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Re: [TCML] Winding the primary



Hey Neal...

Heating the tube with a propane torch untill it changes to a darker color seems to work... but it leaves a rather unsightly tone to the copper and if you desire that nice sheen/shine, a fair amount of work will be needed to bring back the luster...

Scot D



Neal Namowicz wrote:

I have a couple of lengths of "salvaged" tubing myself with a few too many bends in it. I wouldn't have bothered in the past, but with the cost of copper... Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has managed to UN-work harden tubing? I was thinking of sticking it in the oven on high heat for a while and letting it slowly cool. Anyone ever try it? It's a pain in the neck, sure, but compared to unpotting an nst for example, it doesn't sound too bad.

Neal.


----- Original Message ----- From: "Quarkster" <quarkster@xxxxxxx>
To: "Tesla Coil Mailing List" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2008 11:18 PM
Subject: Re: [TCML] Winding the primary


Steve -

What is your primary conductor? If you're using copper tubing, here are a few tips:

1. Use virgin refrigeration tubing, and leave it in the coiled shape that it comes in. Don't try to re-use "salvaged" tubing if you want a nice looking primary. Copper tubing "work-hardens" and stiffens very rapidly as you deform it, so deform it as little as possible.

2. DO NOT try to straighten the tubing, then re-form it into a spiral. The tubing will work-harden, then is likely to kink and become unmanagable.

3. Have an assistant hold the coil of tubing about a foot above your primary forms, and just let one coil drop down at a time. The typical diameter of a coil of rerfigeration tubing is around 18", so I start at the end of the primary that is closest in diameter to the diameter of the coil of tubing. For a small diameter primary this means starting at the OUTSIDE of the primary form and wind inward. For a large diameter primary, this means starting at the INSIDE of the primary form and winding outward. This way the tubing requires minimum deformation initially, and then must be gradually formed into a larger or smaller radius as you move outward or inward.

 Regards,
 Herr Zappp


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