RE: Unpot

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Lau, Gary" <Gary.Lau@xxxxxx>

I also have unpotted a Jefferson 15/60, so I feel your pain!

Butt splices are out of the question for NST secondary wire; I suspect
it is much finer than 36 gauge.  The splice must be CAREFULLY soldered
to some very flexible wire, so as not to tug excessively on the end of
the secondary.

If you've nicked the secondary, you'll have to remove and discard the
outermost windings down to the point of the nick.  The reduction in
voltage won't be significant.

I don't follow your proposal to sand the outer windings.  You need to
scrape the enamel insulation off only the free end of the secondary and
solder that to another wire en route to the output terminal.  If you
sand secondary turns lying beside each other, you'll short them together
(bad!).  I soldered the free end of my secondary to a piece of 30 gauge
wire-wrap wire, and under my magnifying goggles, it looked like I was
wrapping a piece of thread around a piece of rebar.  Scraping the enamel
insulation off and soldering the super-fine secondary wire must be done
under magnification, or eyes far better than mine!  Be certain to check
continuity following splicing before reassembling.

Is the original metal case no longer serviceable?  I reused mine, and
potted the assembly in melted Vaseline petroleum jelly, which
re-solidified, and will never leak.

It's worth pointing out that with my Jefferson 15/60, the core
construction was such that there were no removable current-limiting
shunts that could be removed to increase output current.

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA

> Original poster: "Rich" <rdjmgmt@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
> I have had a transformer soaking in gas for awhile, I just took it
> out and cleaned it up with lacquer thinner. What a mess! Now to my
> question, the secondarys are a mess and nicked on the outer windings.
> , I goofed and was too rough a while back trying to remove the tar.
> The transformer is a Jefferson 15Kv 60ma. The secondarys are about
> 36ga wire and I don't have any butt splices that size but I do have
> some .004 copper sheet from a transformer winding. My question is
> would it work to lightly sand the outer windings and solder a strip
> of the .004 copper to it for a lead point? I do not feel safe trying
> to solder to the end of the 36ga.
> If it works I plan on making a Lexan box for it.
>
> Rich
>