TOROID - Revisited

To: Tesla List <tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
Subject: TOROID - Revisited
From: jgore-at-cyberramp-dot-net
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 1997 01:23:03 +0000
Subscriber: jgore-at-cyberramp-dot-net Wed Jan 8 20:27:32 1997
I don't think my post yesterday explained well how to make Poolian
Toroids so I'm typing this "How-To" in detail in hopes of making it
more clear. I was also paid a visit by the TC Doctor (Bert Pool) and
was shown how to correctly build them. Here it goes:

Materials you'll need for one toroid of 4 inches in diameter and about
20 inches outside diameter: One roll of aluminum tape, one 5 foot
section of 4 inch diameter corrugated plastic sewer pipe,  an 11 inch
diameter 1 inch thick piece of Styrofoam for the center. Glue-Gun or
epoxy, a rounded object for rubbing. Completion time: One hour max if
you have all materials. 

1)  The black plastic corrugated sewer pipe (which sells in ten foot
sections for only $2) can be cut by almost anything. I used a hack-
saw and it cut very easily. I cut about a 5 foot section. 
2) Tape, glue, or sew the ends together. Here I actually used waxed 
string to sew the ends together and make an unbreakable bond. This 
stuff likes to flatten out. In fact, I sat awhile and bent it good 
before sewing it together. don't worry if it doesn't look like a 
perfect circle yet. It quickly evens out.
3) Here I covered the sewer pipe completely with duct tape. This is 
OPTIONAL and I'm told doesn't affect it either way. I think the duct 
tape (with cloth backing) makes it more durable. But you can skip 
this. It is time consuming. I placed the duct tape length wise going 
across the corrugations in hopes it might give a little support to 
the aluminum tape. Bert Pool never does this.
4) Measure the toroid around it's 4 inch diameter ring (it should be 
about 14 inches or so) and cut a few pieces of aluminum tape to fit 
around the ring (like putting a Band-Aid around a finger). Make sure 
it overlaps a few inches and try to put the joined pieces all on one 
side (the bottom of the ring). Wrap the whole toroid this way. Don't 
worry if there are wrinkles. This part always makes me whence. It 
always looks like it will never work, but it does!
5) Take a rounded object that has no edges and rub the heck out of 
the toroid. This is the important part. It will take about ten 
minutes to rub it down good! I swear it will turn into a nice smooth 
surface. The corrugations will show through a little but that's ok. 
It isn't enough to hurt anything and won't cause breakout points.
6) Now take your Styrofoam center piece and cover the whole edge with 
aluminum tape and fold the edges over the middle. Then tape the top 
and bottom of it. Rub it down as well and insert it in the middle of 
the toroid. Hot-glue it in, or you could use epoxy.  You're Done! The 
result doesn't look like a taped up wrinkly mess. It's smooth and 
nice looking. 

It's really very simple. With a little tuning my little neon system
with two 9KV neon transformers was making 34 inch sparks with a toroid
like this. I was a skeptic, now I'm a believer! I have seen the light,
well...actually the sparks!