Re: Safe handling of Capacitors

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

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <Mddeming-at-aol-dot-com>

In a message dated 3/22/01 1:47:02 PM Eastern Standard Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com 
writes: 




>
> Original poster: "Ed Phillips by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" < 
> evp-at-pacbell-dot-net> 
>
> Tesla list wrote: 
> > 
> > Original poster: "Jim DeLillo by way of Terry Fritz 
> <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <jimdel-at-bellatlantic-dot-net> 
> > 
> > Wouldn't a length of small diam PVC pipe work? 
>
>    From what I've observed over the years, the "traditional" way to 
> discharge capacitors is with the shaft of a screwdriver, preferably with 
> insulated handle.  If there's enough charge in the capacitor the result 
> is nice little craters in the screwdriver!  Don't know if anyone has 
> gotten zapped doing this, but it could be risky if one carelessly got 
> across the HV. 
>
> Ed 
>
>



I have converted the tip of a screwdriver into shrapnel doing this with 40uf 
kV DC! 
Matt D.