Re: Ebay caps?

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

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <Tesla729-at-cs-dot-com>

In a message dated 6/12/01 9:21:18 AM Central Daylight Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com 
writes: 


>
> these caps can be modified to use on TC's....   I had opened a couple and ran
>
> each "packet" in series for my Big coil I used in a Haunted House down here 
> in 
> New Orleans. They held up for a while but eventually failed. 
> Each "packet" seems to be good for about 2KV AC and has about 1.5 - 3 uF 
> each. 
> Soooo... you will need to run about 20 to 30 of the "packets" in series to 
> get 
> a low enuf uF to use in coiling. Opening the case isnt all that easy, you 
> have 
> to grind the weld at the top off to open it ... about 30 min worth of 
> grinding 
> with an angle grinder. ALSO... ( almost forgot) the case is filled with a 
> very 
> foul smelling oil and the oil is under pressure. 
> You will need to drill a small hole in the top of the case with some type of 
> "protective" device to keep the oil from spraying out once the drill 
> breaches 
> the case. ( a plastic cup worked for me). 
>
> Once the top is off you will need to cut the wires going to the cap and 
> remove 
> several layers of heavy brown paper. The caps are set up as several packets 
> in 
> parallel and in series. the aluminum tabs that extend from the cap packets 
> are 
> crimped together with a hard metal crimp band that is impossible to remove. 
>
> The aluminum tabs that extend from the packets are also VERY BRITTLE, they 
> break at the wrong place almost everytime you move them. 
>
> If you have lots of patience and some good tools, go for it, it wont be 
> easy... 
> and no matter how careful you are, you will still smell like the oil in the 
> case ( which permeates everything for about 6 months) my shop still smells 
> like 
> the stuff even after 8 months time. 
>
> Scot D 
>   
>
>



Hi Scot, 

Thanks for the info on the caps. I believe that I won't 
be trying to get these to use as Tesla caps, as it ap- 
pears that it would be more trouble than it was worth, 
and considering that they eventually end up failing 
anyway. However, I'm sure they would make good fil- 
ter caps or good conversation pieces (they do look 
cool)  :-) 

David Rieben