Re: FW: Unpotting a France 12/30

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Frank <fxrays@xxxxxxxxxx>

As a suggestion,
I would not use diesel to remove the final remnants of tar.
Diesel LOVES water and is also leaves an oily residue.
You could actually trap moisture back in the windings when you are done.

The best solvent to use is Kerosene. It will 
evaporate and not leave a film, will not attract 
water and is less viscous so it penetrates those small areas better.

Gasoline works well to but it is too dangerous and hard on the body!

Frank

At 11:36 PM 2/27/2007 -0700, you wrote:
> Original poster: "Jim Mora" <jmora@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Hello List,
>
> I searched the archives and read Richard Quick?s 
> methods. Generally he did not recommend trying 
> to unpot a neon in the case as the transformer 
> is not attached to it and the wires get broken. 
> Hmm, I easily chipped off the asphalt off the 
> top of the transformer. Then I took an 8? C 
> clamp and thread side up clamped the transformer 
> in place. This makes for a handy handle. I then 
> fired up the barbeque. I had to set it in the 
> lava stone to close the cover. In the time it 
> takes to slow cook a thick steak, I had all the 
> asphalt melted and drained out, no wires 
> disturbed. It is now marinating in Diesel fuel. 
> The trick will be to remove some shunts while in 
> the case, mayhap I will have to drill a couple 
> of holes through the side and then plug them???
>
> Regards,
> Jim Mora
>
>
> ----------
> From: Jim Mora [mailto:jmora@xxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 6:43 PM
> To: 'Tesla list'
> Subject: Unpotting a France 12/30
>
> Hello,
>
> I have a couple of France 12/30?s. I want to 
> un-pot one of them (some of the tar is cracked 
> and likely leaky) and remove a few shunts to 
> make a cap charger with a 5x multiplier. A newer 
> 15/60 works just fine with some serious humming­ 
> fast and weighs three times the France! I am 
> wondering if I can keep the France in the 
> original tank and carefully heat it in a gas 
> powered BBQ. Ideally, I would like to pour 
> molten tar out and soak the tranny in diesel, or 
> gasoline to dissolve the rest. I guess I will 
> have to remove the core to knock out some shunts 
> and hopefully be able to reconnect the HV bushings.
>
> If I can leave it in the original tank, I would 
> melt some paraffin and Vaseline together and 
> repot it in that. Hopefully I can squeeze 40 or 
> 50 ma out of it and current limit the cap input 
> which would likely be just right. I know this is 
> a well covered thread; but, has anyone 
> successfully done this using a similar method? I 
> would be open to mineral oil which probably 
> sinks away the heat better, but the on time 
> should be no more than a couple minutes.
>
> Thanks Much,
> Jim Mora