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Re: Repotting NSTs



Original poster: "Mike" <mike.marcum@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

Try using wax or vaseline. Then again these don't really need to be potted, the tar is mostly for weatherproofing and make the UL guys happy. But with vaccuum potting with wax it will make for a tougher nst.

Mike
----- Original Message ----- From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 2:37 PM
Subject: Repotting NSTs


Original poster: "Jonathan Peakall" <jpeakall@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi All,

Well, I finally destroyed an NST. I wouldn't worry about it, except that it
is a 12/120, and the 120's are rare. I was using it to power a Marx bank. I
get full spark from one side and a wimpy spark from the other. The good side
reades a few ohms higher than the bad side, which is probably how it was
before. This makes me believe that the cause is carbon tracking.

So yesterday I melted the tar. It was quite easy. I used an old metal pot,
the kind used for canning. I cut a hole in the side large enough to fit the
barrel of my heat gun in there. Put some old clothes on and around the pot
for insulation. Took a few hours to melt the tar, but very little stink and
low chance of fire. Anyway...

I let it cool, and while it seems a little improved, it is not fixed. So I
have to empty the NST of tar, use solvent to clean it, and then I want to
repot it. I don't want to use oil. This NST is going to get moved around,
going to school and so on. I don't want to be dragging around a leaky oily
mess.

I have concenrns about re-using the tar. First, it will be hard to keep it
perfectly clean. And then there is going to be some loss of tar, so even if
I tried to save it I might not have enough. Anyone know where to buy such
tar?

I am assuming that the NST must be potted. Can they be run dry?

Many thanks,

Jonathan
www.madlabs.info