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Re: [TCML] Winding the primary



To soften copper you need to heat it to dull red and dump it in to water. Just the opposite to steel.

Paul
----- Original Message ----- From: "Henry Hallam" <hallam@xxxxxxx>
To: "Tesla Coil Mailing List" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, July 11, 2008 1:10 PM
Subject: Re: [TCML] Winding the primary


I've tried it not in the oven, but on a gas burner ring and separately
with a blowtorch.  Both worked pretty well, though it's still a pain.

Henry

On Fri, Jul 11, 2008 at 2:37 PM, Neal Namowicz <neal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I have a couple of lengths of "salvaged" tubing myself with a few too many
bends in it. I wouldn't have bothered in the past, but with the cost of
copper... Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has managed to UN-work harden
tubing? I was thinking of sticking it in the oven on high heat for a while
and letting it slowly cool. Anyone ever try it? It's a pain in the neck,
sure, but compared to unpotting an nst for example, it doesn't sound too
bad.

Neal.


----- Original Message ----- From: "Quarkster" <quarkster@xxxxxxx>
To: "Tesla Coil Mailing List" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2008 11:18 PM
Subject: Re: [TCML] Winding the primary


Steve -

What is your primary conductor? If you're using copper tubing, here are a
few tips:

1. Use virgin refrigeration tubing, and leave it in the coiled shape that
it comes in. Don't try to re-use "salvaged" tubing if you want a nice
looking primary. Copper tubing "work-hardens" and stiffens very rapidly as
you deform it, so deform it as little as possible.

 2. DO NOT try to straighten the tubing, then re-form it into a spiral.
The tubing will work-harden, then is likely to kink and become unmanagable.

 3. Have an assistant hold the coil of tubing about a foot above your
primary forms, and just let one coil drop down at a time. The typical
diameter of a coil of rerfigeration tubing is around 18", so I start at the end of the primary that is closest in diameter to the diameter of the coil of tubing. For a small diameter primary this means starting at the OUTSIDE
of the primary form and wind inward. For a large diameter primary, this
means starting at the INSIDE of the primary form and winding outward. This
way the tubing requires minimum deformation initially, and then must be
gradually formed into a larger or smaller radius as you move outward or
inward.

 Regards,
 Herr Zappp


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