Re: New coil

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

Original poster: "Jim Lux" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net> 

Just glossy pictures of pretty, snowy
 > landscapes with horses running around, etc.  What a crock.
Indeed.. an off topic comment: The phenomena you describe is why houses cost
more in sunny southern California than in snowy northern Michigan..

 >
 > Anyhow, and to the point.  I can see what you're saying with regards to
wood
 > absorbing water, especially in a locale such as yours.  To be honest, I
was
 > planning on using HDPE, but didn't have the patience to wait for an order
 > from McMaster or the willingness to drive 60 miles to the nearest Wal-Mart
 > for cutting boards.  As usual, I was in a hurry.  Even before coating with
 > poly, though, I couldn't see any tell tale corona on the wood supports,
and
 > I actually expected to.  It's amazing that high voltage can find a path
 > anywhere, as anyone who has run their leads on a cement floor can attest
to.
 > That pesky blue haze follows those wires anywhere they touch or come close
 > to cement, table top corners, etc.  Anyone else out there have problems
 > using wood?  If memory serves, I thought Ed W. has a conventional coil
with
 > a ribbon primary run through plywood slots.  And he's running meter
spinning
 > power levels in everything in that garage of his.  Then again, he's in
snow
 > country as well.  I'll keep you posted if things change, as I'm gonna hit
 > her with 3kw just to see if the wood can hold.

There's a long and illustrious history of using properly prepared wood in HV
devices.  Heat it to dry it, immerse it in something to keep from soaking up
the water (like melted paraffin (wax to those of you in the rest of the
anglophone world)), etc. (Hmm, a hydrocarbon/cellulose composite material..
conceptually, not that far from fiberglass reinforced plastic, when you
think about it)

Other popular insulating materials in "pre plastic" days: sulfur, ebonite
(whatever that is...I'm sure one of the historical mavens on the list will
tell us what it is)

 >
 > Thanks,
 > John Richardson
 >
 >