Re: Beginner information

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

Original poster: "Shane Rusch" <str-at-itol-dot-com> 

Why not black ABS? I've had success with it.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Friday, June 25, 2004 8:54 AM
Subject: Re: Beginner information


 > Original poster: "Jim Lux" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net>
 >
 > I'm sure you'll get lots of responses.
 >
 > OK.. you've got the basic safety lecture.
 > You feel confident wiring tab A to slot B without burning down the house.
 >
 > The absolutely easiest way to get going is this:
 > Neon Sign Transformer (any of the "non-electronic" kind will work)  9kV,
 > 12kV or 15 kV types, 15-30 mA
 > Salt Water, beer bottle, plastic bucket for the primary capacitor (google
 > for "bucket cap", or someone will post the address)
 > 3 pieces of copper pipe as a spark gap
 > Bare house wire for a primary (cheap (free) as scrap.  1/4" copper tubing
is
 > even better).  Make it a flat spiral, use cardboard as supports for
 > starters.
 > Secondary, about 700-1000 turns of magnet wire (24-28 AWG is probably a
good
 > start) on a piece of 3" or 4" diameter form. Cardboard mailing tube works,
 > so does PVC pipe. Don't use black ABS sewer pipe.  Wind by hand, use
scotch
 > tape every 50-100 turns to hold it when you stop.  It will take a couple
 > hours to wind it by hand.  Spray it with clear acrylic spray when you're
 > done to hold the turns in place.
 > Top load made from expandable metal dryer duct and a metal pieplate.
 > A hunk of chicken wire about 3 or 4 feet square as a RF counterpoise under
 > the coil.
 >
 > Wiring diagrams are everywhere (I prefer the "gap across the transformer"
 > wiring, because it keeps you from inadvertently killing the transformer
from
 > overvoltage)
 >
 > Use one of the programs or excel spreadsheets to run the numbers once
you've
 > got your wire and secondary form.
 >
 > Once you've got all the parts gathered, it's a matter of a day to: wind
 > secondary, make beer bottle cap, hook everything up, and make sparks.
Start
 > early in the morning, and you'll be making sparks by night time.
 >
 > Scrounging the parts takes the longest time, especially the neon sign
 > transformer, unless you're going to just buy one new for $80.
 >
 > ----- Original Message -----
 > From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 > To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
 > Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2004 5:49 PM
 > Subject: Beginner information
 >
 >
 >  > Original poster: Joel <Number6-at-gmail-dot-com>
 >  >
 >  > My name is Joel, and I'm 16 years old. I've been interested in Tesla
 >  > coils for a number of years, and I've finally got up the nerve to
 >  > build one. The problem is I've never learn't much about the theory
 >  > behind them after all this time (although I am extremely aware of the
 >  > dangers). I would appreciate if someone could recommend some web pages
 >  > for me to read through that contain the necessary information. My
 >  > previous high voltage experience has only been with a tiny (<12000 V)
 >  > Van De Graaff generator that I built from plans on www.scitoys-dot-com
 >  > (still enough to fill my bedroom with ozone though). My goal is to
 >  > build a small coil powered from a wall wart or batteries capable of
 >  > producing fairly tiny (1 inch perhaps?)  arcs. Is this a resonable
 >  > (read possible) goal?
 >  >
 >  > Thanks
 >  >
 >  > Joel
 >  >
 >  >
 >
 >