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RE: Kerosene?



Hi all...

   Just my $.02 here...

  I *strongly* discourage using kerosene, diesel, etc for anything tesla
related, save for de-depotting NST's.  Yes, the flash point is pretty high.
But kerosene is still light, and it isn't the liquid that goes, it's the
vapors.  Xformer oil will burn, but it takes a bit more to set it off.  I've
had gas, kerosene, and oil soaked rags bust into flames in the vented metal
ragbox on me. Just that alone keeps me away from using them as
dielectric/insulators.  And *if* the cap pukes, kerosene could go
everywhere.  Makes a mess of the garage, fumes up the yazoo, etc.  Not to
mention the "eyes-gettin-splashed"  Been there done that. count on a week
before ya can see straight again.  All in all, it's great for a
lab-situation or high-quality caps, but not for me.  I don't even like
xformer oil.  Nasty messsy crap, but necessary.  I use it only when I must.
  Again, this is just my $.02, so hope nobody gets offended.  :)

And as the afterthought... prevent the fire/explosion hazard a bit...go MMC!
:)  Less fuss, 10000x less mess.  True, they lack the sinister appearance or
a 2' long 6" diameter pvc pipe cap.....but you could always mount them in a
piece of PVC and pretend it's a rolled cap in you get nostalgic :)  Laters
all, and keep it safe!

										Shad, AKA, Sundog
-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla List [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
Sent: Monday, May 01, 2000 6:41 PM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Kerosene?


Original Poster: "Adam" <adamsmith-at-mediaone-dot-net>

on 5/1/00 8:35 AM, Tesla List at tesla-at-pupman-dot-com wrote:

> Original Poster: "Ed Phillips" <evp-at-pacbell-dot-net>
>
> Tesla List wrote:
>>
>> Original Poster: "Adam" <adamsmith-at-mediaone-dot-net>
>>
>>> Original Poster: "Chris Russell" <oldmanjamal-at-netzero-dot-net>
>>>
>>> I read somewhere that kerosene can be used to submerge a polyethylene /
>>> aluminum foil stacked plate capacitor. Is this true?
>>
>> Oh dear god no!
>
> Why not?  It's thin, has good insulating properties, and isn't much
> more flammable than typical mineral oil.

It's a lot more flammable than the oil I'm using.  I just tried lighting a
sample of my NST-cleaning kerosene and of my laxative grade mineral oil, and
there's no contest. Light transformer oil must be more flammable than what
I'm using.

In any case, I don't see any reason to use kerosene, particularly in a
homemade cap where there is going to be some air enclosed.  If mineral oil
filled rolled poly caps can explode, I can't help but think that a kerosene
filled cap would only fail in a more dangerous way.

-Adam