A method of making a drill bit having the following steps: placing matrix material in a bit body mold; placing a metal blank in the bit body mold; placing a binder material in the bit body mold with the binder material proximate the matrix material and the metal blank; and exposing binder material to microwave radiation, whereby binder material and other constituents is heated to a selected temperature to allow binder material to melt and to infiltrate matrix material. A method of heating selected portions of a drill bit comprising: placing the drill bit in an insulative oven having a wave guide of microwave radiation from a microwave generator; positioning a portion of the drill bit to be heated proximate the wave guide; and exposing the portion of the drill bit to be heated to microwave radiation, wherein the portion of the drill bit is heated without overheating remaining portions of the drill bit.