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Re: [TCML] Polyurethane Finish Questions (update)



Thanks for all the useful responses.  I opted for mineral spirits and a clean shop cloth, which removed most of the dirt.  However, several water stains refused to come out.  This secondary (4" x 24", 28AWG) was on the floor of my garage during Katrina.  It has been in storage ever since.  It was in a plastic bag, which I thought was waterproof.  I was mistaken.  The water stains looked like s###.  (Me, looking disgruntled).

I wiped the thing again thoroughly with mineral spirits, gave it a fresh coat of oil-based clear gloss polyurethane, and went to the neighbor's for a long coffee break.  Went I got home, I mounted said secondary on my new SGTC pedestal, and excited it with two 9/60 NSTs and a sucker gap.  Sparks were disappointing, but it worked.  I replaced the little 4" drainpipe toroid with a monstrous 9" x 30" donut, and streamers went to 36" or so.  It needs finer tuning, and "k" needs tweaking.  Even so, I salvaged a neat-looking secondary, and got first light on my new coil.  Not a bad night's work!  Cool--I'm tired of Katrina taking things from me.

(Me, now looking gruntled),

Greg


--- On Tue, 4/21/09, BunnyKiller <bunnikillr@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: BunnyKiller <bunnikillr@xxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [TCML] Polyurethane Finish Questions
> To: "Tesla Coil Mailing List" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2009, 9:30 PM
> Hey Greg...
> 
> for cleaning purposes, stick with a soft cloth and a mild
> soap. any type 
> of "solvent based" fluid will eventually dry out
> the finish and create a 
> dull sheen, or worse, remove the coating..
> 
> its really not the dielectric quality( i consider
> dielectric factor more 
> apt to capacitor usage)  of the coating you need but more
> the insulative 
> factor, protective layer, and visual
> "prettyness"...  if metallic 
> particles are infused in the coating, it may increase the
> potental of 
> secondary arcing...
> 
> Scot D
> 
> 
> G Hunter wrote:
> 
> >What's the safest way to clean a secondary coil
> coated with oil based polyurethane?  I have paint thinner
> and also denatured alcohol on-hand.  Should I buy turpentine
> or mineral spirits?  I don't want to ruin the glossy
> finish.  I just want to clean off dust, dirt, and
> fingerprints.
> >
> >I've also recently read that polyurethane oil
> finishes may contain metallic drying agents, including zinc.
> Metals in the varnish? Seriously? Why doesn't this ruin
> the dielectric qualities of the cured poly?
> >
> >Cheers,
> >
> >Greg
> >
> >
> >      
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> >
> >  
> >
> 
> 
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