Original poster: Shaun Epp <scepp@xxxxxxx> Hello and welcome,For your primary supports, it's better to use 6 or 8 supports. Also make them to support a strike rail too, which is a grounded partial coil ( slightly less that one turn) around the outside of your primary. That way if the secondary coil arcs towards your primary, it will hit the stike rail instead of your primary.
4 gauge wire from your NST to the tank circuit (MMC capacitor, primary and spark gap) is way over kill. Most people use 14 gauge 15 Kv wire that you can get from neon sign companies. In your tank circuit is where you need the heavy gauge wire.
Another good idea is to make one of the coils adjustable up or down, this way you can get the optimum coupling between the primary and secondary. I made my primary adjustable by mounting the primary supports to a plastic base the sites on a wood base where the secondary is mounted to. Then I stick plastic shims under the plastic base to adjust coupling. There's better ways of doing this, but it works.
All the best with your project. Shaun Epp ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> To: <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2007 8:20 PM Subject: Re: My first tesla coil!
Original poster: "Drake Schutt" <drake89@xxxxxxxxx> all parts available at local hardware store- a good torroid is flex duct aluminum dryer ducting wrapped around two pie pans which are attached bottom to bottom. wrap it all in aluminum tape and smooth it all out and you have a top load that rivals the performance of a $500 spun aluminum topload. On 3/17/07, Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:Original poster: "H.S. J." <hsheltonj@xxxxxxxxx> Well, im new to the letter!/Group! Background info on me: I live in WA (just moved from CA) and have had previous experience with high voltage stuff as my father is a co-owner of Rosendin Electric Inc. I wanted to get into the coiling thing to see what it is like, so, here I am! This project is really mainly for a science fair expierment/demonstration for my High School. Us seniors are putting it on for all of the younger people to enjoy. Since, the whole school is participating. I need help compiling a parts list from you guys. I already know that i need a MMC bank as well as a spark gap, etc... For my primary, im going to the store today to go pick up 70' of 1/4" refrigerator tubing. I already have stuff to mount it on. I am also going to go to the stor to pick up a PVC pipe which is about 6"x34" And, 32" of that will have winding on it. From a wire supply place, I will pick up 2000' of 22 AWG copper magnet wire Build 1 insulation to wind with. I also need to get a NST which is 15kV @ 60mA. Now, for the questions of mine...will 4 standoffs be enough for my primary? Is 4 AWG wire insulated for 15kV ok for strong connections like from the NST to the caps or something that is similar? What should I do to make a toroid? Thank You, Shelton Thank You, H.S.J. You may reply back at: <mailto:hsheltonj@xxxxxxxxx>hsheltonj@xxxxxxxxx Be a PS3 game guru. Get your game face on with <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=49936/*http://videogames.yahoo.com>the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games.