Re: Safe handling of Capacitors

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

Original poster: "Christopher Boden by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <chrisboden-at-hotmail-dot-com>

>Ok now where do i get a suitable pole?

There are several options.

At the Sigma-6 labs we use a wooden handle from a push-broom with a 12" 
length of copper pipe screwed on the end. You can get both of these at Home 
Depot or your local hardware store. We have attached to the inner end (the 
end nearest the operator) a 12' length of 10AWG wire with Green insulation. 
This is VERY useful for dischargeing caps, testing electronics (it's how we 
tested our new pig), and working with Tesla Coils. The technical term for a 
device like this would be a "Jesus Stick", I have no idea about the origin 
of the name, but having used them on large caps I would have to say it 
because that's what most people say the first time they use one with a 
serious discharge :)

There is also such a thing as a Hot-Stick. This is also usefull in HV work. 
You *CAN* use just a wooden pole, but we were fortunate enough to "Liberate" 
one from an abandoned factory. It's a long (about 8 or 10') 1 or 2" dia 
fiberglass pole. Ours is painted red. It will have one end with a rubber 
cap, and the other end will have an odd shaped metal peg with a cone on the 
tip. The peg will be at a right angle to the long axis of the pole. This is 
a GREAT thing to have when working with HV. They are used to throw switches 
in the real world, and other such applications. We use it for those all too 
often times of
"Ok....turn it on"
"No, you turn it on"
"Um...no.....safety first........MARK!.......-dot-come here.......hey.....push 
that button"
FIZAT

There are a number of things it's nice to be able to do safely with a HV 
system while operating, and this is the ONLY way I'd come close to touching 
most parts of a coil while running. I've used it most recently to make 
discharge measurements with the Sparky (Mark Broker's) coil at Sigma-6. We 
had a ground rod on a lab stand and I s-l-o-w-l-y nudged it closer to the 
operating coil with the hotstick untill a streamer connected with the rod, 
then we shutdown everything and measure. I would never have done this 
without a LOOOONG pole, as I'm a complete wus and allergic to pain.

btw, wooden poles are fine, and safe to use, so long as you keep them DRY! 
Once it gets wet, throw it away. Fiberglass is MUCH better, but harder to 
get. I think they make fiberglass poles for painting, but make SURE it's not 
aluminium! That would ruin your whole weekend.


Have fun, and don't get dead.

Christopher A. Boden Geek#1 (G-6)
President / C.E.O. / Alpha Geek
The Geek Group
www.thegeekgroup-dot-org
Because the Geek shall inherit the Earth!

BUY A T-SHIRT!
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn-dot-com