RE: Transformer solvent soaking questions & safety

["Tesla list" <tesla@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Original poster: Nick Andrews <nicothefabulous@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Matt,

I would put it outside if you have a gas water heater or furnace or 
dryer in the garage to eliminate any fire hazard.  I think you'd be 
okay with kerosene vs gasoline, but best not to take a chance.

Nick A "You know what I wish?  I wish all the scum of the earth had 
but a single throat, and I had my hands about it."  Rorschach, 1975 
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary 
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."- Benjamin Franklin, 
Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759 "Be polite.  Be 
professional.  But be prepared to kill everyone you meet."  Anonymous 
"I believe that if you can't find something nice to say about 
somebody, then you must be talking about Hillary Clinton."  Jeff Foxworthy


----------
> Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:58:20 -0600
> To: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> From: tesla@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Transformer solvent soaking questions & safety
>
> Original poster: "M G" <gt4awd@xxxxxxxxx>
>
>
> A few weeks ago I melted most of the tar out of a damaged fraceformer
> 15kv/30ma NST. One of the high voltage insulators was damaged during
> shipping, and there is a problem with the core, most likely just
> carbon tracking in the tar. The transformer was a warrentied NST. I
> was able to remove most of the tar, but a good amount still remained.
> The transformer core is still in the case, because it would not budge
> after the heating process. Today I started soaking the opened case in
> a large galvanized steel container using kerosene. Right now the
> container is in the garage soaking, with a thick plastic cover over
> it. Should I move it outside for safety reasons? The garage door can
> be left slightly cracked for ventillation.
>
>
>
> I have no meters to test the actual output of the transformer, but I
> did test it before and after the heating process. Before, the output
> would not climb a jacobs ladder past about half an inch separation.
> After, the arc was able to reach the top, about 2.50" separation. My
> first transformer, a 9kv 30ma Allanson, seems to still output more
> secondary current the the mostly unpotted franceformer. The
> Allanson's electrical arc is a lot louder, and thicker, than the
> fraceformers. The franceformers arc also seems to have a wierd sound
> to it. Almost as if the arc is oscillating, cutting in and out really fast.
>
>
>
> After removing most of the tar during the heating process I found
> that the core only had one side grounded. At each end of the core is
> a attached small "eye" connection. Only one side was grounded to the
> case. This may be normal, but it is my first time unpotting a
> transformer so I would not know. Some time ago I remember reading a
> website that showed the depotting process of an old damaged NST. The
> person decided to setup the transformer to be ran ungrounded, giving
> the full voltage output of the transformer. To do this, if I am
> remembering correctly, he first removed the NST core ground to case
> connection, and then rectified the output to direct current. Does
> this sound like a good idea? Would my coil setup have to be
> redesigned into a DC coil in order to use a transformer with
> rectified output? Can the NST be ran without being rectified,
> ungrounded, and some shunting removed or is it likely to just burn up?
>
>
>
> If you have any replies to the safe use of kerosene please reply
> offlist. I would like to get any information as soon as possible to
> avoid any dangers. Replies to the transformer questions can be made
> on list, as the transformer will be soaking for a few days.
>
> Thanks a lot,
>
> Matt G.
>
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