Re: COMMENT ON USE OF WOOD IN TC'S

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: "Teslacoil Workshop" <workshop@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Phil,

In answer to your first two questions: It is these inconsistencies that make
Tesla coils so fascinating. I have noticed over the years that HV prefers to
track over smooth surfaces to rough (relatively and all things being equal).
The insulator we use is applied in liquid form and conforms to the surface
shape of the wood underlayer. Consider R.F. invisibility too: plastic makes
a great dielectric; wood - not so much.

I have no idea about the trapped air (other than observation) and have also
wondered how modern manufacturing processes can create a "wood-like"
structure out of plastic. AND, would the off-gas from a fire of such
material be better or worse than the products of combustion of a wood fire?

Cheaper easier... I'm all for that. At the moment we're making SG10-TCs for
our Dubai distributor. Nick and I are neck deep in Oak dust as our cabinets
are carefully assembled from oak and 13 ply birch stock without metal
fasteners of any sort. We laminate our own 2x2s from furniture grade oak
planking and apply industrial grade Formica with industrial grade adhesive.
Richard Hull called me a "cabinet maker" when I was a kid in high school
("cabinet maker"...a pejorative I believe, so much for encouragement). The
skill has paid off in the long run. ;-)

Jeff


----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2006 5:01 PM
Subject: Re: COMMENT ON USE OF WOOD IN TC'S


> Original poster: FIFTYGUY@xxxxxxx
>
> In a message dated 10/3/06 6:59:37 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> tesla@xxxxxxxxxx writes:
>
>  >It could be the non-monolithic surfaces
>
>      On one hand, surface imperfections and dirt tend to cause
> tracking problems? But on the large scale, HV insulators are designed
> with ribs to increase the surface tracking distance. Why is a subtle
> intermediary surface finish advantageous with RF?
>
>  >the trapped air content of wood that gives it it's edge.
>
>      IIRC from the discussion we had not too long ago regarding
> insulating between magnifier primaries and secondaries seemed to
> indicate that any trapped air or voids in the insulation only served
> to concentrate voltage gradients and contributed to failure from
> corona. Same reason cap makers go through pains to vacuum their
> creations. Why does trapped air help wood insulate RF?
>
>      If these two properties of wood make it a superior material, can
> these properties be duplicated in a plastic? A very high-density
> foam, perhaps? Something possibly cheaper or easier to form bulk
> structures with?
>
> -Phil LaBudde
>
>
>