[TheForge] Microwaving Metals From the Virtual Junkyard

Sat Jan 3 11:20:01 2004

If you are interested in working in very small amounts (under 10 oz 
of bronze) of metal it works. The first person to talk about this on 
the web is a sculptor from either Australia or New Zealand 5 or 6 
years ago he used a combination of refractory clay and a proprietary 
mixture of ferrite and magnetite to make crucibles that would absorb 
the microwave energy. He was melting bronze. In the past year Bill 
Roberts over on Artmetal list did some experiments with it and melted 
aluminum. There is no reason it will not work if you are willing to 
screw around with the development. Microwave radiation is not 
something to be careless with you can't see, smell, or taste it and 
by the time you feel it you are already burned. You can get very 
badly burned or even kill yourself  by being exposed to the microwave 
energy put out by a 1 kw oven magnetron. The amount of heat you are 
putting into the oven cavity can easily warp the box and break the 
seals letting the microwaves out so be careful.
-- 
Jim Binnion

James Binnion Metal Arts
Phone (360) 756-6550
Toll Free (877) 408 7287
Fax (360) 756-2160
http://www.mokume-gane.com
[email protected]
Member of the Better Business Bureau