I've just started a Salvage Pile in my workshop. Laser printer with fax modem was the first for excision and harvest. I could feel the addiction take hold before the last of the plastic shell was tossed into the refuse bin. The stepper motors alone!

I have a huge old microwave on the blocks next. After that a series of small odd ball electronic toys and a few early LED bulbs. If I ever come across a vape, I'm sure it'll make its way on to the shelf.

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zxexz 5 hours ago | parent [-]

With regards to the microwave, here’s a token “please safely discharge and double check the cap” comment!

With regards to vapes, just look on the ground near a sidewalk. I find like 3 or 4 big depleted vapes a day in a US urban area. Closer to 15 or 20 in greater London in the UK.

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jonah-archive 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

As a second regards the microwave, depending on the age, please be extremely careful about the magnetron the insulators on which could contain beryllium oxide, which can kill you.

There are a lot of fun parts inside microwaves (a personal favorite is the high-torque-low-speed-line-voltage motor, which I use to make creepy Halloween decorations) but the caps, transformer, and magnetron are all useful for somewhat... more dangerous... pursuits.

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userbinator 5 hours ago | parent [-]

the insulators on which could contain beryllium oxide

As far as I can tell, this is an urban legend. No consumer microwave oven has ever used beryllium in its magnetron insulators. Military radar ones, yes (and likely where the legend started.) Some specialist test equipment and RF transmitters too, and they all contain prominent warnings of it. Besides its toxicity, it's far more expensive than regular alumina.

	▲	jonah-archive 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		That's my understanding as well, but I still wouldn't disassemble a 1960s microwave without protection (I have assisted in the dismantling of a couple microwave communications devices which did contain BeO and were also very well-labeled as such). Anything from the 80s on at least is almost certainly aluminum.

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normie3000 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> Closer to 15 or 20 in greater London in the UK.

Weren't disposable vapes banned in UK in May 2025? Is the problem still that big?

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Earw0rm 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Sort of. "Single use disposables" were banned, but the companies switched immediately to a two-part unit which, AFAICT, is still used and thrown away in exactly the same fashion.

	▲	domh 35 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Sample size of 1, but I have a friend who does buy the refills and charges the original unit. Every shop that sells the combination units also seems to sell the refills (at least around here).

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zxexz 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I haven’t been back since February last year. I guess a win for some people!