Re: Safe parameters for stupid human Tesla coil stunts

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Sue Gaeta <sgsparky@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi,
It's probably more likely due to the the small capacitance formed by your 
hand, the conductor, and the insulation on the wire. This is nothing at 
60Hz, but if you start playing with H.V. inverterters that use much higher 
frequencies, more current is transferred and the effect becomes even 
greater. I have had silicone insulation rated for 75KV actually break down 
with only 5KV at 50KHz (No, not to my hand!). It made a nasty little burn 
hole in my carpet!

Tesla list <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Original poster: "Black Moon"

Heh. 'feeling' power is a very intresting experiance.. Ever grab a live
15kv NST wire? (with 15kv insulated with + perferabley another layer!) you
can actualy feel the 60hz vibration caused by (I assume?) static charge

>From: "Tesla list"
>To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: Safe parameters for stupid human Tesla coil stunts
>Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2004 08:05:58 -0700
>
>Original poster: "Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz"
>
>Tesla list wrote:
> >
> > Original poster: "Harold Weiss"
>
> > I tried something like that with one of my older coils, only that I was
> > touching the grounded point of my "gator stick" so that the point was
> > presented first. When I started seeing corona on the tip I stopped, as I
> > could feel every time the spark gap broke and the varying power of each
> > bang, and it felt like being ungrounded and touching a hot AC line. The
> > fact that it felt like 60 Hz should send up warning flags.
>
>The most dangerous may be what you don't feel. When I made my first
>coil, I tried to see if I could pull an arc to a screwdriver, holding
>it by the end of the plastic handle. Should work, due to the high
>frequency. And really it worked, an arc jumped to the screwdriver,
>across the handle, and carved a little black hole in my hand...
>Ok. Let's then avoid contact with the arc... I picked a metal ball
>and again tried to pull an arc to the ball while holding it. Worked,
>surely. And I barely could flex my fingers for the next six months
>due to the internal burns in all the joints...
>
>Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz
>