Ground, etc. (Re: A few Q's)

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

Original poster: "davep by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <davep-at-quik-dot-com>

Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
><jim-at-jlproduction-dot-com>
 
> Hi,
> I am using a ground rod in the yard.

> What I am doing with the cyl head is using it as a junction box per se.
> The leads coming off the secondary, safety gap, NST and Variac I wanted
> to keep short to I connected them all to the cyl head laying on the
> floor a few feet away. Then I will bolt one long lead from the cyl head,
> out to the yard where it will attach to the ground rod.

	I believe some would argue for tying the variac to the power
	line ground.

> I glass beaded (like mild sandblasting) the entire head to it is
> scale/oxidation free but it is dull in appearance.

	Al, in air, is NEVER oxidation free.  It oxidizes
	Immediately.  (The oxide is clear, so it may look
	shiny, and 'clean'.  The Oxide is fragile enough
	so that tightening a screw, etc will disrupt it.
	THAT gets a metal to metal joint, which, if tight,
	excludes the oxygen.  (typically, toughing with
	an ohmmeter probe will break the oxide: which appears to
	conduct...)

> Is this set up ok? Should I put the head on a piece of wood or
> plexi so it is not right on the same floor that I am standing
> perhaps? It is a cement floor and not dirt or wood

	Cement, in a mass (as here?) is a pretty good conductor.
	I expect current is flowing thru the cement...

> so I figured I would be ok.
 
> One other thing I wanted to ask. My secondary is just sitting there in
> the middle of my primary. Does this need to be attached somehow so it
> wont tip over or is just standing up ok? It does not seem to "tippy" but
> I didn't know if during operation it could get knocked over somehow.

	I'd figure a way to secure it.  Any little thing (air currents,
	etc) could tip it...

	best
	dwp 
> Jim
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2002 10:49 PM
> To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> Subject: Re: A few Q's
> 
> Original poster: "rheidlebaugh by way of Terry Fritz
> <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <rheidlebaugh-at-zialink-dot-com>
> 
> Let me see if I can sort things out. Yes aluminum is more lossy than
> copper,
> but less thas iron. so lets put it all in perspective. If you are making
> a
> compairison only if every thing is the same except one vairiable you can
> compair. a cylinder head is not a piece of wire it is a casting of metal
> with a large area and mass.Even a piece of graphite that size would
> conduct
> more energy than a copper wire.The earth surface resistance is more than
> that would be, so wet the ground good and use it.Or you can drive a
> copper
> plated iron stake in the ground deep enough to match the sane area of
> contact.Drive a piece of re-bar in a copper pipe and you have a ground
> stake. What ever you use is better than nothing.
>   Robert  H