Re: Material for SG structure

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Ed Phillips by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <evp-at-pacbell-dot-net>

Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "Luc by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<ludev-at-videotron.ca>
> 
> Hi guy
> 
> I experiment with a material may be it could be use for spark gap structure.
> 
> I don't know the name of the material in english, in french it's
> call amiante ciment may be it's asbestos cement, any way the
> stuff is not expensive, it's 1/4" thick and gray, it's sale in 4'
> by 8' panel, the main use for it is protecting the wall in the
> rear of a wood stove. The stuff is really resistant to heat, I
> use it on my bench when I want to weld small part with electric
> welder or oxyacetylene torch. Before recommend it to you I test
> it's electrical resistance; this morning I put the output wires
> of a 15KV .030A NST on each side of the panel; only 1/4" distance
> and no conduction at all, the stuff is a good insulator, it's
> hard and rigid could be saw and drill, but it's hard on the tools
> cutting edge. I don't know if it's available in USA, the law are
> more strict down there about asbestos, but here in Canada test
> proved that the asbestos in the cement is stable and have no
> tendency to be release in environment.
> 
> I don't know if it's could be use for rotary disk, I don't test
> it's ability to stand the centrifuge force a rotary need to stand
> but it could for sure be used to hold electrode in a static spark gap.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Luc Benard
> 
> *This post and an other one was send friday at 1:00 PM but both
> never make it to the list...???
> 
> Friday we had a server problem - Terry

	Congratulations!  That sounds like the material called TRANSITE which
used to be available in the United States.  I have a couple of static
gaps mounted on the stuff.  Excellent high temperature insulator, also
often used on top of tables where welding is done.  Because of the
semi-imaginary asbestos scare, it's no longer available.  Sawing or
sanding the stuff would generate asbestos dust which could be cleaned up
with a damp cloth.  I used to saw it with a saw wet with water, and
never saw any signs of anything dangerous.

Ed