Inductor question

To: tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com
Subject: Inductor question
From: Richard Quick <richard.quick-at-slug-dot-org>
Date: Wed, 11 Sep 1996 03:37:00 GMT

I was talking about ballast inductance:

RQ> I am still leaning towards the classic induction coil method
RQ> of purchasing a spool of soft iron bailing wire, cutting the
RQ> wire into sections, coating them, and tightly binding the cut
RQ> sections into a bundled core.

RQ> Any additional information by other experimenters would be
RQ> appreciated.

Quoting richard.craven-at-mkbbs.co.uk: 

> I recommend using an old variac. If you cut the windings off an
> 8A variac, you then have a long magnetic path length which is 
> easily utilised. You can hacksaw through the core in around 
> 5-10 minutes. When  you have done so it is an easy task to open
> up the sawcut with a bolster chisel, to give you a gap that is,
> say, half an inch wide.

This is an oft suggested method, and modified as you suggest it
is very workable. The problem I have is coming up with an old
variac, destroying it, then spending the time to rework it into a
custom inductor. For me, old variacs are worth more as variacs,
unless of course they have the windings blown out already and I
could pick it up for free... Still I thinks I could restore a
blown variac with less effort than you describe re-working one
into an inductive current limiter (ballast).

Very workable suggestion, just not my style.

Richard Quick


... If all else fails... Throw another megavolt across it!
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