Re: more newbie questions

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

Original poster: "Matt by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <pickle7-at-surfbest-dot-net>

I'm trying to figure out this tesla stuff too, and I decided to jump in and 
start making a secondary coil, since its one of the most time consuming 
parts and i had pvc lying around (from the making of my potato gun...heh). 
I used the mini coil here - http://www.spacecatlighting-dot-com/teslacoil4.htm 
- as a starting point. I'm using a 2" pvc pipe with 30 gauge wire. It looks 
pretty considering I've never done this before, but I didn't get quite wire 
enough to finish. Whats the best way to add on more wire? I don't expect my 
coil to be high quality, I'm just experimentationalizing. And about these 
salt water capacitors, how would I go about making one? I saw instructions 
on how to make a cap with sheets of aluminum and polystyrene (or some 
poly-type-ish material like that). Whats the best way to make one? And one 
more thing - schematics ive seen say that certain parts need to be 
grounded. My understanding of having something grounded is that they need 
to be connected to a pipe or something that goes underground to disipate 
electricity. But, in the pictures on the previously noted site, the coil is 
operating in the living room or something. Are the grounds connected to the 
ground in the wall socket? Some advice would be nice. And sorry for my 
gross lack of knowlage about this stuff.


[]

Matt Marsh
pickle7-at-surfbest-dot-net
AIM - SquishyPickle
ICQ - 161231703
-------Original Message-------

From: Tesla list
Date: Saturday, January 04, 2003 10:18:55 AM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: more newbie questions

Original poster: "marc metlicka by way of Terry Fritz 
<teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <mystuffs-at-orwell-dot-net>

James,
My very first capacitors were made from gallon pickle jars. I used
aluminium tape on the outside rubbed very smooth, then salt water filled
to the tape line on the inside. I put a little oil on the salt water and
used 1\2" copper t's with one pipe extending into the salt. Each jug
gave around 5nf so i ganged 5 or 7 together, (placed on aluminium foil
for connection) to power nst powered coils. I once ganged 11 of them
together with a very fancy copper tubing array, this gave me a nice
..06uf that stood up to a 300-1 pt at full power.

these are very nice starter caps so I say "go for it" (I tried to upload
pics of them on my site
"http://www.fortunecity-dot-com/meltingpot/syria/1210/index.htm
But it's down right now?
Take care,"back again" Marc M.

 >
 > >I was wandering if I could make a capacitor using 1 gallon glass pickle
 > >jars. Since my wife is pregnant, I have a lot of them laying around and I
 > >have been trying to find a use for them. If I can use them, how do you
 > >figure out the capacitance?
 > >
 >