MOT stepdown using HV coil as primary

[Marco Polo]

I've found lots of links about cutting out the HV coil from a MOT and using it as a low-voltage supply, but not much about driving the HV coil and using the LV coil for moderate current.

It's OK to wire the HV coil as primary using 120/240 volts in, right? I figure if the HV winding can tolerate kilovolts, it should be able to tolerate 120/240. The high turns/volt in the HV coil should mean that core saturation isn't an issue.

Presumably one could cut out the LV coil and replace it with a few turns of heavy cable and get even more amps. The only issues should be wiring it properly and limiting/ballasting the mains input to something sensible e.g. 2 amps.

Am I close, or way off? Rather ask and look dumb than get electrocuted and look even dumber.

 

[Cyparagon]

Yeah, that'll work, but why? That'll get you like 7V out of the other end, and maybe 15A before the wire starts melting. You can get 7V at a hundred amps if you rewire it like everyone else does.

 

[Marco Polo]

I don't need 100A out of it. I just don't feel like hooking it up for 2kV out, because after I get bored drawing arcs with it I don't know what else to do with it, other than accidentally frying myself. Pass on that.

I would probably be better off getting a battery charger transformer, or some sort of power/welder transformer instead; apparently MOT are so bad with core saturation that even idle current is enough to overheat them.