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Re: Primary Q's and Spark Gaps



In a message dated 95-12-08 12:14:12 EST, tesla-at-grendel.objinc-dot-com writes:

>Subject: Re: Primary Q's and Spark Gaps
>
>Malcom:
>	Good to hear from you and this is interesting correspondence.
>I just have to get some of Richard's videos!  As far as the little
>coil goes, main improvements have been in making bigger toroids
>and cleaning up the setup, which is still FAR from decent, with
>long #18 leads from the capacitors, etc.  Not proud of the primary,
>which is Richard's rightly despised "vertical helix", but it's
>very easy to build.  I have been trying to figure out how to 
>do a neat job of winding conical or saucer-shaped primaries.  How
>do you "big boys" do it so it looks good?
>Ed

Ed,

I made my plastic supports for the primary at a local plactics shop.  I am in
the golf car business and he makes all my windshields for me.  First I spent
quite some time designing them to provide the 30 degree raise and 3/8"
spacing.  Then we made a router jug so we could cut them all out exactly the
same size.  You could certainly cut them individually on a band saw.  They
are made of .25" thick acrylic.  Then we set up his Bridgeport mill and cut
the slots into each piece to hold the copper tubing, indexing each piece so
the copper tubing would naturally sprial up as it was wound.  Then I drilled
1/8" dia holes just under each slot and used these holes to tie the tubing
down with waxed lacing cord as I worked it into place.  All the supports were
then glued to a large acrylic circular piece with a hole in the center for
the primary.  It took a while to make all the parts and assemble them.  It
took 5 hours straight to wind the coppper tubing into the form and tie it all
into place.  Sure looks good though.

Ed Sonderman