Re: Primary winding

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Re: Primary winding
• From: Parpp807-at-aol-dot-com (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
• Date: Wed, 05 May 1999 11:55:52 -0600
• Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
• Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

Original Poster: Christopher Michaelis <cmichael-at-xmission-dot-com> 

Hi --

I'm trying to use 1/4" copper tubing as my primary coil, but it isn't
working well. I can't get it to bend smoothly - it looks pitiful.

Would it work to use some really thick copper wire? If so, what gauge
should I aim for?

Chris,

Be sure you have soft copper tubing.
After putting many kinks into the tubing, I got some 1/2-inch plywood that I 
cut into
two 12-inch squares. Then I cut two 1/2-inch wide slits halfway across each 
panel
to slip one panel into the other--sort of like cardboard packing in a beer 
carton.  
We're making a crosshatch like cardboard in a beer carton. I put in braces at 
the ends to make the frame rigid. If you cut or drill notches along each edge 
you will
get a smooth coil of 12-inch diameter and x-number of turns. You can also 
predrill
3/8-inch holes along parallel lines 12-inches long and at various distances 
(radii) from the center of the form to get coils of different diameters. 
Doing this, you will have to "unscrew" the finished coil from the form. You 
can always make a form for a specific diameter. That may be the easiest way. 
The easiest way by far, is if you can
glom onto a piece of scrap PVC of correct diameter. For a spiral coil, I have 
cut the sides to form an almost isosceles triangle. Same procedure, just push 
down on the tubing to form it into a spiral.

Ralph Zekelman

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