Re: Glass Disks for the Wimshurst Machine From Hell (fwd)

[Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2003 09:51:59 +0100
From: Mike Harrison <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Glass Disks for the Wimshurst Machine From Hell (fwd)

On Thu, 24 Jul 2003 15:54:03 -0600 (MDT), you wrote:

>Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>
>
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 08:45:39 -0600
>From: John Doran <johnd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Glass Disks for the Wimshurst Machine From Hell
>
>
>Howdy!  I have an idea where you might be able to get
>inexpensive glass disks for a Wimshurst machine.
>The only trouble is, they are huge...
>
>Get replacement glass tops for a circular patio table!
>They already have a hole in the center (for the umbrella
>stand); about 2 inches in diameter.
>
>The Wimshurst machine will then have disks about
>four feet in diameter; it'll be a whopper even by historical
>standards.  Consider, though, that if you are going to
>go to the trouble of building one, it might as well be
>a big one--it probably wouldn't be that much more difficult
>to fabricate than a table-top unit.
>
>-John

Problem is that these tables will not have been designed to withstand the centrifugal force of
rotation, or bear their weight on the centre hole - I would guess they are made of toughened glass
so at a probably not-very-high speed they are likely to explode into a shower of little glass cubes.