Re: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)

[Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 17:39:10 -0800
From: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)

Another case of accidental "VDG".  Back before WW2 my dad, who was an
ME prof at the University of Missouri, ran a machine shop lab for
students.  It was ancient and used line shafts and belts to drive a lot
of the older lathes and mills.  There was a belt at least 20 feet long
and 6 inches wide between the motor and the first line shaft, with a big
wire screen cage over the motor end.  When it was cold and dry in the
winter time it was common to observe fat 6" sparks between the screen
and the sprinkler pipe next to it.  Watching that got me to reading
"Electricity Books", I built my first electrophorus (sp?) and have been
at it ever since.

Ed