Remove two powerful magnets from the microwave before you trash it.

[Toymeister]

Sometimes you want a good magnet or two for some project. Each microwave has two magnets used in the magnatron. This is a open framed device with some aluminium cooling fins attached to the cooking cavity behind the control panel. Even the small microwaves have two 2" diameter X 3/8 ceramic magnets in them.

 

[rkevins]

just be sure you Do Not get on the HV Cap. trust me they carry a big jolt. and don't trust the bleed off always short across the terminals.

 

[kbs2244]

The magnatron looks like something from a 1950 SiFi movie.
I have found that there is no easy way to get them open.
Plan on doing some distruction.

 

[bad_idea]

What kind of projects would need a couple large magnets? I have been racking my brain trying to figure out a good project using magnets.

 

[1967lemans]

What kind of projects would need a couple large magnets? I have been racking my brain trying to figure out a good project using magnets.

Great for holding pieces while you are welding them

 

[ElectroLight]

What kind of projects would need a couple large magnets? I have been racking my brain trying to figure out a good project using magnets.

How about attaching one to your oil filter?

 

[t100]

there are 2 small but bat **** powerful magnets in each desktop computer harddrive(except SSD).

 

[jhn9840]

Some guys have constructed home brewed welders using micro wave magnets.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Microwave-Transformer-Homemade-Welder/

jhn9840
John

 

[raley]

Ive been using hard drive magnets on my fridge for years, i don't think you can put any amount of paper between them and the fridge to cause them to fall off.

 

[daveroy]

When I was a kid, my Dad and I dismantled the first microwave I ever actually used. It had a single dial on the face, you had to turn it past 1 min. and back to 30 seconds ifyou were just re-heating coffee.

We took the magnets out. they were about 1.5" in diameter and about 2.5" long. and if you got your fingers between them ... you would lose a finger!

We had lots of 5.25" floppy disks in the house. So these had to stay in the garage (period!). So I stuck them to the I-beam that ran across the ceiling, and could do pull-ups on them without them letting go!

 

[RonRock]

there are 2 small but bat **** powerful magnets in each desktop computer harddrive(except SSD).

Those are Rare Earth Magnets. And you are right they are unbelievably strong.

 

[kbs2244]

Most of the ones I have are apx 2.5 in dia with a 1 in hole and 3/8 in thick.
At my age, I hate bending over to pick thing up off the floor.
A 36 in piece of twine looped through the hole make a great picker-upper.
I must have 4 or 5 of them stuck around the place.

 

[Spareparts]

I used a couple to put on the side of my drill press to hould the chuck key, works great, also use it to hold the coolant line.

 

[metal1313]

i grab speaker magnets too, mostly to pick up nails out of grass and flower beds

 

[RonRock]

I used a magnet the other day to hold a plumb bob string to the I-Beam I put in my shop.

 

[kevinstj]

I pulled a couple magnets out of a hard drive , and they were pretty darn strong.

 

[Toymeister]

How about attaching one to your oil filter?

I plan on doing this but only because I took eight magnets out of the microwaves going to the DRMO. Over at bobistheoilguy they have posted results of oil analysis before and after with and w/o magnets and they are the same, however I can't argue with the visual results of dismanteled used oil filters with the magnets left in place do have some 'stuff' stuck to where the magnets are.

Invaribly there is one guy with the poste4d results and another guy with no analysis results but the picture. But, hey, if its free, why not?
see http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2187214&page=4 about 1/3 of the page down.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Hmmm, I have many times to watch out for getting zapped when inside a microwave oven. I do know we have a few old computers going to city auction at the FD. Maybe I can scavange a few magnets out of those ??

 

[skylab]

when removing magnets from a microwave, do not touch or break the pink ceramic things in the magnetron. This can cause cancer if you breath it.

 

[kbs2244]

Sometimes I have been successful in sweet talking the guy that destroys the HD in the surplus government computers around here out of the magnets.

He seems to have more than he can use.

But I do find it hard to pass up a microwave on the curb.

 

[crucible]

How about attaching one to your oil filter?

Yup-I use hard drive (rare earth) magnets for that and I place them on the bottom of my trans. oil pan as well.

 

[tomsmith]

I've heard about using magnets on oil filters or transmission pans but was always nervous about a big 'clump' of metal filings breaking away while the engine is running and causing problems ..

 

[garboui]

I've heard about using magnets on oil filters or transmission pans but was always nervous about a big 'clump' of metal filings breaking away while the engine is running and causing problems ..

Very valid concern. Although some companies mazda for one puts magnets internally in their ****** pans. This doesnt concern me as much of a dislodging risk as it cant really shift or get knocked off. To my point, I like this idea id either the magnet of mechanically fixed to the pans exterior or is dropped inside when dropping the pan.

 

[luvit]

.
use the magnets to apply magnetism to your screw-driver tips.
you can permanently magnetize the screwdrivers.

 

[cyamaha2007]

I put the small ones inside of the diffs on my cars and trucks.

 

[FrankTheTank88]

YES!!!! That is the only reason i saved my old microwave untill i get time to take it apart

 

[RonRock]

Are the microwave magnets Rare Earth magnets? Or just a typical magnet, like a speaker magnet?

 

[kbs2244]

MW magnets are the old style.

Apx 3 in dia with a 1 in hole.

 

[92GreenYJ]

I was watching an old episode of Gearz and Stacy David had a great tech tip about putting small rare earth magnets on the tip of socket extensions. Get ones small enough that the socket will still snapon obviously. I did this to a few of my extensions and it's great to hold nuts and even bolts in the sockets when it's a place I can't get my hand into