10kW Microwave Furnace

Check out this project’s page on the Noisebridge Wiki

UPDATE Feb 2025

This project got put on hold since I left South Carolina and no longer had the space por infrastructure, but it has been revived!! Details to be worked out, but I am working with the folks over at Noisebridge to build the driver, cooling and waveguide for an insane microwave furnace in their space!

There have also been some updates to the state of the project:

So far I have acquired:

• The Magnetron
• A suitable10kW DC Sputtering PSU
• A chiller for the magnetron cooling loop + appropriate tubing
• mSLA Printable Wax Castable Resin, Petrobond, and SiC crucibles
• Supplies to build the LLC resonant converter to step up the 2kV from the main PSU to the 9.6kV 0-1.6A DC PSU needed for the magnetron

We still need to sort out:

• How can we work on a project that involves HV and 10kW of RF radiation in a community space without introducing risks and what do we need to be doing to be able to work on everything at NB without interfering with other operations if this takes a few months? Is there a guild we should be coordinating with?
• Constructing and testing the resonant 2kV->9kV LLC step up converter
• Constructing the waveguide
• Constructing a rolling enclosure with integrates all the equipment and work space to safely operate the system
• How to ensure everything is safe in a community space. This will include discussions with Noisebridge about interlock systems, HV isolation, RF leakage detection, thermal shutdown, extensive documentation, training courses, etc
• Test DIY SiC crucibles and crucible insulation

You can see this magentron in action here as a teaser :)