RE: The dowel of death

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

Original poster: "Oxandale, Terry by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <Toxandale-at-SPP-dot-org>

Many years ago the electric utility I used to work for replaced their wood
handled switchsticks to fiberglass. Even with a good keln drying, and a coat
of varnish, these old wood switchsticks still needed a lot of attention in
keeping them "dry" and performing to their required voltage capability.

A schedule 40 PVC pipe with the coax in the middle would be a better way to
do this, but I would not advocate this practice in the first place.

(un)Terry



-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 9:11 AM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: The dowel of death


Original poster: "Michael Rhodes by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<rhodes-at-fnrf.science.cmu.ac.th>

Since the dowel rod is made of wood and a good absorber
of moisture, my guess is the charge is finding it's way to
you via the internal moisture?

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 11:26 AM
Subject: The dowel of death


> Original poster: "Garry Freemyer by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <garry-at-ndfc-dot-com>
>
> Well, Long time ago, I made a rod to draw off sparks from my TC using a
> wooden dowel with a brass doorknob attached to the end, and coaxial cable
to
> ground the knob. Now with such an arrangement, you would think it would be
> relatively safe, but nope.
>
> I was operating the coil from a good distance and I got several good zaps
> off the wooden dowel, even when I wasn't drawing sparks to it.
>
> I turned on the coil and got several good zaps off the rod, before the
> freeze from astonishment at the shocks off the wooden dowel prompted me to
> drop the rod with a shuddering shake of the hand.
>
> My only guess was the coaxial cable was just the right length, to act as a
> kind of coil of it's own and instead of going down into the ground which
was
> a huge metal water pipe under ground, it decided to travel down the dowel
> and into me, or maybe there is a carbon track inside the dowel.
>
> This rod was used very little.
>
> Either way, it's a case for choosing plastic over a wooden dowel for a
> "Jesus Stick"
>
>
>