RE: Geek Gap Mark-1

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "sundog by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <sundog-at-timeship-dot-net>

Hi Chris, All

 Yep, the tiny grinder-like sparks seem to be the norm on with
tungsten-carbide.  My SRSG (before it took a streamer hit and died, i have
no luck with that), uses 1/4" tun-carb for the stationary electrodes and
1/8" for the flying electrodes.  At 3-4kva I get a somewhat steady stream of
the sparks, but they only seem to come from the flying electrodes.  There
was no excessive wear of the electrodes though.  They're holding up
beautiful.

 Since the SRSG died, I'm building a triggered gap with the SRSG parts
(minus the motor).  Hopefully I'll have the chance to fire it off this
weekend.  Marc is avaiting the results of a good high-powered pounding, and
I got a brand new 4" coil completed to run it on ;)  Now...just to scrape up
the free time....
												Shad


-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
Sent: Friday, April 13, 2001 6:10 AM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Geek Gap Mark-1


Original poster: "Christopher Boden by way of Terry Fritz
<twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <chrisboden-at-hotmail-dot-com>

After about 2 years of using the "Crap Gap Model-1" Model-2 Model-3...etc
The Geek Group has not only produced a wonderfully working static gap, but
another work of art :)

I was setting Project Sam up today (our 6" coil) for a Monday demonstration.
Since the demo is for a TV interview I like to have it all set up and
tweaked DAYS before they get there with cameras. This way when something
blows up I have a weekend to fix it, and it seldom happens on camera (I've
learned this from experiance, yes). There is NO way to predict kids or coils
if you're on camera.

I had everything all set up, simple, low power setup. 1 bank of the 12kV
MMC, a pair of 12-60's, and there....that hideuous CrapGap Mk-3. I had to do
something about it. I removed it and started looking around the building.

I scrounged one of the big phenolic disks, about 8" dia by 1.5" thick.
3 pieces of diamond shaped Tungsten carbide from the batch Marc M. sent
over.
2 4" pieces of 1/4-20 brass threaded rod, leftover from the MMC weekend.
and a 6"dia x 8" tall station post insulator.

And a 4" muffin fan, plus a few bits of wire.

A quick stop at the nut and bolt store and then off to work.

After 5 hours in the shop, working with Lynn and Nicole it was finished
(I'll post pics to the site in a day ot 2) and it's as beautifull as the
other new parts of the coil. It really looks like some weird sculpture.

I ran back to Sigma-6 and immedatly fired it up in Sam. The electricians
were still there working on the new 480 service for the elevator and were
rather impressed by what a Coil can do.

btw, they think we're nuts.

I noticed right away how incredibly LOUD this thing is. WAY louder than any
of our previous gaps. It took only a few seconds to set and runs smooth and
solid with the safety firing every couple seconds. I did notice something
I've never seen in our gaps before, little sparks (like from a grinder,
comet type sparks) shooting from the gap every now and then. I think it's
the cutting rake blowing off from the electrodes (the rake is very thin at
the top) and wasn't concerned.

The other thing I'm noticeing is this thing wants T O R O I D! and bad!

I put the 28 X 3 on, then an inverted salad bowl, then a pair of bowls one
on top of the other, the top inverted (all the bowls are about 16" and
hemispherical) and then even got the art-deco metal screen trashcan, pencil
holder, and cup from my office! and I'm STILL getting multiple smallish
arcs. a breakout point on top of the pile gives me 2' arcs to the ceiling
beams.

Tonight I'm making a chicken-wire toroid :)


What do you think of using a 30gal tin trashcan as a topload? With all the
garage coilers out there I KNOW someone has tried this. Mine is a 5gal and
worked great :)

Have fun!

Christopher A. Boden Geek#1
President / C.E.O. / Alpha Geek
The Geek Group
www.thegeekgroup-dot-org
Because the Geek shall inherit the Earth!

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