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Re: TC physical construction

In a message dated 96-03-19 02:31:10 EST, you write:

>
>I made my primary on a plywood sheet that is lifted 18" above a 
>second sheet which is on casters.  The plan at present is to place 
>the rotary sparkgap and Condenser Products capacitor on this lower 
>shelf.  The capacitor will rest in a cradle about 10" off the 
>lowere plywood sheet.  Prior to mounting the primary, I sanded, 
>primed and painted all of the wood to insure it didn't accumulate 
>alot of moisture during the summer around here.  The next step was 
>to layout the nylon stand-off strips and cut a series of openings 
>in the top plywood sheet.  I've seen several different shots where 
>the primary movable tap came from underneath and then stretched 
>around the outside to the final resonant connection point.  At the 
>same time, my current understanding is there is a benefit to the 
>system Q if all leads are kept short and straight runs, using tubing 
>or flat strap.  Well, right or wrong, with those pieces of 
>information in my head, I chose to cut four slots 2" wide and 10" 
>long every 90 degrees in order to provide as straight a shot up to 
>the correct point for resonance.  This will make it easy to keep 
>that lead as short as possible.  I also cut two 2" diameter holes 
>near the base of the secondary.  The first is for the ground lead 
>for the secondary and the second is for the primary inner end.  I've 
>taken this inner end of the primary and radiused/formed it down 
>through this hole and it extends about 8" below the top sheet of 
>plywood.  I am planning on cutting it to the correct length and then 
>connecting the end of the cap to it, using a chunk of 1" wide 20 ga. 
>copper sheet.  The other end of the cap will go to the sparkgap 
>which will be across the incoming H.V. (keep reading, I'll make the 
>final point soon!)  The second end of the sparkgap and the second 
>H.V. lead will actually become the point that runs up to the tap 
>point on the primary.  The cap and sparkgap will be rotatable around 
>the system base so that I can position them at the correct point to 
>access one of the four cutout gaps in the top sheet of plywood, in 
>order to keep that tap lead as short as possible.  Hope that makes 
>sense.

Chuck,  Sounds like a good set up to me.  Did you say you will place nylon
between the primary and the plywood?  
>
>I am expecting the strike rail to absorb most of the hits, but I 
>really don't know.  I have some 1/8" sheet acrylic that I have as a 
>safety idea---if I start getting hits straight through the primary 
>down to the sparkgap and/or the cap, would a sheet of acrylic above 
>the primary help?  Maybe pie slice shaped chunks just beneath the 
>primary in-between the four nylon primary supports? Gee, I gotta use 
>that 1/8" sheet of acrylic for something!  
>
>The last point that I am trying to get a grip on is where to 
>physically locate the chokes and bypass caps in the high voltage 
>leg(using RG-213).  I wonder if placing them right under the coil 
>system or back by the transformer itself is better.  Setting it out 
>by the transformer, in my mind requires an additional enclosure of 
>some sort for safety reasons.  Putting it under the primary in my 
>"structure" keeps it in an area that is already going to be 
>considered very deadly and not approachable until certain steps are 
>completed. I really don't know if one is better than the other, or 
>if a "where ever it will fit" is O.K.

My filter board and Richard Quick's are located near the high voltage
 transformer and connected to the coil with RG213.

 Ed Sonderman
>
>I got an old Hoffman electrical enclosure with a disconnect switch 
>in it that I am using for the metering and two autotransformers- one 
>for the Cater motor on the gap and the other for the H.V. system.  
>My wife is already asking how long that thing is going to be laying 
>around--Oh, well-------I've got the coil structure itself in our new 
>basement family room, aren't hose made for coil projects?  That 
>caused some discussion too.
>
>This represents my longest run of incoherent babble to date--any 
>comments will be apreciated!
>
>Chuck Curran