Re: Tesla Coil Efficiency Test: Tungsten Rod

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

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

Terry, 

Welding supply houses carry 1/4" (pure)Tungsten - look for the green colored
end.  Most won't sell just one - only a box of 10 (about $550).  I got some
3/8" gaps by taking apart an old TIG welder.  I also got a 7" long 3/16"
section of 2% lanthenated (non-radioactive)Tungsten by just asking for a sample
on a web site (haven't tried it yet).  Someone on the list was selling 1/4"
Tungsten also for a while - check the archives. 

Scott 


>Hi Scott, 

>Could you help improve our designs by telling us where to get that 1/4"
Tungsten?  >Is it a pure alloy?  McMaster-Carr has welding electrodes up to
5/32" thick and 7" >long. They also have High-Density Tungsten Alloy Rods of
many lengths and >thicknesses.  But the Melting point is 2012° F, way below the
pure Tungsten >Melting point of 6192° F.  That stuff was fine for my smaller
coils, but I am nearing >10 KVA and am burning up rods fast.I must have this
1/4" Tungsten Rod. 

>Terry Blake