Spark gaps for smaller TC

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

Original poster: "John Richardson by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <jprich-at-up-dot-net>

                                                                                                                                                                                       Chris 
the "Cajun Coiler" asked a question concerning spacing his pipes in a round 
TCBOR gap.  Wouldn't it be easier to take two pieces of Plexiglas, and 
using 1/2 inch copper pipe in this example, drill identical holes in each 
one, say an inch and an eighth apart.  Drill as many holes as you feel you 
will need gaps (i.e. five pieces of pipe, five holes in each Plexiglas 
square).  Utilizing threaded rod, the length being slightly longer than the 
length of the identical pipes and the thickness of the Plexiglas end 
pieces, "sandwich" the end pieces to the pipes by running the rods thru the 
middle of the pipe and tightening the rods.  To adjust the gap spacing, 
loosen the nuts on one end plate slightly, and the pipe electrodes, having 
mucho clearance from the all-thread, can be moved to accommodate the 
desired clearance before tightening the nuts up again.  Also, ala TCBOR 
style gap, one could box in the other two ends of the above with two more 
pieces of Plexiglas, and mount a Muffin fan on top of the whole 
thing.  Better yet, take the dimensions of your existing Muffin fan, and 
adjust the pipe lengths such that the finished product is a square the same 
size as the fan.  The hardest part would be making electrical contact with 
the pipes, since the are basically "floating" around the threaded rods and 
not in contact with them.  This could be easily rectified by soldering a 
male quick-disconnect spade to each pipe before assembly, or something similar.

Just a thought.

John Richardson

BTW-Are there any coilers on the list who are in the vicinity of northern 
Wisconsin or the Upper Peninsula of Michigan?  I live in the U.P., and 
other than Sam Barros in Houghton, which I am close to, I can't find anyone 
else.