Re: Brass bolt for upper connection?

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

Original poster: "J. B. Weazle McCreath" <weazle-at-hurontel.on.ca> 

 >
 >I've a PVC endcap on the top of my 3 inch coil.  Is it ok to put a brass
 >bolt in it and solder the output wire to it so I can attach toroids easier?
 >Will this make internal flashover a problem?
 >
 >---Eric
 >

Hi Eric,

I wouldn't do it that way, as you might have troubles with arcing within
your secondary coil form that you couldn't see, but would soon find out
about in an unpleasant manner.  I use a plastic toilet seat bolt through
my wooden end plug on the PVC form to attach the toroid.  The upper end
of the secondary winding is brought up to the top of the form in a few
wide spaced turns, then has a copper tab soldered to the end of the wire
which is slipped over the plastic bolt.  This makes for a good connection
to the toroid and at the same time keeps the hot secondary wire OUTSIDE
of the PVC form.

73, Weazle, VE3EAR/VE3WZL

Details of my "Hyperbaric Gap" and Tesla coil are at:
http://www.hurontel.on.ca/~weazle