

[daverave]

Came across this video by accident, and it's exactly what I didn't know I've been looking for, for years. I particularly liked your method of crucible manufacture. Always assumed I'd need sintering temps to make one but the sodium silicate method is inspired.
Once the garage is tidied, there may be a corner for this.
Instant subscribe. Thank you.

[shadowtheimpure]

Instead of kiln wash, I would personally use refractory cement. Mix it thin and paint it on in thin coats. It'll soak into the surface fiber and when it cures stiffen the surface of the platform. Doing so removes the risk of the crucible sticking and makes for a more sturdy platform.