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RE- Toroids...& "Thomas"
From: Robert Michaels[SMTP:robert.michaels-at-online.sme-dot-org]
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 1997 3:19 AM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: RE- Toroids...& "Thomas"
Information Unlimited, Box 716, Amherst, NH 03031 -
(603) 673-4730 has sold torouses (or toroids, if you insist),
and spheres also, to the hobbyist trade for some years and
I believe still does.
If you want a real torous (or sphere) these are standard
articles of commerce available in many sizes, materials
and surface finishes.
Consult "Thomas' Register of Manufacturers"
under the High-Voltage classifications.
Commercial torouses can be had with a highly-specular
aluminum finish which is utterly inspiring to behold,
even =before= the electricity is turned on.
Also available are re-entrant spheroids. These
are curved inward at the bottom and flattened on
the top -- for Van DeGraff generator work.
- - - - - - - - -
Some on This List have hand-made crude approximations of
torouses (and spheres). You will no doubt hear about these
from others. To me such endeavors are a sorry waste of
irreplaceable time when a =beautiful= commercial torous/
sphere can be purchased for no more than a few days' pay
(unless you're making minimum wage).
Such a torous/sphere will last forever - it won't
wear out or burn out. After a lifetime of enjoyment it
can be passed-down to your heirs for another lifetime of
enjoyment. (They aren't Plastic Capacitors capacitors, you
know, nor Herbach & Rademan transformers, either).
Homework assignment: If a commercial torous
costs $250 and it gives 20-years of enjoyment,
what is its cost per year? What if it costs
$500 and gives 35 years of service? Point made,
I do believe. (Now put away that duct tape,
super-glue, rivet-gun, aluminum foil, bailer
twine, wire coat-hanger, shaving creme, pepper
spray, cooking pot, epoxy glue, hair clippings,
frog's blood, and bat's wing -- ok, now, comb your
hair and come up here with the adults).
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
I've mentioned "Thomas' Register of Manufacturers" in this
list so often that some of you probably think I'm getting
a commission (I'm not, but -- it's 34518 Warren Rd., Westland
[a Detroit suburb] MI 48185-2791 [USA] -- if any "Thomas' "
people are reading this).
"Thomas' " is a multi-volume encyclopedic tome which is priced
accordingly and to be found in most public libraries and any
good corporate purchasing department. It's issued annually.
I do believe that 1/4 or 1/5-th of the questions here
could be answered by consulting "Thomas' " and I'd like to
propose that a reference to it be added to the FAQ for This
List. What do you say? Chip? Storey? Anyone?
- - - - - - -
"Thomas' Register of Manufacturers" is also available in an
on-line edition (and an "off-line" edition -- i.e. a CD-ROM).
Access to the on-line edition requires on-line registration
which is free. The on-line edition is a pale shadow of the
print edition (aren't they always?), but hey, yous gits wha'
yous pays fer:
http://www.thomasregister-dot-com/
"Thomas' " full name is "Thomas Register of AMERICAN Manu-
facturers" thus implying that international editions exist
but I've not investigated. Perhaps some of our overseas
friends can advise further.
Wishing you "toroids" and
spheroids (but no hemorrhoids),
Robert Michaels -- Detroit, USA
T>From: Jay Bohn[SMTP:sunsoft-at-pacifier-dot-com]
T>Subject: Toroids
T>I have seen quite a few of Tesla Coils topped with a metal toroid.
T>Where is everyone finding these?
T>Are most home brew?
T>What would an alternate "Top Cap. Hat" be? (Copper toilet float)?
T>I have been lurking on this list and have enjoyed the info.
T>By the way, This is my first "post" ever!
T>Thanks...
Welcome -- it's easy and fun, see?
By the way, This is my 5,178th post ever (no quotation marks,
it's a real post).
- R. M.