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problems with H2O
From: Mad Coiler[SMTP:tesla_coiler-at-hotmail-dot-com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 1998 6:05 PM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: problems with H2O
Coilers,
I must warn the less experienced coilers (like myself) that it isnt a
good idea to fire up a coil after a rainstorm. Well, it was only lightly
sprinkling and I had everything sealed except the box. I was presenting
my coil to the student chapter of IEEE here in Columbus, and I didnt
want the rain to ruin my presentation. The first time I fired it up
(variac at about 15%) I got a mild shock from the variac case. Closer
examanation revieled that the primary coil was shorting to the wooden
enclosure it rested on to one of the three input wires (120V). I stuck a
few plastic bags under the primary coil and slowly turned the power up.
It appeared to work normaly so I continued the demonstration with more
caution than usual. Small amounts of mosture can make wood fairly
conductive. Perhaps if wood was sealed with polyurethane or water sealer
it would be better protected against such circumstances. I would have
sealed it but didnt want to put finish on such an unprofessional box --
I ended up using plywood, whiteboard, particle board, and wafer board.
Not very uniform in appearence. My next coil will have a 'nice'
enclosure, and most of it that is touching coil components will be poly.
Tristan Stewart