Re: Tungsten static gap

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

Original poster: Tesla729-at-cs-dot-com 

In a message dated 11/27/03 6:35:55 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:

>Original poster: dhmccauley-at-spacecatlighting-dot-com
>
>
>
>But for most static gaps, copper pipe is adequate enough.  Tungsten isn't
>the easiest material to get (especially in larger diameters) and is
>prohibitly expensive for the average
>tesla coiler.  I recently purchased a bunch of 1 inch long, 0.25" diameter
>pure tungsten rods for my ARSG gap and paid $15.00 each for them!!!
>
>Dan


Dan,

You should have ordered your tungsten from weldingdirect-dot-com.
Though still expensive, I ordered (10) 7" long, 0.25" diametered
rods for a total of $116, including S&H. That's $11.60 each for
7" long (not 1") by 1/4" diametered pure (color code green) tungsten
rods.  Tungsten rods of this diameter must not be very common
though as they were on back order for about 3 months before
they finally arrived. As a side note, tungsten is incredibly dense
and has a specific gravity of 19.3 gr/cm3 or nearly twice as dense
as lead (11.3 gr/cm3) and of the same density as gold. Only
rhenium, platinum, iridium, osmium, neptunium, and plutonium
are denser than pure tungsten. These metals all have specific
gravities in the 19.6 to 22.6 gr/cm3 range. Those (10) 7" x 0.25"
tungsten rods together weigh over a kilogram (2.2 lbs.)!

I suppose cutting tungsten roundstock of this diameter could
prove rather challenging, considering the incredible hardness of
tungsten but I would think that a Dremel tool affixed w/ a diamond
cutting wheel should make pretty quick work of it. I'd be sure to
where a breathing mask though, especially if it happened to be
thorated tungsten. Alpha and Beta particles won't hurt your skin
but can do all kinds of nasty things once inhaled INSIDE your
body.

David Rieben