Tesla Coil Build Thread

[Speedy78]

Update on the coil.

Tried to use the big toroid again but I was getting more of that corona. This time a couple zips of electricity to the now lacking striker ail primary. Back to the onetesla toroide, which just looks absurd btw, and back to the similar results I had the other day. Messed around with the gap and tap points by ear and sight and found a nice area where I'm starting to get the roar. Have about 12 " into air now without strike rod. They seem to grow slightly but never thicken up. My clamp on the primary tap broke so no more testing tonight. Need to get another clamp.

I can not find a good way to hook 10ga to 4 ga. I ended up using small hose clamps on 4 locations. Even held the clamp to the wire with one. I just can't figure out any other way to do it. So any help there would be awesome. I really want to use that big toroid. May have to swap over to a pancake primary. Also may rework my mmc to require a less turn primary. Saw a YouTube video with a 12x30 and he had maybe 12 turns. He had a rsg but that shouldn't matter. I I had even half the output he had I would be satisfied for now.

 

[Sigurthr]

I still think your NST is at fault at this point.

Oh.. you did remove the enamel from the ends of the secondary wire, right? Dumb question but you never know.

As for the 10 to 4 ga, you can solder it using a propane torch, just don't expose the finely threaded 4ga to direct flame. We used to repair welding cables by soldering with a small oxy-acetylene torch set to a reductive flame (similar to a propane torch).

 

[Speedy78]

Yeah I sanded them down to copper and soldered to plates. There's one with a bolt on the bottom and the top one is connected to the bolt that holds the toroid on. I'm all out of acetylene sadly but have a 125 of o2 lol. Maybe my small butane touch can put enough heat into it? I can try to ghetto rig the 7.5 on there tomorrow. Either way I don't know why the big toroid likes the primary so much .

 

[The Lightning Stalker]

One thing you can do is go down in steps. 4 to 6 or 8 and then 8 to 10, but probably not the best thing
for a Tesla coil

You could also manufacture an adapter if you have some copper bar. I would drill out each end to
accommodate the wire gauge going into that end. Then cut some pieces of solder and put them into
the adapter and the rest is just like the video. You could also pinch some copper water pipe and do it
that way, but copper pipe isn't made from electrical grade (high purity) copper and it wouldn't look as
good.

 

[Speedy78]

I can try something like that. Just hard with so many connections. And then the primary connection as well.

 

[DashApple]

Went for it , 5 turns on primary , resonance 950Khz , output 7.5 inch arcs from 2 x 3 inch secondary , 5Hhz rep rate , Smoothed DC supply , Half bridge .

I need more xD

 

[Speedy78]

Video is 404 for me

 

[DashApple]

Video is 404 for me

Strange , does the direct link work ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PgmTvBKbcs

 

[Speedy78]

Sure does. That thing is impressive for being so small and currently has more output then my sgtc lol

 

[DashApple]

Sure does. That thing is impressive for being so small and currently has more output then my sgtc lol

Thanks , Once your SGTC is tuned fully it will beat this by miles xD .

I did just destroy the secondary , 1Kw CW didn't go down to well but the 6" fire like arcs were worth it : D , so im using another 2" x 2.8" secondary and getting the same 7"+ arcs in pulse mode .

Think I need to remove some more primary turns >: D

 

[Speedy78]

No video of the fiery arcs?

 

[DashApple]

No video of the fiery arcs?

Unfortunately No , wasn't recording it when it happened , may try it when I make another secondary : D

 

[The Lightning Stalker]

Went for it

Incredible. Is there anything special about the wire you're using on the secondary?

 

[DashApple]

Incredible. Is there anything special about the wire you're using on the secondary?

Thanks , Nope , its just standard enamelled copper wire on a cardboard tube covered in insulation tape .

 

[Sigurthr]

More excellent work, Twirly!

What some folks may not realize is that a half bridge in 220/240V land operates at the same output levels as a full bridge here in the US for a given Resonator parametric. Low impedance primary running on such a high DC bus voltage means long sparks =).

I just find it amazing all that flammable insulating tape doesn't go up in flames, lol.

 

[Speedy78]

Did some work today but didnt get a chance to run it.



New primary tap. Bent it around a .25" drill bit so its a nice solid grip.


The copper mounts kept sliding around with all the gap adjustments and i stripped a bolt. So they got soldered down. Took a hell of a lot of heat to heat up something meant to stay cool. Did ended screwing up most of the fins though but when it cooled they re attached themselves.


4ga primary circuit!


10ga hooked up to each string on the MMC and then to the 4ga.


Same with the top half. Vinyl tap is there because i melted the hell out of some of the insulation and it looked like hell.


My inner turn connection is still a clamp. Cant get in here with any heat without melting the secondary or the base.


My ground plug. All 3 terminals are hooked to the incoming ground off the secondary. Coiled up wire is to the strike rail that I took off.


Main coil ground. 10x3 all soldered together at the end.


Strike rod. Hooks into RF ground along with main coil ground.


Primary is 3 sets off copper tubing. Originally had an insert that was "soldered" to each piece. Now there is an external sleeve making the connection that much better.



Gap is set smaller and I'm running the dryer vent ducting toroid to free up my onetesla. Hopefully I can get this tuned. I did manage to get semi decent results the other night but I doubt I was anywhere near in tune or had the proper gap setting.

Standby for tomorrow night