Beer Gaps

To: Tesla <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Beer Gaps
From: Alan Jones <alan.jones-at-kaboodle-dot-com>
Date: Mon, 13 May 1996 17:13:00 GMT
Malcom said,

>I'm going to have to build a decent cylindrical gap with blower for
>low power, high voltage supplies. The simple tungsten carbide gaps
>I've been using work well for low voltage supplies but are pretty
>hopeless for higher voltages. Then having made up my mind, I cast an eye
>round the garage, looked at a pile of cans  in the rubbish tin, and had
>an idea. Has any body tried using beer cans in a cylindrical gap?
>Benefits: large radius of curvature,  recessed ends, and just think of
>the fun of preparing new electrodes while watching the old ones do their
>job! (I also thought about using unopened cans ( great heatsinking up to
>a point) but decided that the contents would be rather unpalatable after
>a 5 minute run (assuming the cans weren't prematurely opened).
>
>Malcolm
 
I used coke cans once in a straight line configuration, but not in a
cylindrical style. Just ran a screw through a piece of acrylic and the
ends of the cans. Placed a ring terminal under the screws on one side
for tap points and I was all set. Only thing is the can is so thin
that when you sand the paint off, it will wrinkle and buck and the
spark won't travel up and down the length of the can like it will with
copper pipe. But it will still work as a gap.

Another plus is the highly technical look sitting next to the other
high tech stuff. Mine looked real cool alongside the beer bottle
capacitors <grin>.

Alan

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