RE: Aluminum tape on toroids? What about the sticky side being nonconducting?

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

Original poster: "Mccauley, Daniel H" <daniel.h.mccauley-at-lmco-dot-com> 


The concern isn't real.  If you were running low voltage, then yes, the
insulative effect of the adhesive would
make a difference.  But at voltages approaching >50kV on tesla coils, it
really doesn't make too much of a difference.
As Gary stated, there are occasional sparkles here and there which is
caused by currents passing through this
insulated region, but in the end it doesn't really affect it one way or
the other.

People have been building toroids with adhesive aluminum tape for
decades now. Why all of sudden have a concern?

Dan


 > Jack -
 >
 > Your concern is real. The aluminum tape adhesive is an
 > insulator. With small
 > alum covered toroids I run a bare #28 copper wire around the
 > inside and
 > cover the wire with alum tape. This connects all of the alum
 > foil on the
 > toroid. Check the foil windings with an ohm meter to make
 > sure the wire is
 > in contact.
 >
 > John Couture
 >