Senior Member
As far as a "how to" thread, I would be happy to help. If anyone is wanting to build a spark gap tesla coil, I would be happy to share any of my knowledge. I have been building tesla coils for about 15 years. As far as solid state coils, I am the wrong one to ask. But regular old school tesla coils... ask away!! Be warned though, like lasers, they are a money pit that will drain you completely!!
If you're the smartest person in the room, then you're in the wrong room.
Yeah, Jacobs Ladders are awesome! I have a 5KVA pole pig as seen below wired backwards to supply 14.4KV @ around 400mA. It makes one HELL of a Jacobs Ladder.
Oh, did I mention it's deadly as F&$@!
I also have a Maxwell capacitor rated .09uf @ 40KV that's as big as 2 phone books and a 5 foot tall Tesla secondary. All I need now is a rotary spark gap that won't melt in less than a millisecond and I can complete my intergalactic super death ray and make everyone here my robot zombie slaves!!
MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH!
Yes, you will all look like the Borg from Star Trek......... RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!
Senior Member
Nice pig!!!
I am running the "poor man's pig"... 4MOTs. I can get about 4KVA. But if I wired 6 MOTs in series.... haha!! 6KVA!!! Wooo!!!!!
Mine is running a rotary, you could probably hear it in the youtube vid. Tungsten... the only way to go. Information unlimited had 1/4"X 1" pure tungsten rods on sale. I have found them uber expensive on some things, and list price on others. I got my spark gap material there. Word to the wise, DO NOT build your rotary disc out of acrylic or polycorbonate it WILL melt. Use fiberglass or phenolic.
Ahhhhh, the joys of Maxwell caps. those are the best. Super low ESL. Perfect for tesla coils. Post pics when done. I wanna see.
If you're the smartest person in the room, then you're in the wrong room.
I'll tell ya. The MOT's are way smaller and you'd get more current if you series them up. Unfortunately 14KV is pushin it but I got 4 MOT's in series that blow away my pole pig in current. Around 5KV @ 600mA. Ofcourse I removed the ground from each core and polyurithaned the hell out of them.Originally Posted by absolom7691
Yeah. I've been on hold with my mega Tesla for 5 years. I waiting for money to build a proper top load and primary. My rotary spark gap is the biggest issue. I want all tungston electrodes with phenolic disk and an awesome asynchronious motor. I don't build it unless it's perfect. My personal flaw. I have lots of projects I will never finish due to my "It must be perfect" attitude.
Yeah, Maxwell caps rock! I also have a small parallel set of doorknobs that are as big as your fist, each one!
Senior Member
I am more of a functional guy myself. I try to make it look good, but I just want it to work. That is my flaw too really. It pretty much curbs me from selling anything because while it works great, the presentation isn't up to snuff. Like in my vid, I used dryer duct for my topload where a pro would use spun aluminum (many $$$$$s for those). The only thing I wanted to look good was my primary, so after it was built, I polished up the copper and then sprayed polyurethane on it (except for the 1/2" strip from the outer winding to the center where my tuning clip goes) to keep it from tarnishing. I used a flat archimedes primary configuration.
I didn't know you could run MOTs that high. I know they are about 1KW each, unless they are capable of more. Mine are still grounded to the core. I have 2 in series on each side of ground with the second xformer floating so there is really only a 4k potenial to ground from either end. They are stand alone, no extra insulation. Granted, I am only getting 8,600VAC out of them. I suppose if I wired 3 on each side of ground, I would get 12,000VAC+, but there is no way I wouldn't put those in an oil bath! The potential would be way too high.
Well, if you are a perfectionist, I can't wait to see the finished product. I love seeing them run, but they are even better when they are contructed by a perfectionist because they look great even when they're not operating!
LOL, I think we hijacked this Jacobs Ladder thread and turned it into a Tesla coil thread. Sorry things!
If you're the smartest person in the room, then you're in the wrong room.
Senior Member
I saw a "pig" on the side of the road the other day, but it was a huge ass thing, so I didnt grab it. Nice jacobs ladder and tesla coil! My goal eventually is to build a tesla coil, but right now I dont have the supplies, or money for supplies to build a good one
I was thinkin of goin back to the neon sign shop and asking for another transformer, hook em in series for 30kV. That would be a pretty cool jacobs ladder
Eh, HV is HV, dont matter in what formLOL, I think we hijacked this Jacobs Ladder thread and turned it into a Tesla coil thread. Sorry things!
Senior Member
There is Nothing like the smell of Ozone in the Morning!
I really used to enjoy using two very long rods with eyelets on top the spark would run down and the rods would push apart and then swing together after the spark ran all the way down. Much Fun as long as you have no pets or small children around!
clicking on my avatar will show the tricolor photocoagulator resonator cavity from a Lumenis Varia eye surgery medical laser, which i am attempting to refit. It originally was designed to produce 50-1500mw of 532 / 50-600mw of 659nm / 50-600mw of 561nm (Yellow)
Clicking on my Avatar will show a picture of the inside of this cavity with a 1cm bar diode in the first of 3 OEM postions & KTP holder.
Caviar Dreams on pennies, well lots of pennies.
Senior Member
Things,
"I was thinkin of goin back to the neon sign shop and asking for another transformer, hook em in series for 30kV"
Unfortunately, NSTs cannot be run in series as they are center tapped. You could run them in parallel and get more current. It will give you a way hotter and brighter arc.
I have four 12K/30ma NSTs if you want them. You would have to pay shipping (15lbs ea). I was going to sell them on eBay, but they are cosmetically not worth selling. They all work great, they just don't look good. A 1.4KW jacobs ladder would be sweet! Or they would make a great tesla coil PSU.
I also have two 15K/30ma. They would also be up for grabs if you wanted to pay shipping.
This goes for anyone out there. If you want some neon sign xformers that have a little dirt and rust on them (but all work), just pay shipping and they are yours.
Last edited by absolom7691; 11-02-2008 at 22:28.
If you're the smartest person in the room, then you're in the wrong room.
Senior Member
Things<
Just thinking about it now, your location... are you on 50hz 220VAC, or 60hz 120VAC?
If you're the smartest person in the room, then you're in the wrong room.
Senior Member
50Hz 220-240V, so I dont think they would work here
Thanks for the offer though.
I dont worry about the centre tap, I dont use it, but just thinking about it, I can see what you mean. Damn
If I hooked em in parallel, I could get 15kV @ 60ma, which would be deadly as heck, though i'd imagine a longer and hotter arc. Like those MOT's, they are only 2kV about, but due to the current you can pull like 5cm arcs off em. Unlike lasers, HV aint that expensive if you do abit of scrounging lol.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
300EVIL
