Re: DIY Plasma globes available

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

Original poster: "Crow Leader by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <tesla-at-lists.symmetric-dot-net>

You might find a patient neon sign shop to weld a new fill tube on them.
They all have vacuum pumps and can evaucuate the globe and fill it with gas.
As for whether or not they can measure out the gasses you need at the right
pressures, I cannot say. If you had some mini-coil to test things out at the
shop, you might be able to just figure it out there.

One shop here really wanted me to bring my my tesla coil in, but it was too
clunky and would have fit on their bench so it never happened. Maybe another
day.

KEN


----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Friday, December 06, 2002 4:53 PM
Subject: Re: DIY Plasma globes available


 > Original poster: "c d by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<vbprg1-at-hotmail-dot-com>
 >
 > was kinda thinking the same thing as Ken untill I
 > figued I could use it as a prototype to make more.
 > 3 balloons and $50 could probably get you
 > a balloon full of helium (craft store)
 > a balloon full of argon (welding supply or any mig/tig welder)
 > a balloon full of neon (any tube bending neon shop/ not sign stores)
 >
 > I believe that argon and helium achieve a plasma state with the lowest
 > amount of voltage required to produce a blue white type plasma. They sell
 > that premixed for mig welding. Pure argon for tig. You could just use one
 > balloon. :) If you add neon into the mix I imagine it will become a more
 > noticable orange red plasma with white with a bit higher voltage / current
 > requirements to achieve a noticable effect. I have yet  to put this info
to
 > use. Been reading about plasma for awhile and have been practicing my
 > skills as a glass blower. No Kidding getting really good at the sphere its
 > the first most important basic shape :)
 > Meanwhile I slowly collect parts for very small
 > very low power tesla coils. grr.. black and white tv's are hard to come by
 > now a day.
 >
 > Anyone know the specifics about calculating minimum voltage necessary
 > to turn a significant amount of noble gas mixture x into plasma?
 > If you over heat it to much you burn through the glass outer sphere when
 > someone contacts it. On further consideration I guess a plasma ball with
an
 > unknow gas mixture is a raw deal.
 >
 > but I appreciate the heads up on the available product.
 > Where are you located Dave? I am still curios to see one of those.
 > It looks like the center post is made of solid glass? Does it have an
 > electrode burried in solid glass?
 >
 > On a side note if you contact cold glass with hot glass the cold glass
 > breaks, Thermal shock, so repair is not really an option even with glass
 > blowing skills. Its not impossible but probably easier to just make a new
 > sphere.
 >
 > Contact me off list if you like
 > Chris
 >
 >
 >
 >
 > >Original poster: "Crow Leader by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
 > ><tesla-at-lists.symmetric-dot-net>
 > >
 > >I like how they (American Science and Surplus, peddlers lower and lower
 > >grade junk over the years)downplay a broken plasma ball as being no
problem.
 > >
 > >The mixture of low pressure gasses is what makes a plasma ball exciting.
 > >Unless you have bottles of cool gas and glassworking abilities, it's an
 > >overpriced and useless product. It's like selling burned out lightbulbs.
 > >
 > >For the same cost as a broken glass ball, you can get a new GE 1000 watt
 > >incandescent large mogul base bulb tha makes really fun blue arcs from
the
 > >filament to the glass.
 > >
 > >KEN
 >
 > > > Group,
 > > > I ran across a source of 12" plasma globes for those of you interested
in
 > > > playing with this sort of thing.  I ordered three -- two arrived with
 > > > broken off filler tips, but the third was sealed with an interesting
gas
 > > > mixture inside.  The open ones could be resealed with a bit of
 > >glassblowing.
 > > >
 > > > One open one looked looked it had been removed from a base, and had a
lot
 > > > of removable silicone adhesive around the neck.  The other open unit
had
 > >no
 > > > adhesive, but a spot circled in black marker with an arrow suggesting
that
 > > > it was a pinhole.  I don't know if it can be worked out or not.
 > > >
 > > > I have no commercial interest in the site -- just passing along the
info
 > > > for anyone interested.
 > > >
 > > > See:
 > > >
 > > > http://sciplus-dot-com/singleItem.cfm?terms=8519&cartLogFrom=Search
 > > >
 > > >
 > > > 34464 PLASMA BALL $39.50 / EACH add to cart
 > > >
 >
 ><http://sciplus-dot-com/_add2cart.cfm?jump=faq%2Ecfm&pid=8519&cartLogFrom=Searc
h>
 > > >
 > > >
 > > > Probably searching on the part number will work better. (34464)
 > > >
 > > > Parts arrived 7 days from web order date, well packed.   Shipping was
 > > > reasonable.  No power supply, but that shouldn't be a problem for
anyone
 > >in
 > > > this group!
 > > >
 > > > Merry Christmas!
 > > > Dave
 > > >
 > > >
 >
 >
 >