Microwave oddity

[starmac]

All I know about a microwave is to push the button and it will warm something up, and not to put tinfoil in it. lol

This morning I put 3 of the small honey buns on a paper plate, amd when I turned it on, it was making a thumping sound, maybe threw a rod in the turn table. lol
Out of the three honey buns, two of them warmed just like they always do, but the third didn't even soften the icing, how is that possible???

[waksupi]

Must be the day for microwaves. I make oatmeal in mine in the morning. This morning, I neglected to put any water in first. Smokey, stinky mess. Anyone familiar with my usual cooking practices, will not be surprised by this.

[starmac]

Hey I just figured I couldn't screw up honey buns, but I know different now. lol

[AkMike]

It's time to hit Craigslist or Alaskalist for a pre-tested unit.

[starmac]

LOL I just gave one away last week. lol I don't mind buying a new one, but how could it cook two and not even heat the icing on the third one??

[theperfessor]

Broken turntable?

[RED333]

Broken turntable?
Ya beat me to it.

[AricTheRed]

The magnatron (part that makes the microwaves) shoots the microwave beam in a fixed pattern, sort of like a shotgun with a full choke. The turntable moves the food through the beam as it bounces around inside the metal containment box. Because the microwave beam bounces around inside the "microwave" in a fixed pattern there are areas inside the unit that will experience little, or no microwave energy. bu putting a turntable inside the appliance the food is heated more evenly because it is swept through the "hot spots" of the microwave beam, sort of like how a forced air convection oven cooks faster than a standard oven. Hope this helps.

[starmac]

The turn table was going round and round. lol

[AricTheRed]

Perhaps your unit has more than one magnatron, I'm not a commercial microwave designer, just a user. Perhaps you had one of those 4th generation stealth honey buns designed for deep penetration mission to "destroy enemies of the state".

[Dale in Louisiana]

If you wanna wow your friends, show them how to use a microwave to erase a CD. Take a CD you NEVER want to use again. Put it on top of a styrofoam cup in the microwave. Dim the room lights and punch the start button. Kill the microwave after a few seconds. The fireworks are impressive. Do this in the coffee room at work and you become a legend.

dale in Louisiana

[jonk]

Don't put tinfoil in it, this is true; BUT; if you melt your lube in the microwave a very small piece of lead in the bottom helps things to melt fast (I won't do this in a microwave I use for food). Nor does it spark, as the reflected waves are absorbed by the wax in the lube, but the hot metal DOES help things to melt.

I'm doing this with a second hand flea market $5 microwave I use just to melt lube. Can't say what it will do for the long term life of the magnetron.

[AricTheRed]

...The fireworks are impressive. Do this in the coffee room at work and you become a legend.

dale in Louisiana

dale,

I'm already a legend, in my own mind! But thanks for the tip!

[theperfessor]

it was making a thumping sound, maybe threw a rod in the turn table. lol

The turn table was going round and round. lol

Not doubting your observation, just thinking about the line in your first post I quoted above. I once had a microwave that behaved similarly to yours, the turntable would turn about 270 degrees and then a broken part inside would stop it with a clunk. Then it would reverse direction and repeat the cycle in the other direction. One can easily see how that would lead to unequal heat distribution. When I just glanced at it at first I saw it turning fine, when I watched it for a few seconds longer I saw what was really going on.

In either case the solution is usually a new microwave...

[btroj]

Does your honey bun wear a tin foil hat?

[William Yanda]

If you wanna wow your friends, show them how to use a microwave to erase a CD. Take a CD you NEVER want to use again. Put it on top of a styrofoam cup in the microwave. Dim the room lights and punch the start button. Kill the microwave after a few seconds. The fireworks are impressive. Do this in the coffee room at work and you become a legend.

dale in Louisiana

Scott, a guy I used to work with, said incandescent bulbs are impressive too.

[Garyshome]

Put some water in it see if it gets hot.

[starmac]

I took the turntable out and washed it. I didn't see anything that could have been causing it, but when I put it back, she no longer goes bump. lol I haven't tried heating anything up though.

[starmac]

Well the wife just made some nachos in it, and it worked just like it is suppose too. Who knows, maybe I am just not qualified to use a microwave. lol

[Mk42gunner]

Must be the day for microwaves. I make oatmeal in mine in the morning. This morning, I neglected to put any water in first. Smokey, stinky mess. Anyone familiar with my usual cooking practices, will not be surprised by this.

I've got a better (worse?) one than that.

About twelve years ago when my daughter was seven, my brother had flew out to Fallon to visit us. Brooke tried to impress him with how she made ramen noodles in the microwave, without telling us.

Dry ramen noodles in the microwave smell worse than burnt pinto beans, take my word for it.

Robert

[starmac]

A friend of mines wife has your daughter beat. I forget what holliday it was, but she decided to make popcorn balls. She followed the recipe, but it unfortunately didn't mention that you needed to pop the corn first. lol

[bear67]

This microwave story took place when my adopted grandson was 4--he is now a 28 yr old lawyer with my great grandaughter on the ground. He loved frozen egg rolls and microwaved them in our old (Tappan from late 70's) knowing he pushed 222 and start. One day evidently he pushed 2222 as before it finished the cycle, it melted the (advertised indestructable) dow corning plate, turned the egg roll to black dust and "stuff". It also blew a 3" hole in the inside wall of the microwave, 1" hole in the outside wall and put a quarter sized blister in the formica blacksplash at the end of the kitchen counter. It threw the breaker and the house smelled like an EPA superfund cleanup site for a couple of days.

I can work on engines, machinery, electronics, but still have problems programing the time on a microwave. Sometimes have to have a grandchild set the clocks in our trucks as all of them set differently. Going to hire a younger grand kid to ride with me to open gates and for setting all the digital electronics and running my I phone.

[TXGunNut]

I keep my whole jalapenos in the freezer. I thaw them briefly before I slice them, sometimes the stem sparks and smokes if I let it go more than a few seconds. Rather odd little light show if you're not expecting it.

[waksupi]

A description of one of my earlier microwave events;

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?2706-Do-ye-not-to-yon-microwave&highlight=to+yon+microwave

Hearken unto me, Brothers, and I shall tell unto you a sad tale. I had hied myself forth into the upper reaches of my castle as dusk drew near, to apply the blessed copper cup to the bases of the sacred bullet, using the potion of the Great Wizard Felix.
The sacred bullets flowed smoothly, through the grand Lyman engine.
But forsooth, thought I! Many of the silver projectiles had flowed through the mechanism, and lo, the reservoir must be running small.
Digging within the drawer of secret nostrums, rummaging among a mixture of exotic waxes and oils, and other ingredients so secret that one must not speak their names aloud. I came across the Tupperware Grail, holding my last supply of FWFL.
Holding it reverently in both hands, I wound myself down the castle stairs, and placed the Grail in the one-eyed microwave device. Considering the former one which I had, I pressed the secret numbers into it's coded surface, and immediately returned to my lair, expecting the same results of time.
But a few minutes passed, and I could perceive the aroma of Felix magic potion wafting through the air, tantalizing my nostrils with the memories of shots fired.
But wait! The time! The Time! No bouquet should yet be assailing my nostrils!
With great haste, I made my way to the scullery, and there a ruin awaited me.
Grand light emitted from the one eyed slave, as it gleefully threw sparks about itself.
With great sorrow, I saw the Tupperware now melted into a pool of the sacred lube, and said lubricant running without the door, and pooling within.
Ye Gads!say I. Has some moron invaded my premises, and done foul deeds while I rested? But no! Twas but I, and my own folly.
With great sorrow, I opened the door, after stopping the infernal machine. Aghast, I see two 158 gr. SWC .38 bullets laying within the blistering mass. Woe upon me. The machine is but a couple fortnights old, and I may have ended its life with heedlessness and imprudence.
Finding nearby utensils, I began to scoop up what I could of the elixir, and transferred a woefully small amount to the waiting reservoir. And then the work began. Paper towels by the mile were employed. Much elbow grease was expended. Goop only exacerbated the problem. A fine wax sheen remains on several items that will eventually be vanquished.
So hearken unto me, my friends! I was so fortunate as to not have a woman in the house when these outlandish and horrifying things occurred. But my intuition tells me, should you try this same thing with a feminine attendance, things may not go all your way.
I have no more words.

[Bill*]

I took the turntable out and washed it. I didn't see anything that could have been causing it, but when I put it back, she no longer goes bump. lol I haven't tried heating anything up though.
I've had that.... The wheeled ring under the turntable wasn't exactly centered under the turntable (it rides in a grooved ring). When it reached a certain point, the little three lobed driver under the center was "jumping gears". It happens to me every couple dozen times I remove the tray to wash it. It'll be fine now that you've adjusted it back to proper position.

[Trey45]

Since we're talking microwaves here, I heard some years ago that running a microwave while it's empty is bad news. Any merit to that?

[brassrat]

Herein, containeth graven image of-ith, mine, one-eyed device. It-ith also rumbles with these diabolical sounds. This box, yet retains its youth, into old age and was conjured during the middle period of the 2nd Ion of the Exalted One, also named Thee Bent-ith Rod One and the serf phrase whispered 'Bubba'

http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l542/g5uis23ft5h/th_IMG_0001_zpsed9cd97a.jpg (http://s1123.photobucket.com/user/g5uis23ft5h/media/IMG_0001_zpsed9cd97a.jpg.html).

[starmac]

OKAAAAY I will just take your word for it. lol

Mine is working properly now, I guess it was just not centered right.

[thehouseproduct]

Scott, a guy I used to work with, said incandescent bulbs are impressive too.

The trick with incandescent bulbs is that the metal part of the bulb needs to be in water. Take a bulb, put the metal under water in a coffee mug, turn it on and as the table rotates, the bulbs goes on and off. Safe for any microwave and wows hordes of drunk people in college. Ask me how I know. :-)

[georgerkahn]

A decade or so ago, my older son told a young lady he was dating the reason for the longer round part of the plus (the ground) was to certain it was in fact plugged in correctly. If, he told her, she was to put the plug in upside down it would cool, instead of heat, what was in the oven. Scary to us was that she truly believed him. (I do wonder from whom he inherited his attempt at humor???) Seriously, my guess would be with the mechanical turntable rotation. My failsafe method of checking if the microwave works is to put a cup full of cool water in it, and turn it on high for a minute and one half. If it works, you can add a tea bag to the cup and celebrate! If the water is still cool... then you may need a new unit.

[starmac]

I have seen several times that it is bad juju to put bare water in one. What I have heard is that it can explode when you remove it???? Supposedly a tea bag, or coffe or anything prevents his from happening?? Anyone ever have this happen?

[nodda duma]

I have seen several times that it is bad juju to put bare water in one. What I have heard is that it can explode when you remove it???? Supposedly a tea bag, or coffe or anything prevents his from happening?? Anyone ever have this happen?

Under certain circumstances the water can become superheated...reaching temperatures significantly higher than boiling point without actually boiling off. Remove it from the microwave, stir it or shake it, and it instantaneously boils fiercely.

The wintertime analog is supercooled water. Set out several bottles of purified water when the temp is below freezing. Check in the morning and most of them will be frozen solid. However, some won't be. Give them a good shake and it will instantaneously turn to ice before your eyes. Kind of cool to see, and not as dangerous as superheated water.

[georgerkahn]

I have seen several times that it is bad juju to put bare water in one. What I have heard is that it can explode when you remove it???? Supposedly a tea bag, or coffe or anything prevents his from happening?? Anyone ever have this happen?
I (fortunately!!!) have never heard of, nor experienced this! The "worst" I heard is that (supposedly) if you heat water in a microwave that's in a Styrofoam cup, all sorts of little bubbles appear adjacent to the Styrofoam, and these are not air bubbles, but chemical gas from the Styrofoam. This may be an Urban Legend? (My grandmother told me that if one eats egg shells it causes appendicitis... at age 65 I still scrutinize my hard boiled eggs as I still have my appendix :) ) Seriously, exploding water sounds serious! Surprises me I've never seen a prohibition or warning re this on microwave ovens... Thanks for tid-bit... as I'm looking for egg shells, I'll also make sure a stir stick or similar's in my tea cup in the nuker! geo

[facetious]

I have seen several times that it is bad juju to put bare water in one. What I have heard is that it can explode when you remove it???? Supposedly a tea bag, or coffe or anything prevents his from happening?? Anyone ever have this happen?

You have to use distiled water to make it work. Put it in a clean cup heat for two min. then stick a spoon in and stand back!

One thing that I have a hard time with is trying to convince the wife that you don't have to worm up a microwave. she is convinced that things cook faster affther it has been used.

[Mal Paso]

I used to use one of the New Pyrex measure cups in a microwave for my boolit loob. I think an air pocket formed because the bottom center of the cup had a bullseye. Anyway the cup started cracking and popping off bits of glass which kept up for several minutes after the microwave was turned off. What remained of the cup had a spiral crack from bottom to top. I don't microwave boolit loob any more.

[dakotashooter2]

You have to use distiled water to make it work. Put it in a clean cup heat for two min. then stick a spoon in and stand back!

One thing that I have a hard time with is trying to convince the wife that you don't have to worm up a microwave. she is convinced that things cook faster affther it has been used.

I don't know that it cooks better but the cabinet will retain some heat. After I cook something I can set my butter dish in it for about 30 seconds without turning it on and soften the butter enough to spread it.

Some microwaves don't heat the middle of the turntable very well.I've experienced that with several...

[mold maker]

My son, at 7, made a hard boiled egg without the water. I spent 2 days getting the residue out of the working parts. He said it really went bang.