RE: Searching for Electode Material

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: RE: Searching for Electode Material
• From: "Lau, Gary" <Gary.Lau-at-compaq-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
• Date: Fri, 05 May 2000 12:11:18 -0600
• Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
• Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.  It shouldn't be difficult to find
3/8" brass bolts in a good hardware store, but it probably has to be better
than your corner hardware store.  The important thing is to buy it or make
it such that the arcing surface of the electrodes has a large, smooth
radius, like carriage bolts, though I've never seen those in brass.  If you
use hex head bolts, you should put the threads in a lathe or drill and file
the sharp corners off of the hex head.

I would avoid zinc and aluminum as electrode materials.  Zinc has a low
melting point and both oxidizes readily, which will result in rapid
electrode wear.

Regards, Gary Lau
Waltham, MA USA

>Original Poster: "Ryan Ries" <spud-at-wf-dot-net> 
>
>	Hello, I'm looking for some better conductor for my air-blast gap
than
>what I'm currently using.  I have 1/4" steel bolts for electrodes right
>now, and I realize that steel is not good, but I can't find any copper or
>brass or aluminum bolts.  (Isn't brass just copper with a sodium hydroxide
>shell?)  Also, does anyone have any info on the conductivity/heat
>dissipation of zinc?
>
>	Thanks,
>	       Ryan Ries
>                   http://spud.pureinsanity-dot-net

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