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Re: Toroid
At 10:25 AM 1/1/97 -0700, you wrote:
>Subscriber: gweaver-at-earthlink-dot-net Wed Jan 1 09:58:06 1997
>Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 20:02:08 -0800
>From: Gary Weaver <gweaver-at-earthlink-dot-net>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Toroid
>
>Can anyone tell me where to get a good factory made toroid or how to make a
>good one. I have several but they all are made with 4" flexable dryer hose
>and aluminum foil, stove pipe elbows, basket ball with aluminum foil. The
>sharp edges cause arcing before the toroid can reach a full charge. I know
>the toroid on the Tesla Coil works like the sphere on a Van DeGraff. If I
>can stop the premature arcs the arcs will be longer and more powerful.
>Information Unlimited has a 3" by 12" for $100. which seem small to me. I
>could make one on the lathe from a piece of solid aluminum but it would weigh
>400 lbs. Does anyone have a suggestion?
>
>Gary Weaver
>
>
Here is how I make very durable toroids. My largest made this way is a 5
inch chord by 42 inch diameter toroid. I've made 72+ inch sparks from it.
Go to Home Depot. Buy a length of 5 inch diameter black corrugated flexible
plastic drain pipe. Also buy a couple rolls of aluminum tape from the air
duct department. Next, buy a 4 by 8 foot sheet of foam core sheathing.
This stuff comes already covered on both sides with aluminum foil.
Sheathing is used as insulation on the walls of houses when they are built.
It is in the insulation department of Home Depot.
Take a string and tie it to a thumb tack. Stick it in the middle of the
sheathing. Now take a marker and the string and draw a circle the size of
the disk for the middle of the toroid. Use a very sharp box knife and cut
the circle out.
Wrap the flexible drain pipe around the circumference of the disk and cut it
to the exact length necessary. Take a piece of the aluminum tape and tape
the two ends of the pipe together, forming your toroid. Now wrap the entire
pipe with the aluminum tape. Take the handle of a screwdriver and rub the
tape down so there are no creases or sharp edges. Do not worry about the
corrugations in the pipe, they do not detract from the performance of the
toroid - just try to cover it all as smoothly as possible.
Next, place the foam core disk in the middle of the toroid and hot glue it
to the inside edge of the toroid. Glue both sides of the disk.
You now have a very nice toroid that is very tough. You can hurl this puppy
across the garage and it will not dent! If the tape gets dinged, just tape
over the bad place and rub it down.
My next large toroid will be made this way, but I'll have to find some place
that sells 12 inch diameter flexible sewer drain pipe - Home Depot does not
carry over 5 inch diameter pipe.
Good luck!
Bert Pool
nikki-at-fastlane-dot-net