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Re: info wanted

  You are VERY lucky to find all this stuff! I've tried here but can 
never get anything...
 Any idea how much it would cost to send a transformer over here? That 
15KV 5KW electrostactic air purifier sounds just perfect! Would you be 
able to get another one?

 Sam Barros



>Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 16:25:35 -0700
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Re: info wanted
>From: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
>
>Original Poster: Kristian Ukkonen <kukkonen-at-cc.hut.fi>=20
>
>Tesla List wrote:
>> Original Poster: "Sam Barros" <sambarros-at-hotmail-dot-com>
>> >Original Poster: "Marc Boiy" <ON1DCV-at-mail.dma.be>
>> >I'm new to this server and "tesla" and found the information on the
>> >internet so beautiful that I wanna build a tesla transformer myself.
>>  I'm from Holland so I guess I should tell you something about 
building
>> Tesla Coils in Europe:
>>  Well, first, when you see those great posts by our American fellows
>> saying "Hey, I got this and that for free", or "I got ten pounds of 
wir=
>e
>> for 3 dollars" and such, well, FORGET IT!!!
>
>Not really. Perhaps in Holland near you, but not everywhere in
>Europe. In Finland (where I live), it is possible to acquire
>neons (max 8kV), MOTs, OBITs, polepigs etc. at reasonable
>cost. I paid 500FIM (=3Dabout 80usd) for my pig. Then used LARGE
>variacs are readily available as old x-ray equipment is dumped=20
>from hospitals (scrap value of iron) etc.. You just need to be=20
>CREATIVE to figure out all the places that sell/dump/give pieces=20
>of equipment suitable for 'coiling..=20
>
>>  I paid 50 dollars for 680 meters of 22AWG (0.60mm) wire for my
>> secondary. 30 meters of 0.8mmm thick copper tubing (for the primary)
>
>The scrap (selling) value of copper is 20FIM/kg from junk yards. That
>is about 20FIM =3D 4usd/kg.. I have acquired various spools of 
perfectly
>good magnet-wire for that scrap value - or less.
>
>> cost me 80Dollars. My Secondary coil form (PVC pipe 20cm diameter, 
70cm
>> high) cost about 25 dollars, and I was lucky they just had it laying
>> around, because, strictly speaking I would have to buy 5meters 
minimum.
>
>Call around to companies using the stuff..=20
>
>> The acrylic endings cost another 20. Varnish cost me over 100 dollars 
i=
>n
>> total (Ok, I used a lot, and I had epoxy, enamel, polyurethane and
>> urethane).
>
>Wow. One can get 5 liters of Vac43 high-voltage lacquor for 250fim from
>many companies (250fim =3D about 50usd).. And that is pretty much the
>BEST thing there is for HV coatings.=20
>
>Why do you wish to use acrylic end-caps?? Use PVC (cheap, can get
>transparent pvc) and glue it with normal sever-pipe-solvent-glue.
>Vent the fumes from inside the secondary by drilling a little hole
>to the ground-side of it.=20
>
>>  The toroid cost about 80 dollars (13cm rubber tubing, about 1m50 
long,
>> covered with aluminium tape).
>
>Industrial high-diameters hoses/tubes are VERY expensive. That is
>because=20
>they are specsed to do MUCH more than just be under Al-tape to form a
>toroid=20
>- like be heat-, corrosion-resistant etc.. So the real trick is to
>figure=20
>out a suitable tube/what-ever that is cheap (=3D not designed for any
>special
>usage) - like that Al "bellow"airduct.. I found some centrifuge shields
>that=20
>were perfect - some of 'em Al, some stainless steel - for scrap value
>of the metal from junk yard.
>
>>  In total, My Tesla Coil (a medium model) cost me over 400Dollars. 
And =
>I
>> still have capacitors, spark gap, transformer, chokes, filters, and
>> other things on the power supply to get it working. So the final 
cost,
>> without the transformer, will be well over 500Dollars.
>
>It is ALWAYS a compromise between time and money.. One just needs to=20
>decide whether one has more money or time to spend.=20
>
>>  Now, onto the transformer: You have a go at getting Neons in Holland
>> (or most other European countries for that matter). You'll find out 
tha=
>t
>> for some pathetically stupid reason they are ALL power limited to
>> 400Watts. AND, as if that wasn't enough, you can only get them new 
(old
>> ones are sent to the factory). A new transformer will cost about
>> 200dollars. Maybe more.
>
>You can get them as used as well. Call to local neon-sign constructing
>companies - just explain WHY you need 'em and take some tools with you
>as
>you will have to take apart old signs to get the used transformers.
>
>The reason for little neons is that they HAVE TO be inside the signs -
>this
>is because of laws. I think the issue is that IF you had the 15kV
>transformer inside and then a HV-cable going to the sign with 15kV=20
>(like in US), you would need to get special permits and even name a
>"responsible user" for the sign etc. etc.. This would cost a LOT more
>and be a real PITA. It IS a real wonder they let people use TVs with=20
>20+ kV inside without special training & permits.. :)
>
>>  In case you are curious, a microwave oven transformer (which, by the
>> way doesn't work good for a Tesla Coil) costs 150Dollars new. Again
>> getting it old is impossible because the broken ovens have their 
parts
>> reused (cheap people!).
>
>Oh well - new MOTs cost 120FIM each here.. That's about 25usd each..
>I have some used ones from old microwaveovens - they are readily
>available
>and the transformer is ALWAYS ok.. In fact, one can get a NEW 
mv-oven=20
>for less than 150usd here.. :) And used ones for less than 20usd..
>
>MOTs do work for TCs - one just needs either to use voltage
>multiplier or several MOTs.=20
>
>>  Any other transformer you might hear off is unavailable here. Now, I
>
>Rubbish. I have acquired a (single-phase) pig from a power company.
>It was a bit of work to find one as everyone had just 16kW three-phase
>pigs available to sell, and at the time I had only single-phase
>variac etc.. Since then I have acquired one 15kV 5kW electrostatic
>air-purifier transformer (dry one, no oil!) as well. Paid 300fim
>for it - about 60usd..
>
>Nowadays I would definitely buy a 3-phase pig if I couldn't get
>a dry HV-transformer.
>
>> have asked about 10 times but NO-ONE on this list will send me a
>> transformer. Whatever selfish reasons they might have for it...
>
>Sorry, I have not noticed. If you are prepared for the horrendous
>postage of sending iron from Finland to Holland, I can help you.=20
>Just let me know.. I have variacs (1 and 3 phase), neons, MOTs etc..
>
>>  I am sorry if this doesn't really sound positive to you, but
>> unfortunately, Europe is not the place to be if you want to build a
>> Coil.
>
>Europe is as good as any place for 'coiling. One just needs to be=20
>creative to find the sources for parts. I'm certain the same applies=20
>in the US as well - you need to do a bit searching to find the 
places=20
>where you can get things cheaply.
>
>> I have tried and now I find myself with this over a meter high,
>> beautiful 500+dollars piece of useless equipment. Kind of makes you
>> wonder why I built it in the first place=85 Well, I built it because 
I
>> need it! I am not waiting over 500Dollars just to sit down and watch
>> sparks fly until the neighbour call the police and I get arrested for
>> something that is illegal here. I seriously need this Coil for a 
seriou=
>s
>> project of mine. There is a lot of money at stake, but nevertheless I
>> can=92t get what I need:-( And, to make matters worst, I am just 
about =
>out
>> of money.
>
>You certainly sound desperate.. >:(
>
>IMHO, pretty much everything else but the caps are possible to find.=20
>Even the pulse HV-caps are possible to find - one person here in=20
>Finland acquired new Maxwell caps from laser-repair company with=20
>reasonable cost. Last week, on tuesday, when I visited a junk yard
>in Tampere, I found couple of 110V 5A Powerstat variacs - paid 
junkvalue=20
>of iron for them (2FIM/kg)..=20
>
>  Kristian Ukkonen.
>
>
>


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