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Re: Tesla


> From: "SROYS"  <SROYS-at-radiology.ab.umd.edu>
> Date:         Mon, 19 Jun 1995 15:34:50 EDT
> Subject:      Re: Tesla
>
>
> 
> Another tip is to make friends with some amateur radio operators and 
> find out when and where the hamfests are, and go to them.  You can 
> pick up all sorts of equipment and supplies at hamfests for very 
> reasonable prices.  Variacs, scopes, meters, high-voltage capacitors 
> and transformers, coils, wire, RG8 solid poly core coax (used to 
> connect the HV transformer to your primary tank circuit and also to 
> connect your coil to your RF ground), signal generators, frequency 
> counters, etc... can all be found in abundance and sometimes 
> practically for nothing but the hernia you get by carrying the thing away. 
>  Also, Dayton has an annual hamfest that people typically describe as 
> being very close to a Religious xperience; I've heard that if it's 
> electronic and you're looking for it, you can usually find a truckload of it 
> somewhere at the Dayton hamfest!

I do have an amateur license and yep, I've been to the big one.  The only problem is
I wasn't planning on building a Tesla coil when I was there and the next one is
still a year away.  Oh well maybe I'll try some of the smaller fests.

> > By the way, what's "thin wall" PVC?  The thinnest I've ever seen at 4" 
> > is schedule 40, which we use for electrical duct, it doesn't seem too 
> > thin to me.
> 
> There is a thinner walled PVC tubing that is used for drain fields, but I 
> forget what it's called (DWV, DVW or something like that???).  Check 
> your local Hechinger's or Ace Hardware store.  I saw some plastic 
> tubing in (of all places) a Spot-A-Pot that was labeled HDPE.  If it really 
> was high-density polyethylene and you can find it, that would be even 
> better for your secondary.
> 
>
Well, I've definitely come a ways since I last talked to you.  I came up
with two 9kv .030 amp neon xformers and two 12kv 1.5kva PTs (don't ask me
where I got the PTs, there aren't any more available).

I bought a length of 6" HDPE from the local plumbing supply since it was
the only thinwall S&D pipe they had.  It is a two ply pipe with the inner
2/3 being black and the outer third being white.  I finished the pipe
with polyurethane and wound 25" of 22 AWG on it and put about a quart a 
polyurethane on top.  Looks nice but I think if I ever wind another
I'll use figerglass resin or epoxy paint, I hate working with polyurethane
it never wants to lay down even and I end up sanding everything between 
coats. I've used two part epoxy to waterproof model boats and I know I can
do a better job with it.

I've got two tanks built for poly/alum/oil caps but still have to come up with
the polyethylene sheeting and I've got pipe and copper cut for a couple
of static cylinder gaps, but have to come up with some brass hardware.  The
local hardware store wants a mint for their brass stuff.

All in all I'm moving right along as I can find materials.  I really 
appreciate your help so far Steve as well as from everybody else.

Now, another question.  What size toroid should I start with on this 
secondary?

-Mike