Re: [NTLK] [OT] Funny, and it works!

On 3/15/06, L.W. Brown <lwb@mac.com> wrote:
>
> I believe that a 3-to-5 second burst will kill the CD/DVD, but not
> the microwave. Going to 10 seconds may be pushing the envelope, and
> longer is really risky. The "light show" - sparking - demonstrates
> that microwave energy is being reflected by the shiny side of the CD/
> DVD, instead of being absorbed by water molecules in the object (what
> normally happens with food,etc.) - too much of that will bounce
> enoghg energy back at the transmitting circuits to fry them - it's
> the same reason why you are never to put alumin(i)um or or steel into
> a microwave, even as a thin, loose cover for another container...
>
> On 14. Mar, 2006, at 17:57, John wrote:
>
> """"...WORKS! BUT MICROWAVE DIES!
>
> ""could you elaborate?
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>
Try a low-tech solution:
[1] Do this in a well-ventilated area in case you get it wrong. Pick up the
CD or DVD in a pair of pliers and hold said CD or DVD over a candle or, if
you're impatient, over the gas hob or electric ring of your stove. DON'T
set it alight or even get it smoking; the fumes aren't good for you. Damage
to the disk surface is the cue to stop. Just get it to bubble nicely, like
a gently simmering broth. Experiment until you get the desired results. If
in doubt, stop. The fumes.

[2] get an *old* baking tray (if you're married you don't need to ask why),
not teflon, pre-heat quite hot it in the oven, take it out and put it on the
stove top, and lay the CD or DVD on it and press it gently but firmly on the
baking tray to allow the surface to be damaged. I haven't tried this one
yet, as I've been pretty happy with [1] although I am looking to move on to
something else.

[3] A little higher tech but still better than shortening the life of your
microwave: most home or office shredders that will destroy old credit cards
will also do CDs and DVDs. More and more new shredders are advertising that
they do disks too.

[4] Very low tech: cut the disk in half with heavy scissors or shears
(pinking shears can be fun if they're heavy enough). Do it agaiin. Now you
have quarters. Throw out each disk a quarter at a time, over succeeding
weeks or better, over succeeding months. If you have a lot of disks to do,
organize the quarters into envelopes, and dump the envelopes one per week.
Empty the envelopes into the garbage don't just put them in closed, so it
isn't easy to be sure how many disk-quarters have been chucked.

Right now I like [1] or [4]; when I get a new shredder, I'll try [3], and
then maybe combine it with the stepped disposal method of [3].

Yeah, I spend too much time thinking about things like this, don't I?

Shalom.

Christian

--
"The rule of the last inch is simply this — not to leave it undone. And not
to put it off — because otherwise your mind loses touch with that realm. And
not to mind how much time you spend on it, because the aim is not to finish
the job quickly but to reach perfection."
                -- Alexander Solzhenitsyn, The First Circle
-- 
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