Re: any insulation recomendations for magnet wire

["Edward Wingate" <ewing7-at-rochester.rr-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)]

Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "John H. Couture" <couturejh-at-worldnet.att-dot-net>
> 
> Ed, David -
> 
> As you know I am interested in the design of Tesla coils and improving my
> JHCTES Ver 2.3 TC computer program. Therefore, when somone mentions TC
> design my interest is aroused because I may learn something new. Tesla
> coilers have always had the problem of the secondary wire insulation
> breaking down during coil operation. As you said this could be due to faulty
> design. However, it could also be due to a well designed coil except for not
> enough secondary wire insulation. How would the designer know this without
> information regarding the voltage stress on the secondary wiring?

John,

As Malcolm stated, the turn to turn insulation is sufficient enough to
preclude any turn to turn breakdown in 99.9% of circumstances. I have
never seen the other .1% and have found that even normal thickness
magnet wire enamel insulation will not break down turn to turn in any
coil I have constructed to date. The scenario of a well designed coil
"except for not enough secondary wire insulation" really is not valid
even when using plain old run-of-the-mill magnet wire. 

The same thing applies about glopping layer after layer of polyurethane
or epoxy or whatever to stop a coil from arcing to the primary or to
itself (sometimes called racing sparks). If the coil is designed and
tuned properly all that extra insulation is not necessary. It's great to
protect the secondary windings from mechanical damage, but does not
solve the underlying design or tuning problems that are causing the
arcing in the first place. If you have to glop extra insulation on the
secondary to avoid arcover, there's something wrong!

Ed Wingate RATCB