11.18.09

Tesla Coil Finished

Posted in Science at 7:54 pm by Administrator

Yes, Tesla would be quite embarrassed with my most recent expedition into the high frequency high voltage world for which he is so well known. He would, however,  very likely be impressed with the amount of time and money which I have invested in a design that had so little theoretical backing.

Of course building the coil and THEN doing all the math is both, more fun, and more immediately gratifying than putting it all down on paper before you start, the end result proves to be nothing but a heavy, beautiful, device that can do little more than spatter loudly, and explode capacitors within mere seconds of being activated.

Things Learned

1. 400 turns of wire on a secondary circuit is grossly inadequete.
2. designing a primary with only 5 turns is foolhardy, especially when the resonant tap was calculated to be between 9 and 10. (Even if it is sexy)
3. My cat likes solder.
4. You can’t solder to a bolt with a normal soldering iron. It dissipates the heat too quickly, but it does get ‘flesh searin’ hot.
5. My cat hides my solder.
6. A bolt that is hot enough to melt your finger looks almost exactly like a bolt that is cold enough to pick up and put away.
7. My cat is an asshole.

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