RE: Spark gap

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Rich" <rdjmgmt@xxxxxxxxxx>

Well I am retired machinist and boy do I miss having my hands on a mill
and/or lathe when I need one. I will try to explain my way of doing it
with out a machine shop and still having the tubes within .001. Find a
short piece of PVC tube 4" to 6" , will work. Set the copper tubes
inside the PVC , use a block of foam or a rag to hold them out to the
wall of the tube , space them apart with some small plastic scraps , I
used .032 Teflon scrap , mark the tube where the copper hits the PVC ,
drill 2 holes in each place for approx a #8 machine screw , but install
with a #6 screw, that way we don't have to worry about being accurate .
When you do the final installation be sure the first tube and last tube
in the set has the nuts on the outside , put the plastic spacers in
place , sung up the bolts until you have equal gaps and put a little
epoxy on each tube , glue the copper to the PVC , leave the gap clear.
The first and last tube with the nuts on the outside gives you a good
place to hook up to.  ( note , I did use larger , #10 bolts for my hook
up points on the first and last copper).

Rich

>Original poster: "Dr. Resonance" <resonance@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
>
>Soda cans are too large.  You need some 1/2 inch OD (3/8 inch ID)
straight
>copper pipe --- not tubing which always has some curvature.
>
>You can buy a straight copper pipe at a plumbing shop.  Some shops
might
>have some "cut-offs" 2-3 feet long which would be perfect to use for
the
>copper tubes.  De-bur the ends with a file and sandpaper to encourage
>sparking along the length of the tube.
>
>You may need a machinist with a milling machine to do the layout for
the
>fastener holes --- you want the pipes to be as parallel as possible and
a
>mill makes it a snap.  Two fastener holes per tube holds them in
perfect
>parallel alignment.  The machine shop instructor at your school can
help you
>with this.
>
>7-8 tubes inside a 6 inch dia. PVC tube with a 75-100 CFM fan below it
works
>very wall with a 12/30 or 15/30 xmfr.  Use duct tape to shape the
airflow
>from the fan to the tube but keep it away from the HV.
>
>Dr. Resonance
>
>
>
> >
> > Would soda cans make a good replacement for copper pipes in the
spark >
> gap?
> > Or should I just go out and buy the pipes? I ask because i'm
operating > on
>a
> > budget here. I almost just had my school pay for for the capacitors,
but
>my
> > parents said that they could afford $54 dollars.( originally we
thaught > I
> > would need 45 capacitors at about $3 a peice) :) Thanks again Dr.
>Resonance.
> >                                                 Steven Steele
> >
> >
> >
>
>