Coil Form Materials

To: "'Tesla List'" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Coil Form Materials
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 1998 22:54:48 -0500
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

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From:  Barton B. Anderson [SMTP:mopar-at-uswest-dot-net]
Sent:  Sunday, June 14, 1998 11:45 PM
To:  Tesla List
Subject:  Re: Coil Form Materials

Stefan,
Sonotube will work just fine if you take the necessary preparations to ensure
the tube is sealed inside and out with some type of sealer (varnish,
polyurathane, electrical insulating coatings, etc..). Use several coats in and
out prior to winding and more coats over the winding. There are many sealers
you could use depending on preferences. I used polyurathane on my sonutube form
because it is a very hard coating and Spar varnish over the secondary because I
get a  thick-flexible coating. It is also easier to repair a coil with a
flexible coating (if needed). When coating a coil form, keep the tube turning
to keep runs at bay. Most sealers take a few hours to many hours to cure, so
the coil set up on a jig with a dc drive is an easy way to turn the coil slowly
allowing you to walk away after coating.

18awg is a good choice of wire size for this size coil. If your choice of 48
inch is the coil winding length, you will end up with about 1,100 turns. You
might want to keep the turns under 1,000.

Hope this helps,
Bart

Tesla List wrote:

> ----------
> From:  Stefan Bishay [SMTP:stefan00-at-gte-dot-net]
> Sent:  Sunday, June 14, 1998 1:18 AM
> To:  tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject:  Coil Form Materials
>
> Will sonotube work for a secondary coil form, provided it is coated with
> polyurethane or something? I intend to wind a 12x48" secondary, and can't
> afford PVC or NMC. Also, I was planning on using #18 wire, is that the best
> choice?
>
> Stefan Bishay
> KC7SJC
> Seattle, WA
> ICQ 2141646
> "Hell, we all die in the end"
>         -Jello Biafra