Free magnets

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Magnets are a great way to hold small pieces of metal together hands free, as well as other uses like magnetizing screw drivers, picking up nails, holding wrenches....ect.Every microwave has two nice, powerful magnets in them.  They are a little smaller than a hockey puck and donut shaped.  They are located behind the microwave electronic panel in the guts of the contraption.  You will end up unscrewing the whole microwave to get to them, but if you have of couple of boys that like to tear stuff up, then give them a drill-driver and set them loose on your crappy microwave.  We have a regular microwave chop-shop going on in my garage.  I have a buddy that works for a housing/appartment rental company and I have him drop off old microwaves in my drive way as he replaces them.I then take the scrap metal part of the microwave to the recycling place where they will pay me for the metal.  (take the electronics out first....they won't take it with that in there).NOTE:  DISCHARGE THE CAPACITOR WITH A PLASTIC HANDLED SCREWDRIVERYou can get a good shock if you touch this part. (yes....even unplugged)  It looks like an oval/cylinderical shaped can with prongs on the end.  Just short the two prongs out with a screw driver, OR don't handle the darn thing at all!  THANKS SKELUHTOR ! Attached ImagesLast edited by captain belly; 01-05-2011 at 10:10 PM.http://www.youtube.com/user/c599209/videos
Reply:My Dad, probably before I was born, used to repair microwaves and vacuum cleaners.  We had a microwave older than me because of all of the spare parts that my Dad had.  I remember having those magnets around the house all of the time......   Pinched the crap out of my fingers, but they were a lot of fun.  I like how strong they are.The Lord has declared, "This is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man"  Moses 1:39Link: My name is John, and I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.-- ColdCreekWorks.com --
Reply:You can build stick welders from the transformers. I think you should include a warning in bold text to discharge the capacitors. Others wise your boys(and possibly other people) may not be at it for long.
Reply:I didn't mention it, but you are right about the capacitors.   I short them out with a screwdriver.  good call!http://www.youtube.com/user/c599209/videos
Reply:years ago i went to our local appliance salvage facility with a razor knife and scored many refrigerator magnets from the doors.. i used them with my old bluepoint plasma as a cut guide..  also took many to work for print holders on mill enclosures...tackleexperts.comwww.necessityjigs.comhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mach...dingequipment/
Reply:Originally Posted by captain bellyMagnets are a great way to hold small pieces of metal together hands free, as well as other uses like magnetizing screw drivers, picking up nails, holding wrenches....ect.Every microwave has two nice, powerful magnets in them.  They are a little smaller than a hockey puck and donut shaped.  They are located behind the microwave electronic panel in the guts of the contraption.  You will end up unscrewing the whole microwave to get to them, but if you have of couple of boys that like to tear stuff up, then give them a drill-driver and set them loose on your crappy microwave.  We have a regular microwave chop-shop going on in my garage.  I have a buddy that works for a housing/appartment rental company and I have him drop off old microwaves in my drive way as he replaces them.I then take the scrap metal part of the microwave to the recycling place where they will pay me for the metal.  (take the electronics out first....they won't take it with that in there).NOTE:  DISCHARGE THE CAPACITOR WITH A PLASTIC HANDLED SCREWDRIVERYou can get a good shock if you touch this part. (yes....even unplugged)  It looks like an oval/cylinderical shaped can with prongs on the end.  Just short the two prongs out with a screw driver, OR don't handle the darn thing at all!  THANKS SKELUHTOR !
Reply:Oldiron, Thanks for the great pics of the magnets and the info!   I have chopped computers before I throw them out too.  As far as the speakers go, i have a harder time getting the magnets off of them.  do you have a trick to getting them off?http://www.youtube.com/user/c599209/videos
Reply:Some of the speaker magnets are contained between heavy steel plates that have the housing 'riveted' to them, some of the magnets are just held by magnetism to the plates, some are glued. Sometimes I keep the plates assembled, sometimes don't. It always requires some work but the most trouble is getting any filings or chips off once done; warm wax pressed against them will pick up most of that, if compressed air isn't good enough. Good eye protection is required for the latter, of course.The smallest speakers have a cup-shaped steel housing the magnets fit into; I just leave those assembled. BTW, the disc drive magnets are strong enough that one set in the palm of the hand can be moved around by another moved under that hand, no matter how large the hand is!  .Last edited by Oldiron2; 01-05-2011 at 11:56 PM.
Reply:You can also buy a kit of 87 strong magnets for just $15http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/770f/
Reply:Originally Posted by Oldiron2BTW, the disc drive magnets are strong enough that one set in the palm of the hand can be moved around by another moved under that hand, no matter how large the hand is!
Reply:Originally Posted by MoonRiseHard drive magnets are usually a rare-earth magnet, usually a neodymium type.  Good stuff.Neo magnets are some of the strongest magnets for their size.  Handy too.  Info page as well as magnets:http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/pag...77&cat=1,42363orhttp://www.woodcraft.com/Search2/Sea...?query=magnetsor http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...filter=magnetsor http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/116/3428/=ah3bysor probably about a million other places.  Free and taking pieces parts out of junked items is all well and good, but sometimes you just need to buy stuff too.
Reply:Originally Posted by Oldiron2Actually, if you look carefully, you will see that they are "out of stock" with NO ETA either. Anyway  buying them for unneeded hobby work, when they're available for Free, would be a violation of My Religion....sorry about that           Some people just don't understand 'scroungers'
Reply:I'm a big fan of scrounging as well, but I'm not sure I would tear through many microwaves for magnets.  Then again, if I found a need for them maybe I would!Here's another site with more magnets than you can shake a ferrous stick athttp://www.kjmagnetics.com/categories.asp
Reply:Here's a vid on how to find the magnets and take them out.  I put a lot of disclaimers in there on the 'shock' issue.  anyways.... very strong magnets.  fun to take out.http://www.youtube.com/user/c599209/videos
Reply:I would think a subwoofer magnet between two pieces of steel would make a great set up as a home built version of this. http://www.stronghandtools.com/produ...ts/ms346c.html. A guy with a CNC plasma could easily cut the steel slide a magnet in the middle of two pieces snd you got a new tool. And they could be made just about any size you could wantOffering CNC Plasma cutting and welding projects.Follow me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/nobigdeal.fabSupport those that support WW.
Reply:BTW......Does anyone know how to drill a hole in a magnet?   The microwave magnet has that big donut hole that can be used, but I was just wondering if anyone has a way to drill through.http://www.youtube.com/user/c599209/videos
Reply:I know lots of ways to drill a hole, don't know that any if them would be good for a magnet. I am Kurt guessing here but drilling a hole in one will slightly change it's magnetic properties. If not kill it all of them.Offering CNC Plasma cutting and welding projects.Follow me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/nobigdeal.fabSupport those that support WW.
Reply:I'm guessing that the magnetic properties wouldnt change, afterall, I can break prices off and they work.  Magnets seem to be as hard as glass.... I wonder if a glass bit would work??http://www.youtube.com/user/c599209/videos
Reply:I stick them to the bottom of the tanks on all my trucks with steel tanks.   Keeps all the rust and crap contained in one area instead of getting sucked up into the filters and clogging things up streamVantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.
Reply:Be careful. The ceramic insulator is TOXIC. It's REALLY bad stuff. If you chip or break it.. it's very bad. I can't remember the name off the top of my head, but it starts with a B if I remember right...All the ceramic insulators on the magnetron are made from this stuff... please be careful!Miller: 200dx, Bobcat 225, Passport, Powermax 45, Milwaukee: Dry Saw, MagDrill, grinders
Reply:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryllium_oxideAnd http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BerylliosisBe careful guys.. especially if you break the ceramic.Miller: 200dx, Bobcat 225, Passport, Powermax 45, Milwaukee: Dry Saw, MagDrill, grinders
Reply:Years ago I knew a very experienced man who owned an electronics repair business. I watched him discharge large capacitors with a screw driver more than once. Sadly he did just that on a microwave repair and was electrocuted. His wife gave him CPR and he made it to the hospital but was brain dead and died not to long after. Just FYI this is something that is not forgiving of error.