Melting Iron in a Microwave! Gym weight to Bottle Opener
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- Опубліковано 10 жов 2024
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In this video we'll melt some iron by using a household microwave.
Please make sure to wear a respirator when handling ceramic fibre, silicon carbide and doing metal melting.
If you want the file to bottle opener in my Patreon page or UA-cam membership posts page.
/ shakethefuture
"Chuck key:" www.thingivers...
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Originally, this was supposed to be a video where I cast a Dice, but things changed. I need to be careful and stop teasing projects before they’re finished. The dice video is still coming, but I wanted to make a few changes. In that project, I’ll be using the "Print Wave Metal Casting" method. It worked great, but I had to adjust the sprue design. Cheers!
I'm day 1 on this rabbit hole, so sorry if this has been answered 100 times, but is the silicon carbide powder reusable and if so, how many times do you typically reuse it before replacing it.
It is joined by water glass (sodium silicate) and destroyed after usage because heat join it by melting that glass.
I use plaster, dry it, dry it so hard it lost water molecularly. It porous and good for vacuum too make metal run to all sharp details. Just dry it hard or it pop explode by boiling water from molecular bounds in it. Plaster is cheap, SiC is better but cost more.
Try use bentonite instead of sodium silicate and press by self made form with car upper hydraulic thing.
@@NaN-0x-n1m search for "bottle jack" for the car lifter.
@@TrueHelpTV I have reused it in the past, but I don't do it anymore because it was too hard on the cereal grinder blades (which I use to grind it when I need smaller grit). You can always use sand instead of silicon carbide-it also works. I'll be doing that in future videos. It's much cheaper but comes with some downsides.
that printing to casting part was extremely compelling. Highly under-rated channel IMHO
Thank You very much!
Yeah ! Well done ! It is always a happy moment when you solve a tough problem all on your own *from scratch*. Your results here not only encourage me at least to experiment more with iron, but also inspires an enthusiasm that is difficult to put into words. Thank you - and keep up the wonderful work!
Thank you very much for taking the time to comment. It really means a lot to me. I'm glad you find these videos interesting and useful.
Your chuck key project might be your most engaging project yet for me. Having a real problem to solve (stuck chuck with no replacement key available locally) and clear conditions for project success, even if artificial (finish in less time than ordering on Amazon) made the project exciting. Then again maybe my expectations are too shaped by reality TV and game shows. 😊 Anyway, thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience!
That tech gives you possibility to just "download thing from internet".
Thank you very much! It was definitely a day that didn't go as planned, turning into an interesting project. I'm glad it happened 👍
This is probably the most ingenious home-lab / workshop that I have ever seen. I can't wait to check out more of your videos!!!
Thank You very much!
Absolutely magnificient.
Thank You very much!
Why so many dislikes?? This is a brilliant video! Thanks for sharing!
Thank You very much!
This is an old problem - well an old problem upgraded to the internet age. The dislikes are from people who become jealous too easily while watching someone more talented and knowledgeable display a skill that is beyond them. They're angry with their own incapacity, frustrated that they don't have enough self-control to observe and change themselves. Right, they're insecure and project on others: Checking the dislike when it's clearly unwarranted says more about them than it does about the video they're annoyed by. Or, they're just ignorant.
How do you know that it has so many dislikes The government took away the dislike button when they've noticed how many dislikes Biden was getting compared to Trump
You can mod microwaves in this way: cut opening or drill ventilation holes to the magnetron, strap and direct to magnetron small ventilation fan 100 Wt will be enough. It will increase the effectiveness of magnetron, prevent it from overheating and will increase its maximum output power.
Interesting, thanks for sharing!
I feel like you are unbelievably talented and you’re either unaware or just very humble. You make it look so easy, and so doable. And you’re on a balcony! But I don’t see anyone else doing what you’re doing, so it can’t be _nearly_ as easy as you make it look. Truly impressive.
Thank you very much! I've been thinking about it myself. It has become an easy thing to do (simple iron casts), but I realize it's probably due to a lot of practice and knowing what I'm doing. Definitely not talent 😂. I started experimenting with microwave metal melting 5-6 years ago, so I had some time to practise before publishing all these videos. Cheers!
Fantastic work, great to see the beautiful outcome.
Thank You!
Gorgeous results. Another fine video from our friend in Madrid:-)
Thank You very much! 🐂
@@ShakeTheFuture I do not know when, maybe this December, maybe August next year, or December next year, but would you allow me to buy you a vino/cervesa/sidra/algunas tapas when I next find myself in Madrid with mi Madrileña / mujer? :-)
Dude is melting iron...in a microwave. DAMN!
Thanks!
Incredible ingenuity. Those are the finest casts I have seen on yt hands down. UA-cam really had good suggestions today.
Wowww the detail!
Cheers!
I love seeing you grow the capabilities of your microwave techniques, great videos.
Thank you very much! The techniques have definitely been improving.
Fantastic results with iron 😀
Thank You Julia!
keep these up, loved ur old vids
Thank You!
That is a beautiful result from that absolutely clever and minimalistic system.
Thank You very much!
You could cast some bronze over iron, by incorporating the iron piece into the mould, like overmoulding. For example casting a bronze handle over the iron bottle opener
Interesting idea. Thanks!
Superb chuck! Bravo
Thank You!
Forbidden silicon carbide burrito and cereal 🌯🥣👍
Oh yes + it cleans your teeth (maybe a bit too good) 😂
I love following your projects ❤
Thank You very much!
10:21 You got me. I gagged immediately.
if you didnt know the power settings on the microwave are averages of the power consumed. the microwave is just running full power but on a duty cycle. this is because the magnetron can really only work at one power. so when you cycle the microwave with your timer you are really just cycling on/off something that is already turning on/off. you may be able to directly trigger the magnetron to turn on at a certain duty cycle so you can more finely dial in the power you need without the hassle of running what is essentially a timer running a timer.
Yes, that's true. I need to do it that way to be able to control the heat. Cheers!
Excellent
That is absolutely incredible work, once again!! How does the vacuum not suck up molten metal??
The metal is viscous and the surface tension will not allow it to sift its way through the grains of SiC
Pure excellence, well done🎉
Thank You!
Very nice castings
Thanks!
I am sure that you wish that everyday would be a perfect score like that :) By the the way your videos are fantastic keep making more !🙂
Thank You very much for encouraging words. I'll keep them coming 👍
Thank you
Thanks for watching!
Men i love your Videos i will see more metal melting videos from you! Thank you!
Thank You very much!
If you can machine it or cast it, you'll never be without tools.
True. In my case only if the tool is small. Not going to cast iron vice any time soon 😀
so impressive!
Thank You!
Amazing dude!
Cheers!
Very good video. Awesome video format. You remind me of dr. Kliner (hl) and his microwave tabletop teleporter😂
Thank You! Is that from Half-Life? I had too look it up, but not sure. I used to play Half-Life when I was a kid.
9:08 so satisfying
Oh yes, It was a nice moment to know that it worked. What made it even sweeter was the fact that it was not a planned project.
You can use a drill bit the size of the hole in the chuck, and a flat blade screwdriver to loosen the chuck! Insert the drill bit shank into the hole, and brace tge screwdriver against the drill bit, to pry the teeth in the direction to loosen.
That was fantastic. With each of your videos, I get more and more concerned that I may end up getting an old microwave and trying this. LOL
Do you take commissions? I have an inventions I created, and I really want to test out an iron version of it, but I don't know that I would need to cast things often enough to put together that whole set up. Let alone my concerns for safety. The whole thing is quite a bit smaller than a baseball, so i\I would think it would fit in your set up.
Thanks again for another great video!
Thank you very much! At the moment, I’m trying not to bite off more than I can chew, so I’ve been politely rejecting requests, offers, or sponsored projects because I’m booked for the next few months and already behind on some projects. What metal are you trying to cast anyway?
You do know that sodium silicate sets up almost instantly if you push CO2 through it.
Also, used disc brake rotors are pretty much free and better metallurgy than dollar store weights.
Yes, I am aware of co2 and have tried it. Disc brake rotors is something I might try out. Cheers!
the chuck of my drilling machine also often gets stuck especially when dust from concrete drillings settles inside. Before i throw it away i have always smashed it against hard stone, and i was always able to open it afterwards. it still alive.
Whatever works 😀 Some tools can take some beating indeed.
Хороший балкон. У меня на балконе металлообрабатывающая мастерская поместилась полноценная)
Thanks! If you don't have space to do it, balcony it is 😀
Awesome video to showcase the detail you can get from such a low cost setup. Is the silica carbide reusable/recyclable or is that considered unrecoverable once the binder is added?
It's reusable, but it depends on how much waterglass you add and the grit size. If you make your molds too strong, they’ll be difficult to break. I don’t reuse them anymore. Instead, I’m starting to use sand instead of silicon carbide. Cheers!
@@ShakeTheFuture That's really good information. I started looking into using sand instead and I think with the right amount of carbon coating, it would work similarly to silica carbide powder. Maybe some test batches to see which ratio of sand(silica), carbon (graphite), and water glass is good when formed into a crucible. Test by heating some known metal over a given time and see which ratio is better for heating. Might make for a good video. (or if other types of carbon (graphene powder, carbon black, etc play a better substitute). Cheers
I love these projects
Respect from Morocco!!
Can you try using aluminum oxide instead of silicone carbide for making crucibles and molds??
I need to use silicon carbide or a mixture of silicon carbide and other materials because it heats up in the microwave. If I make a crucible out of aluminum oxide, it won’t heat up. Cheers!
great video mate! Have you ever considered using mica paper instead of kapton tape for the outside lining of you kilns? It should not react to microwaves and withstand temperatures of 1000°C. It is quite cheap on Aliexpress though not as cheap as Kapton tape
No I have not. There are definitely other materials that can work. Will need to try them out one day. Cheers!
If you're in a pinch next time get a bolt and a flat screwdriver.... use one as a fulcrum to the other engaging the teeth.
Thanks for the tip!
Oh! Yah!
If you have a look on the chuck there might be a number S8 for example this is the chuck key number
Oh, good to know. Thanks!
You really need to stop melting those gym weights and use them as intended lol
I should........Jokes aside, I really should 😁
one thing I am curious about with your microwave specifically is that it has actual variable wattages listed. In america I cant say I have ever seen a microwave with a setting like that. as far as I know I have only seen ones that have a "power level" setting, which just changes how long the microwave is on vs off over x time, and not the actual power output.
Is this a big factor in how usable a microwave is for casting, or are shorter duty cycles effectively the same as a lower wattage? I mean, for example curing a mold. If you started it at full power for say 10 seconds at 50% (what I assume the wattage setting does for you) vs 5 on 5 off @100% is that at risk to crack the mold? or are they more resilient than that?
havent managed to find a good deal on a microwave for this yet but this was on my mind. fantastic video BTW
Well, it's the same thing. The magnetron is just turned on and off, but on some microwaves, it’s shown as wattage instead of power level (at least I think so, I might be wrong?). As some people have already mentioned, I am basically controlling a timer that’s already in the microwave with another timer. I could just turn the microwave to full power and use a timer only for a few seconds instead of minutes. It’s just the way I am used to doing it. I used to use a smart switch instead of a timer. The app only offered an option to cycle the microwave (or anything else plugged in) in minutes; 1 minute was the minimum I could choose. So, I am used to that. You could definitely run the microwave on the max power setting and have a cycle that looks very different from mine. Cheers!
@@ShakeTheFuture thanks for the reply! good to know, that opens up my options a lot.
Bravo
Cheers!
Do you know if it's possible to use a mold release agent with Silicon Carbide molds? It would reduce the post processing steps considerably if that worked!
Sorry, I have no idea. Cheers!
how do you burn out the 3d printed object cleanly without ashes what material/watt/temp? Oh and price of silicon carbide is very expensive or what product do you buy for it?
Can you re use the Silicon Carbide?
Thanks
Yes, but it's not as simple. I don't reuse it anymore. You can use sand instead of silicon carbide. I'll have a video about it coming soon. Cheers!
Hey - what would happen if you melted the metal directly into the mold skipping the entire pouring part? Make a funnel large enough to hold the unmelted iron and fire away...
A lot of people have been asking about it. I'll do a video on the topic. What I can say is that it can work with some metals but can be problematic with others. For example, if I were to melt iron in a silicon carbide mold, most likely the detail would be lost because of the massive heat the mold will endure-let's say it will change and lose detail. It also depends on how much waterglass is used. Cheers!
@@ShakeTheFuture Thank you so much for answering. Basically it's "the idea works in theory, but in practice, it doesn't". Which is great, I don't have to invest in 5 microwaves to know I'm barking up the wrong tree. Will follow for more. MORE!
0:47 "wd40" nah wd40 is a fine temporary lubricant, but as far as a penetrant (what you need to free stuck things) its not even in the same league as PB blaster. seriously I switched and its night and day, and if I want a lube I just use grease or oil. pb blaster lithium grease is also pretty good.
Kroil is probably the best penetrant I've ever seen, but it's pricey.
Good to know. Thanks!
Awesome video! Thanks a lot. QQ... I have an old microwave with a grill, but the base does not move. I think it is a 750w or 900w. Is there any other component or modification that is needed? Would it work for aluminum?
I have this doubt too, is needed to modify the microwave? Maybe they have temperature protection
.
It is good because grill in it make it 90% sure that you have fan blow air thru two metal sides of box to prevent overheating. Grill usually heat top of it so you probably need to use ceramic plate on place where usually rotating plate. Don't make ceramic watered so heat not crush it.
Also, you need to prevent overheat of hole for motor-plate coupler, because motor can be 30V of 230Volts. So if motor defected and you place heating thing (just make sure you use not too small kiln to prevent overheat, I say so because we have local store that send ceramic wool kit with Silicium Carbide crucible, ceramowool in it not too many, so need to use kaoline powder if want big crucible).
I have not made any modifications to my microwave other than those that have nothing to do with metal melting (like removing the bulb and adding a small light instead to still be able to tell when the microwave is ON/OFF, but using less electricity). I assume you can turn off the grill and only run the microwave/magnetron. As long as the microwave works, it will function, but obviously, there are many variables that can affect how well it will work. Melting aluminium on a small scale is easy, even with a bad microwave. Cheers!
Question, please
would casting steel be any different/ more difficult? (than iron casting that you just demonstrated so succesfully) 👍
I am very interested in casting steel model railway wheels
Other concern would be small cross section of some details (wheel spokes )
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
I’ve only melted stainless steel a few times to see if it could be done, but it's definitely not easy. I’ve only done one cast-the other times I just melted it to test if I could. The cast was a ring, but the mold didn’t fill properly because I had a really poor sprue design. In fact, they weren’t even real sprues; I used the supports from the 3D print as sprues. Anyway, I ended up with half a ring.
I haven’t cleaned it up yet, but it’s looking good so far. A lot of people have been asking about the process, so I’ll be uploading a video soon. I’ve already recorded part of it, and I’m just waiting for some stainless steel nuts to be delivered from AliExpress to finish the rest.
Cheers!
@@ShakeTheFuture thank you for detailed reply.
Your answer confirms what I was guessing 👍
look forward to your next video
Next time use two pipe wrenches to turn the chuck.
I would if I had one :)
Now Quench it to make it Harder and stronger
I will need to experiment with it, because I have had times when quenching iron made it crack. Cheers!
The silicon carbide from the old molds can be reused??
Can you tell me please how much Heath is needed to treat the mold and how much time and where i can find this timer used with the microwave??
Silicon carbide can be reused, but it's not practical, so I don't re-use it anymore. I will have videos coming up where I use sand instead. You should heat up the molds slowly. It really depends on your modls and microwave used. Not all the molds are the same. The timer model is "T319". It's sold under various names. Cheers!
Do you have an air compressor? Perhaps a Venturi vacuum generator can be used for vacuum casting. I believe they have a low flow but relatively strong vacuum, do you think this would improve vacuum casting?
I don't have an air compressor. I must say I am pretty happy with the results I get from a vacuum cleaner + I get another benefit. It's a vacuum cleaner that I actually use to hoover around the microwave 😂
@@ShakeTheFuture That's perfect. Thanks. The result really is impressive
carrying the flag for *easy* home iron casting. I use a waste oil furnace for melting, it's a pain and i can't be bothered. This way of casting holds huge oppotunities in development of home iron casting, the fact that a ruined mold from a chill in the sprue doesn't waste days of prep and hours of setup along with litres of fuel and also m3 of dark smoke. Thank you for the research it is invaluable. you will be up there with the stalwarts of youtube home engineering by the time you cast an iron engine block/ cylinder head... you know nothing too complicated.
Thank You very much. Really appreciate the feedback. It's nice to know that people find it useful 👍
Been trying to find a microwave like that, cus you know I don't have enough hobbies already, and they are all digital. shame.
yeah this is what I am worried about too, they all run off digital duty cycles. maybe it doesnt matter?
@@mrrooter601 the timing is what matters, you could sit next to a digital one and do 1 on, 4 off, but you’d be doing that for 2 hours, the analogue one doesn’t reset when the power is turned off, so the smart switch works where you don’t have to man it for 2 hours.
@@chrism3839 es, that's true. There are ways to control a digital microwave without making any modifications, but unfortunately, it will also depend on the microwave. If you can start and stop it with one button, then it's worth looking into "SwitchBot". That said, I have never used it and don't know if the app offers a cycle timer option. Cheers!
Question! (if you don't mind answering or pointing to the answer)
I bought some 500 grit silicon carbide powder... it was finer than I was expecting. Have you used this fine of grit? Do you know if it will work or not?
I am always confused about grit sizes. I have used very fine grit, but you might need to watch out for how much sodium silicate/waterglass is used. I find that with very small grit, your molds can come out stronger, but then again, it's not always better. I have had situations where the mold was so strong that I ended up breaking the iron model while opening it. As for the vacuum, I have not done any tests to compare the vacuum efficiency with different grit size molds. In theory, smaller grit size molds should allow less air to pass through, but don't believe everything I say 😂.
@@ShakeTheFuture Agreed. I had expected the vacuum probably wouldn't work well with the finer grit. The stronger mold is a surprise though, I will have to watch out for that.
Thank you for taking the time to reply. Says a lot about you as a UA-camr. Subbed and +1.
Can one even cast some sort of steel ? I think about the stuff dentists use as frame for tooth prostetics. I still don't know what it contains of exactly. Its non magnetic but its strong and hard as hell !
You can, but it's much more difficult to do. I will have a video about it. Cheers!
❤
Cheers!
I see you like to use iron. Have you tried steel?
Yes, I have. In small amounts it can be melted, but I am talking about very tiny amounts and it's "A2-70" stainless steel that I tried. Cheers!
What would you suggest as the minimum interior size and minimum power needed generally and for iron specifically? Thanks!
I'm not sure what you mean by 'interior size.' If you mean the chamber size, like the inside of the chamber, then smaller is better.
For example, I could make all of my metal melting chambers large because a small crucible will fit into a large chamber. So, what's the point of making small chambers if you can just use big ones and swap the crucibles? You need to make the inside of the chamber tight to achieve better insulation. If you put a small crucible in a large chamber, it will take longer to heat up.
Another thing to keep in mind is that melting iron in a microwave will not be done in large quantities. There might be some people with very good microwaves and optimized chambers that can do it, but in real-world situations, you'll be looking at smaller casts. That said, you can definitely go a bit bigger than a bottle opener for sure.
Microwaves are interesting. In theory, the more powerful your microwave, the better. However, that does not always translate into real-life results. I have used 1,000-watt microwaves that heated the metal slower than 700-watt microwaves. Cheers!
@@ShakeTheFuture Hola! hmmmm ... ah ok, I see my question was unclear. I am asking about the interior size of the _oven itself_ , not the kapton-wrapped container holding the crucible. (Although both could be generically called a 'chamber').
In the US, where I am, the retail home-owner versions or 'counter top' models come in sizes ranging from 0.6 cubic feet to 2.2 cubic feet.
It seems to me that you're using a larger one?
Thanks!
@@ArchetypalCat The white microwave is 28L.....(0.99 cubic feet) and the black is 30L (1.06). In Eu it's not common to see a microwave bigger than 30L...I am jealous 😀
@@ShakeTheFuture OK thanks that's good to know. I did assume that cast iron melting via microwave would work only in small amounts.
Do you use both units for cast iron? What do you think about 700W versus 1,000W units? ... more doesn't necessarily mean better.
It's also encouraging to see you manage this in a small space - I'm constrained there too.
Thanks again - all that you are doing is very cool (er ah, or actually, very hot :) .
Best Wishes ... ciao
Hey, gather black sand and refine it.
OR find iron bacteria and refine it like primitive technology did.
I also use a regular sand. I'll have videos coming up about it soon. Cheers!
do you wear goggles when pouring molten iron? the infrared isn't good for the cornea , eye lens.
I am wearing a face shield, but will be getting some type of glasses as suggested by viewers in the last video. Cheers!
No seatbelt?? I hope I’m just not seeing it 🙃 11:01
I always wear a seatbelt. It's true that in that shot it looks like I don't. Well spotted 😀
Make a vice.
It would need to be a small vice (I can't melt a lot of iron), so in this case, I rather buy one. Cheers!
How is your relationship with the neighbors? do they hate you a little or alot? ;)
I don't bother anyone with my hobby. That's why I go outside when I need to make a lot of noise and ensure that all the safety procedures are in place. I think my upstairs neighbour is reminding me of himself more than I do-by cooking smelly fish all the time 🐟😂
@@ShakeTheFuture lmao it evens out i guess.
This is neat. im not sure if the mold will hold up, but would you be able to fill the mold with powdered metal and have it melt in place? you would have to have a section with extra powder on top to account for any air in the system so it would flow in to fill the void, but it could remove a step on some projects.
In theory that could work, but probably not with high temperature metals. The mould would lose detail when heated to those temperatures for extended period of time. Cheers!
You are touching Sodium Silicate @ 3:50 , Strongly recommend not to do that without gloves., Sodium silicate can soak into your skin and it will also become hard. Had a ""hard" time to renew my skin there
Obligatory youtube nanny-post
Thanks! I have not had any issues as far as I am concerned. Cheers!