RE: [TCML] phillips question about wax and more

["Lau, Gary" <Gary.Lau@xxxxxx>]

I would be concerned that adding Palmitic Acid or Stearic Acid to a potting compound may be a bad thing.  Acids are likely to hygroscopic, attracting moisture and creating a conductive mix.  Not what you want around a HV transformer.

As far as the toilet rings - after replacing a couple of toilets in my house and scraping off the old wax rings, I find the stuff just gross!  Never mind where it's been, it's just sticky and messy and unpleasant to clean up.  You can't just scrape it or wipe it up like paraffin or Vaseline.

Regards, Gary Lau
MA, USA

-----Original Message-----
From: tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tesla-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jeff Behary
Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2008 9:59 PM
To: Tesla Coil Mailing List
Subject: RE: [TCML] phillips question about wax and more


Hey all,
I agree that oil would be best but its such a pain to work with, wax is so much more convenient.

You can always add some components to the wax too.  Paraffin oil (mineral oil, linseed oil, etc) will make a softer mix that won't crack as easy.  Another  thing that works is to add a wax "toilet ring" seal to the mix.  The wax still hardens, and will still contract a bit.  The toilet ring is a waxy-vaseline consistency and seems to help the mixture a bit, esp. if being poured into a container.

I've even went the tree-hugger route and made vegetable-based waxes for coils and transformers.  Soybean oil and Stearic Acid or Palmitic Acid (both are waxy flakes used in candle making) will form an unusual and cheap wax that (against all odds in bug-infested Florida) have held up nearly 2 years without any problems so far.

An unforseen problem here is that a container of oil, of any kind, will be completely filled with dead cockroaches and palmetto bugs if not monitored.  They love the stuff for some strange reason, and have ruined several of my projects (and appetite)...

Jeff
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