Wood

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Wood
• From: Alex Crow <user-at-alexcrow.clara-dot-net> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
• Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 17:43:31 -0600
• Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
• Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

Dear All

I was looking through various posts about materials for SG boxes and
Primary supports, and I noticed that many people have said that wood is
a bad material for these purposes. However, I have used it very
successfully in my coil in all HV areas and as yet it hasn't even got
warm or displayed any kind of tracking. What I did was to soak every
piece throroughly, several times, in transformer oil. I am using 8mm
plywood for most of these bits, and I found it was quite absorbent.
I allowed this to soak in for several days, at which point I liberally
applied varnish. Due to some oil still oozing from the wood, it takes an
age to dry (think in days here) but I found that once it had done so it
set quite hard and the wood actually felt like plastic to the touch.
I tested this with my NST output, even trying to induce tracking by
using pins as electrodes and it didn't draw any current or spark. I
think that the oil must have displaced the water (2% or so, I hear) that
is common to most woods - the Xfrmr oil is very non-viscous and
penetrating - I spilt some on the concrete and thought there would be a
stain there forever, but in three or four days it had disappeared.

Anyone else have any experience with using wood at HV successfully?

Alex Crow

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