Re: Polyethylene Capacitors

To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Polyethylene Capacitors
From: Richard Hull <hullr-at-whitlock-dot-com>
Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1996 11:16:34 -0700
Tesla List wrote:
> 
> > Subject: Polyethylene Capacitors
> 
> >From gowin-at-epic-1.nwscc.sea06.navy.milWed Sep 18 23:53:15 1996
> Date: Wed, 18 Sep 1996 12:54:10 -0500
> From: Dan Gowin <gowin-at-epic-1.nwscc.sea06.navy.mil>
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: Polyethylene Capacitors
> 
> Tesla List wrote:
> >
> > >From gowin-at-epic-1.nwscc.sea06.navy.milTue Sep 17 22:37:24 1996
> > Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 16:50:54 -0500
> > From: Dan Gowin <gowin-at-epic-1.nwscc.sea06.navy.mil>
> > To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> > Subject: Polyethylene Capacitors
> >
> > All,
> >         I`m about to build my first set of Polyethylene/Oil
> > Capacitors. I've already downloaded the construction tips by
> > Richard Quick and I've found them to be very complete. I've
> > also purchased some 14"x50' aluminum flashing and 3-(6"x19") PVC
> > pipe with caps for containers. The one question I have is,
> > why should I special order some 30 mil polyethylene ( stacked
> > 3 sheets for 90 mil thickness)? When 15 sheets of 6 mil polyethylene
> > will do just the same. And is readily available at a department
> > store.
> >
> > Big Red, HV Capacitors. Burn Baby Burn.
> > ITS Member
> > D. Gowin
> 
> Gentlemen,

snip

 I've just spent my
> lunch hour calling around to the local Indiana plastics suppliers.
> Bloomington, Indianapolis, Cincinatti and even someplace near St. Louis.
> The prices were very high. A single sheet of 48"x96" LDPE 30 mil
> averaged around $18 a sheet! The 60 mil averaged $34 a sheet. A
> sheet of HDPE 48"x96" 60 mil was $43.96.
> 
>         Please would somebody answer my question regarding 6 mil
> thickness LDPE stacked for 90 mil thickness. Will this work and
> are there any pitfalls?
> 
>       
> 
> Any comments are more than welcome.
> 
> Big Red, HV Capacitors. Burn Baby Burn.
> ITS Member
> D. Gowin

D.,

Stack away!  you could easily use 180 sheets of .5 mil poly and have the 
required 90 mils!  It just doesn't matter.  The cutting and aligning 
hassles are bad enough with just two sheets.  If you want to lay out time 
and  the extra effort, there is no reason why it wouldn't work.

Plexiglass is rather lossey stuff.

Richard Hull, TCBOR