Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 (Tek) 9/28/84 based on 9/17/84; site mako.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!orca!mako!jans
From: jans@mako.UUCP (Jan Steinman)
Newsgroups: net.analog
Subject: Re: Jacob's Ladder (Furnace Transformers)
Message-ID: <801@mako.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 2-Jun-85 20:48:14 EDT
Article-I.D.: mako.801
Posted: Sun Jun  2 20:48:14 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Jun-85 01:52:51 EDT
References: <72@biomed.UUCP> <344@moncol.UUCP>
Reply-To: jans@mako.UUCP (Jan Steinman)
Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR
Lines: 19
Summary: 

In article <344@moncol.UUCP> ben@moncol.UUCP (Bennett Broder) writes:
>I have always been facinated by the Jacob's Ladder, and wanted to
>build one.  I was under then impression, though, that it required
>an expensive neon sign power supply and was pretty dangerous.

The ignition transformer from an oil-fired furnace is a neat thing to have in
your junk box.  Besides the Ladder: rectify it to make an ion generator or a
plant growth stimulator, hook it to two closely-spaced pieces of chicken wire
or harware cloth (coat with sugar water for best effect) to make a bug zapper,
etc.  Look in the Yellow Pages for HVAC shops that specialize in oil-to-gas
conversions -- they might part with one of the useless (to them) things for a
reasonable price.

As to safety, these things put out about 10 mills, which is enough to start
fibrillation if passed through the heart, but I am living testimony that the
jolt from one of these, while highly unpleasant, is not likely to be fatal!
-- 
:::::: Jan Steinman		Box 1000, MS 61-161	(w)503/685-2843 ::::::
:::::: tektronix!tekecs!jans	Wilsonville, OR 97070	(h)503/657-7703 ::::::