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Re: Potential Transformers



Tesla List wrote:
> 
> >From MSR7-at-PO.CWRU.EDUMon Jun  3 22:22:09 1996
> Date: Mon, 3 Jun 1996 07:49:24 -0400
> From: MSR7-at-PO.CWRU.EDU
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: Potential Transformers
> 
>Mark R. wrote:
>         On another note, that 9 kV 150 mA neon transformer I blew last week
> spent a couple days in my freezer over the weekend.  I then proceeded to
> chip away the tar quite easily using a small hammer and screwdriver.
> Warning: Lots of tar shards everywhere, and lifting a cold 60 pound
> transformer out of the bottom of a freezer is not recommended.  One winding
> shows signs of overheating.  Still have to strip off the remaining tar near
> the windings.  May soak it in a solvent for a few days.  Suggestions?
> Regards,
> Mark S. Rzeszotarski, Ph.D.

Mark,

Well I see you have joined the "repair club"!  It is often worth the pain 
and effort, especially with the big 60-120ma units.  On several of our 
tapes, we show how we restore these units.  On one we mention freezing 
the unit.  The tar chips away fast with no mess until you hit the 
windings.  The other method is as follows....  If the primary is good, 
plug the unit in for a while.  1/2 hour to 1 hour seems about right.  The 
xfmr unit should be quite warm to the touch.  This is a real mess too, 
but the tar will leave the windings very easily.  The choice is up to the 
individual coiler, of course, as to which method to use.

The most important tip I can give is to lay down a lot of newspaper and 
work out of doors.  The tar will get on your shoes and be tracked around 
the house, otherwise.  The #1 cleaner for hands, tools, etc after all the 
smoke clears is WD-40! (big tip here).  Kerosene will also work well but 
smells and has some limited flamability.

Richard Hull, TCBOR