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Re: First coil.
I am a novice myself. I started with just a single book to go by
almost 4 years ago ( I don't count my pathetic attemps before that -
useing an encyclopedia ;-)
My first machine used a 15 inch high pvc pipe for the secondary wound
with 22 guage wire and used an oil ignition transformer. The total
cost was around $40. I beleive you can even go cheaper, but you'll
have more fun if you don't skimp
My tips (worth what you paid for them):
1. You can get nice, smooth, flat copper ribbon to use as your primary
from the hardware store (Home Depote). You'll find it in the
fix-it-up section concerned with Doors. It's used as door jamb
material. I bought a big role of it for around $5-8 and then made a
great primary out of it by putting it in a cardboard base, which I
then shellacked. Best pancake primary ever!
2. Paint the cardboard with polyeurathane(the fast drying type),
secondary and other parts also. It will all last longer.
3. Make a cardboard form for your secondary rather than useing heavy
PVC pipe (plastic plumbing pipe). Sometimes you can find nice
10 inch diameter cardboard forms at the hardware store. I used this
myself ( 10 inches diameter by 21 inches high). It was given to me so
I don't know what it's used for. But the bigger hardware stores
should carry it. Perhaps for pouring concrete? Cardboard is cheap!
I made a circular wood cut-out for the top. Then mounted a 3 inch
long copper bolt to hold the terminal capicitor (toroid on top).
4. Please don't make a long skinny secondary. The secondary should be
about twice as long as the width. 2:1 is a good ratio.
5. Toroids should be cheap. I use four metal elbow joints I found
at the hardware store in the section for air vents. It has some rough
edges (I could tape it with aluminam tape) but it looks really cool
when the whole thing lights up with a spray of corona (who says
longer is better ;-) I like this because you almost can't dent my
toroid.
Bert Pool has a neat way to make them also. He gets the flexible
aluminum tube (hardware store- air vent section) and wraps this
around a circular peice of foam he has covered with foil. He uses
aluminum tape to hold it all together. Very cheap, very light, but
easy to tear or dent. But it works so well!
6. Building your own capacitor is allot of work! I've tried
everything for my neon machine. My advice is to buy a good cap
or use a homebuilt oil-filled type (cost about $30 to build). Ive run
my coil succesfully with an oil filled homebuilt. But you should use
really thick plastic (90-120 mil instead of the 60 mil like all the
papers say). See http:\\www.cyberramp-dot-net\~jgore\tesla\tesla.htm
for Bert Pools cap instructions. Also found at Bill Beaty's site.
These work reasonably well, but I'm glad I have a comercial cap as a
backup.
If it's a small coil, 1 foot arcs, you can use a glass and foil cap
(alternating glass plates and foil). My very first machine used this.
It was heavy but easy to do.
7. Last tip, you can get cheap and free stuff just by asking. Neon
sign shops throw away neon transformers that don't work right.
Many times just taking the transformer out of it's metal case will
fix it (I remove the metal case on all of mine). I then clean them
with xylene (wipe off the gunk on the outside), let them dry, and
then apply one coat of shellack. Just dig through the dumpsters
behind the neon sign shop and get them free! Or go in and ask them
if they have any to throw away. If you tell them about your Tesla
Coil they are usually more than willing to help! Don't get
discouraged by one or two bad contacts. Just keep trying!
Also, plastic companies cut allot of stuff to order. This means they
have bins full of scrap plastic that is going to be thrown away! They
will usually let you go through the bins and buy scraps for very
cheap!!! Also, buy copper wire by the pound! Don't ever pay by the
foot!!! Thats a RIP-OFF. Keep calling around until you find a place
that will sell you 18 gauge magnet wire by the pound. I paid less
than $20 for my wire and covered my 10x21 inch coil form and still
had 200 feet left over. I think it was like 1400 feet of 18 gauge wire.
When the guy found out what I was using it for he became very
interested and FOUND a box of wire to sell by the pound.
It's allot of work finding cheap and free stuff, but it can be done.
Hope this helps! C-ya................
P.S. George Trinkus has a great little book on how to make an
ultra cheap Tesla Coil. It's well worth the $4 price. It's small but
will give you allot of great ideas. I think High Voltage Press
carries it. I have a link for them on my internet site listed above.