You know the problem. You are ready to melt some metal in your microwave oven, and you don’t have any crucibles. Not to worry. [Shake the Future] will show you how to make your own. All you need is some silicon carbide, some water glass (sodium silicate), and some patience.

The crucible takes the shape of a glass container. Don’t get too attached to it because the glass will break during the crucible construction. You can also use 3D-printed forms.

You can shape the vessel before it cures and after. Then, you give it a heat treatment. [Shake The Future] also recommends you harden it at the end. This is optional; he tells you how to decide if you need it.

Hardening helps prevent cracking during use. The process involves wrapping the vessel in a ceramic sheet and heating it until the crucible turns red. The ceramic sheet is somewhat dangerous to work with because it has such tiny fibers and dust, so he only treats the crucibles when necessary.

We always enjoy watching [Shake] casting metal. He’s even done a Benchy.