Re: [TCML] Tim's Qs was: can you connect the secondary *directly* to the primary

[Jim Lux <jimlux@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> 
>  "I made a spark gap out of two screws and a u-shaped block of  wood." 
> 
>NOT GOOD! At ~10 kV and above, wood, with any degree of humidity, is  
>CONDUCTIVE!! Several heavy coats of varnish or polyurethane helps, but it's  still 
>better to use HDPE or similar plastic. For your gap, use 2 brass bolts  head to 
>head, or two round brass lamp finials, or two brass drawer pulls, or  two 
>round brass door knobs, etc. You can also use short sections of copper  pipe in 
>parallel but your sum of all gaps should not exceed  2kVrms/mm. Also use plenty 
>of air flow, vacuum cleaner, fan, pressure hose,  etc. 


I would encourage whipping on down to the hardware store and getting a couple of 3/4" copper pipe couplings (or a couple 1" lengths of 3/4" copper pipe) to use as the gap.  It works MUCH better than any sort of ball gap, bolt heads, finials, etc.  

Save the finials for a safety gap on your transformer, if you need one.


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