RE: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)

[Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 19:53:08 -0800
From: Dave Halliday <dh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: 'High Voltage list' <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)

Find a welder with a plasma cutter - these puppies use an electrical arc
and a blast of compressed air to make __very__ clean cuts in any ferrous
metal.  The cut line is about 1/8" wide and there is zero spatter.
Great stuff!   The same welder probably could use some computer work or
they may need to have some electrical widget built so the options for
trading are good.

You could help them a lot by prepping the sphere - a lazy susan and make
a plywood disk with a hole cut in it and some double-stick foam tape to
secure the sphere.  Make it such that you only need to walk in there and
the welder only needs to hold the cutter in one place while the sphere
is rotated underneath.  Should only take about 15 minutes max.

Google plasma cutter and you will turn up about 20K entries...



> -----Original Message-----
> From: High Voltage list [mailto:hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2003 4:54 PM
> To: hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)
>
>
> Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>
>
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 11:20:41 -0700
> From: Terrell Fritz <terrellfone@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)
>
> Hi Ed,
>
> It is rock hard stainless steel, Probably need a grinder like
> a cut-off wheel in a dremal tool or die grinder.  Forget a
> hole saw unless it has cobalt alloy teeth no normal saw or
> drill bit will touch it.  Once cut, a belt sander can finish
> the edge.  I'll probably try it all an a little cheap one
> first.  If I were really desperate, I would have it waterjet cut.
>
> Cheers,
>
>          Terry
>
>
> At 10:07 PM 12/30/2003, you wrote:
> >Original poster: Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>
> >
> >
> >
> >---------- Forwarded message ----------
> >Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 14:29:54 EST
> >From: Esondrmn@xxxxxxx
> >To: hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx
> >Subject: Re: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)
> >
> >In a message dated 12/27/03 2:05:27 PM Pacific Standard Time,
> >hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx writes:
> >
> >
> > > Hi All,
> > >
> > > Many thanks for everyone's thoughts!!
> > >
> > > I will go ahead and build the thing.  It sounds just about right
> > > safety wise.  Not a toy by any means, but not like a case of
> > > dynamite either.
> > >
> > > It sounds just about right :-))
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > >
> > >     Terry
> > >
> >
> >Terry,
> >
> >What is your top load (sphere) made of and how do you plan
> to cut the
> >hole to mount it?  I have a similar sized stainless steel
> (gazing ball)
> >sphere but I have thought how difficult it would be to use a
> hole saw
> >to cut a 3" or 4" hole in it.  Heck, it is difficult just to drill a
> >hole in one of these things.
> >
> >How about a belt?  What do you plan to use?
> >
> >Ed Sonderman
>
>
>
>