BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?

Subject: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 03:42 PM

We have a microwave with a three-legged plastic "spider" that sits beneath a glass turntable to place the food to be heated on.
Each leg of the "spider" has a vertical wheel at the outer end that trundles round in a groove as the turntable rotates.
Each wheel is held in place by means of the end of the "spider" leg being split and sprung outwards, passing through the wheel, which is more or less a large plastic washer.
All went well until one of the pieces that go through one of the wheels broke off.
I would glue it back on again but I don't know whether the glue would react to microwave radiation and boil away, or poison the food (cyanoacrilate looks like cyanide to me), or blow up!
I can't put in a metal reinforcement as you are told not to put metal into the microwave.

Any ideas?

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: bobad
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 03:46 PM

I would try epoxy.

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: gnu
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 03:48 PM

Make sure your copy of the fire insurance and the receipt that it is pad up is with someone else.

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Melissa
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 03:52 PM

There are pans and such made from silicone..maybe a silicone glue?

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: gnu
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 04:06 PM

Melissa... excellent idea as silicone and water don't like each other.

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: GUEST,999--SEE paragraph three
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 04:11 PM

1) On One Hand: Super Glue is Flammable
Super glue--the common name for cyanoacrylate adhesives--is highly combustible. When heated, super glue becomes unstable and gives off hazardous fumes, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which produces a Material Data Safety Sheet on these kinds of adhesives.

2) On the Other: There are Microwave Safe Adhesives
Several adhesive manufacturers produce non-toxic, microwave-safe glues. These adhesives are appropriate for repairing most cookware material, including ceramics, glass and plastics. Microwave-safe glue may be used to make cosmetic repairs to external, non-mechanical components of the microwave and as a temporary fix to the appliance's rotating glass tray before it is replaced.

3) Bottom Line
Neither super glue or microwave-safe glues should be used for interior repairs to a microwave. The Material Safety Data Sheet for cyanoacrylate adhesives specifically warns against exposing super glues to heat. Microwave-safe adhesives should also not be sued to repair microwaves with large holes in the door or in the interior; appliances with these kinds of holes can leak microwave radiation and should ultimately be disposed of.

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: SINSULL
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 04:55 PM

Buy a new microwave or contact the manufacturere and see if you get a replacement "spider".

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 05:12 PM

I have sanded and repainted inside a microwave that had rust areas with epoxy spray paint/ I then used a white putty epoxy inside the microwave with success.
I chose not to use a steel epoxy.

I did that project because it is a combo unit with an oven, or I would have merely purchased a new microwave.

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: s&r
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 05:32 PM

You can get replacements for most microwaves. More expensive than I expected,

Stu

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 05:35 PM

yes indeedy   no cyanoacrylics! Cyanide fumes are icky.

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 05:48 PM

I've looked up a spare part and they want about ₤12.00 for it. I'd rather repair what I've got if I can.
I can probably find a suitable piece of plastic to carve into a replacement axle if I could be sure of fixing it safely to the "spider" (officially a "turntable roller assembly").
The microwave still works OK at the moment but it squeals!

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 05:51 PM

"The microwave still works OK at the moment but it squeals!"

Where's your gerbil?

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 06:00 PM

That reminds me of a song I once heard with a line about a complaint from a woman living next to an zoo, "She wants to know why she's got gerbils when the rest of the street have got mice".

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 06:35 PM

I use acetone or nail polish remover to "weld" plastic pieces, but I've never had much luck gluing plastic pieces that are subjected to any stress, as your "spider" is when it rotates. I'd go to the manufacturer's Website and see if their support section can get you a replacement part.
Most larger cities have appliance parts stores that carry a remarkable selection of parts - that's another possibility.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 07:18 PM

And remember that meat is flammable if you heat it (enough), so you shouldn't attempt to cook meat in a microwave... (?).

As long as the material used is a non-conductor of electricity, it will not get hot in a microwave, so any adhesive that doesn't conduct electricity after it's properly cured is unlikely to get hot enough to cause chemical breakdown. The "spider" itself is most likely a thermoplastic. Neither the spider nor the glass plate should get heated except by conduction from whatever is heated on top of the plate (unless you've spilled conductive liquids into the roller track, which is fairly common).

In any spider I've seen, however, it's difficult to see how yours could have broken in any way that provides sufficient bonding surface area for any kind of successful glue joint. You might get it temporarily stuck together, but you can expect it to come apart again soon after.

Best advice is to get a new spider. You may find one available from the microwave maker, or from a local appliance repair shop.

You might also find one in a microwave at a yard sale. Microwaves don't sell well at yard sales in my area, so you probably can get one that's cheap but has a good spider. Salvage the spider, check out which of your two microwaves works best, and junk the other.

(If someday you junk a microwave that has a good spider, you might save the spider - and the glass tray - for your next yard sale, since they do comeapart fairly often, so you can probably sell a good spider for about what a whole microwave would bring.)

If you want to do a little "research" you might be able to find a light duty "all plastic" lazy-susan to support the glass and allow it to rotate, but the design of your microwave will determine whether you will be able to "connect the rotation." Some microwaves turn the spider, and some engage a "knob" on the glass. Either way, you may have to devise an appropriate "connection."

If the spider actually is a thermoplastic, a low-watt soldering iron with a "virgin" (never used for soldering) tip might allow you to make a weld in the plastic, or the acetone (or acetone glue) might work; but the welding is a "learned skill" and requires some knowledge and judgement - and isn't much more likely to be permanent than a bad glue patch.

John

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: mousethief
Date: 03 Feb 10 - 11:33 PM

For $10 just buy a new spider, forgodsakes.

O..O
=o=

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: GUEST,sawzaw
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 12:26 AM

I used Gorilla glue in my microwave to glue some plastic blocks that were loose and falling out.

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 01:02 AM

You can make a good glue for the spider from curds and whey....


I'll get me coat.... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 04:07 AM

"The microwave still works OK at the moment but it squeals!"

Where's your gerbil? <<<



That made me laugh out loud. :0)


Microwaves are nasty modern things, that zap your food with dodgy rays of dodgy stuff. Throw it away and use a real oven. Get back to having a kitchen that smells of real cooking, rather the putrid smells that microwaves churn out..

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Michael
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 05:29 AM

Throw it away OR wear a tinfoil hat.

Mike

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 12:37 PM

unless you can get a sleeve over the leg, I think glue is going to be a waste of time. Cyanoacrylates for example are good in tension but not in flexure, and there are also some types of plastics (the ones that feel "waxy" to touch) that are almost impossible to glue. I played that game once with the pump housing for a dishwasher - the pump was expensive but absolutely no glue would both take to the waxy plastic and withstand hot water - and never mind water with dishwasher powder chemicals in it.

Try (if you are in the UK) Partmaster.

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: mousethief
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 02:46 PM

If your microwave is putting out putrid smells, there's something seriously wrong with it.

O..O
=o=

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 08:28 AM

Some time back, the glass plate in the micro got broke.

No way to repair, so since I've used a plastic plate.

The plastic plate stands up well to the microwaving process & also when the grill is used.

The only snag being that the original glass plate had mouldings on the bottom to engage with the 3 prong rotating doofer.

My first attempt to make something suitable was to drill 3 small holes equidistant in a triagular formation, then placed short bits of wooden skewer through to catch on the doofer prongs.

Ok for a while, 'cept the bits've wood couldn't be fixed securely & the drilled holes would cause the plate to develop cracks after a few weeks use.

I now use 3 double-side tape pads on the plate, works a treat!


**********

Suggestions for the OP's prob, string, wood [maybe a thin skewer or cocktail stick as replacement wheel axle] or plastic rawlplug, carved to fit

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Greg F.
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 10:33 AM

Microwaves are nasty modern things, that zap your food with dodgy rays of dodgy stuff.


Yup- dodgy old evil electromagnetic waves.

Better get rid of your cell phone,your cordless phone, your wireless router, mouse, 3G electronic toys, WiFi, your wireless doorbell, garage door opener, baby monitor, etc. etc. etc.........

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Alice
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 11:09 AM

Don't use glue in a microwave. It will poison the food you cook in it.
Avoid using plastics in a microwave.

from mindfully.org:

"IT ISN'T KNOWN how much risk resides in low-level exposure to plasticizers or chemicals in plastic ware. Still, FDA science policy analyst Catherine Bailey says "When you microwave, it's a good idea not to have the plastic touch the food." Alternatively, cook in microwaveable glass or ceramic dishes with lids, suggests Joel Tickner, a researcher and doctoral candidate studying environmental hazards at the University of Massachusetts. "I won't microwave plastic," he says."

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 11:15 AM

It's OK to warm up glu(e)vine in a microwave though. Just not for too long...

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Sawzaw
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 11:26 AM

Don't forget the Van Allen radiation belt that shields the earth from charged particles.

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Ed T
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 02:03 PM

Microwave go round may work, as an alternative?
http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-MIcrowave-Micro-Go-Round-Inch/dp/B00004W4UT

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 04:12 PM

Maybe you don't even need the food to go around, Black belt.

If you are like me and only use the wave to do small jobs, you might not need the rotating assembly at all. Take it out and try heating food without it.

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: Alice
Date: 06 Feb 10 - 12:22 PM

I agree. The turn-table is totally uneccesary.

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Feb 10 - 08:39 PM

"The turn-table is totally unnecessary."

Sorry - but it depends on the design - you always (you cannot beat the physics just by wishing to!) get standing waves of energy in the box which mean high and low energy spots - you will then always need to turn and move the food around a bit to get even heating/cooking.

Some designs have a metal gadget (hidden inside) that rotates in the energy bean that deflects the energy around a bit - but generally, if the box came with a turntable, it was DESIGNED to need it. A few cheapies used come with no turntable...

Subject: RE: BS: What glue can you use in a microwave?
From: John Hardly
Date: 07 Feb 10 - 10:46 AM

Even heated up in the microwave, most people don't eat glue. You're probably thinking of paste.