[TCML] Coil forms, any good?

[Mddeming at aol.com]

Hi All,
 
    One note of caution. Some thick-wall PVC  pipe is marked "CELLULAR CORE", 
and close inspection will show an inner and  outer layer of hard PVC and a 
center layer of slightly off-white stuff that  looks like extremely high-density 
Styrofoam. It has been reported that this  type, if stored outdoors, can 
absorb water into the core section and needs  to be dried like lumber and the ends 
sealed before use, or you may get  into trouble. Some folks have oven-baked 
it at low temperature or used a hair  dryer, some have kept it in a low 
humidity room for weeks and checked the  core ends with a woodworker's moisture 
meter, and a few have used  it as is, with no reported trouble, but I thought I'd 
mention it.
 
Matt D.
 
 
 
In a message dated 1/15/08 8:46:31 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
otmaskin5 at aol.com writes:

Got it -  thanks.


-----Original Message-----
From: Lau, Gary  <Gary.Lau at hp.com>
To: 'Tesla Coil Mailing List'  <tesla at pupman.com>
Sent: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 7:13 pm
Subject: RE:  [TCML] Coil forms, any good?



If the pipe were 100% PVC, there  would be no problems.  But with either thin 
or 
thick wall PVC, one  runs a small risk of there being a spec of conductive 
flotsam just beneath  the outer surface that could cause a short between the 
potential of a few  turns.  If you stick a light bulb inside a piece of thin 
wall 
pipe  you may see this.

But I've used nothing but PVC pipe and never had a  problem.  For the 
majority of 
us that pay for pipe, PVC is the only  economical choice.  I don't know if 
thin 
or thick walls alter the  risk of conductive flotsam.  I was able to do the 
light 
bulb thing on  a piece of very thin-wall 4" SDR pipe, but I've not seen 6" 
pipe 
thin  enough to be translucent.  Odds are it will be just fine.

Regards,  Gary Lau
MA, USA







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