Re: Brass Corona Rings

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: David Speck <dave-at-davidspeckmd-dot-org> 

Gerry,

Shops that repair lamps and lighting items will stock brass tube in a 
variety of sizes, though most of what I've encountered is hard drawn 
brass.  It might be possible to anneal it.  I know you can soften copper by 
heating it to a red heat and quenching it on water (works the opposite of 
tempering steel).  I'm not sure the same works for brass, it being an 
alloy, but a metalworking reference might be able to help you out there.

Bending it into a ring without kinking it would be a challenge, though you 
might be able to fill the tube with a hard wax, bend it around a wood 
mandrel, and then melt out the wax.  It may also be possible to fill the 
tube with hard packed sand instead.

Just be sure to leave a gap in the ring to keep it from acting as a shorted 
turn.

HTH,
Dave


>I'm looking to make a corona ring for my big 8x36 coil and I think it 
>would look cool if it were made out of brass.  Is there such a thing as 
>soft brass tubing like the copper tubing that we use?  I'm thinking 3/4 or 
>1 inch diameter (minor) and making the ring 11 or 12 inches in diameter 
>(major).
>
>Gerry R