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Terry, please forward this to the TCML

All
    Perhaps Raycroft has made the simpliest and easiest explination of this 
problem yet. Being a kid myself (age: 16), i started coiling back in the 
summer of 1999. It doesn't take 1/2 a brain to realize this is dangerous, 
both as a device, and in the tools possibly used to build it.
    I was almost turned off from building a coil after seeing several pages 
with prices on there going up to $500+, and finally decided that if i were to 
build such a "toy" i would do it right and make it safe.    
    As you can see Raycroft's theory of telling a kid how expensive it is 
will turn them off. I was almost turned off from building a coil until i got 
the real info and built a safe coil. To this day, i haven't had any problems 
with safety and high voltages(other than over charging a capacitor and 
blowing it).
    I believe that no matter what we say on this mailing list, potential 
"idiot" coilers will always exist and no matter how much warning we give 
them, they will still attempt to build a coil w/out proper guidance. I was 
lucky enough to talk to very talented people(who i will not name for various 
reasons) that were more than willing to guide me and tell me about safety 
precautions. I only hope that one day if anyone asks me how to build a coil i 
can be like these people and give out only safe advice and make sure they do 
it right. This should go for all of you on the list w/ a webpage where you 
give even the most remote plans for a tesla coil.
-Alan

Original Poster: Raycroft <k.raycroft-at-worldnet.att-dot-net>


Perhaps the one thing that _should_ be exaggerated is the cost:  If you
tell kids that they can create "Incredibly powerful electrical displays
capable of shooting 10 foot arcs" you might as well tell them to have
fun building one with a pole pig and using it in the manner that one was
used in the "Coiler's Christmas" story.  (ya know, the one with the
circular saw as a rotary spark gap!)  In fact, warnings like these will
attract kids who want to break stuff and will scare off those who are
interested in the hobby.  (I nearly missed out on this great hobby
because warnings like that tend to make me think either "ok, shouldn't
mess with that" or "you've got to be kidding").  IMHO the best way to
discourage people who don't have the experience or interest in actually
learning about it would be to tell them these two things.  First: To do
it right, coiling is EXPENSIVE!  To do it wrong will get you
ELECTROCUTED / MAIMED / INCINERATED!  All of these are VERY PAINFUL! and
Second:  Coiling takes _a lot_ of time.  Don't expect to have a working
product until you have worked on it for (insert time frame of your
choice).  Even then it may not work.

I'll tell ya, nothing discourages a kid more than expensive stuff and
telling them that they'll have to be patient.  But be sure to do one
thing:  Always include as much safety information as possible, maybe a
link to the pupman site.  Because, hey, people are looking at it, and
not every one of them is a moron who wishes do destroy some property.
You do have to have something to ward off the idiots, but you also need
to help instruct those who want to know what's goin on.  They'll find
the information somewhere, so someone needs to tell them about safety.