Rotary balancing

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

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

I just completed a new synchronous rotary gap for my small coil.  After
completing the disc and installing the electrodes, I was wondering how best
to balance it.  I remembered that I had a balancing tool for balancing model
airplane propellers.  It worked great.  You might try it next time.  Other
than a band saw to cut out the disc and a borrowed lathe to true up the
outside, the whole project was completed basically by hand with just a drill
press and hand tools.  Once I cut the center hole (arbor mounting hole) in
the disc, I used a shaft in this hole, mounted in some plywood, to rotate the

piece in the drill press and drill all eight electrode holes and four holes
to install balancing screws.  I also used a similar method to trim up the
piece in the band saw.  This left very little to remove from the outside on
the lathe.

I learned the use of four screws, set in about one inch from the electrodes
for balancing from Bill Wysock.  I ended up just installing two small metal
washers to achieve a very good balance.  I will post pictures of this gap to
my web site next week.

Ed Sonderman