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Path: utzoo!decvax!decwrl!sun!amdahl!kim
From: kim@amdahl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Jacob's Ladders
Message-ID: <3715@amdahl.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Sep-86 18:58:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: amdahl.3715
Posted: Wed Sep 17 18:58:09 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Sep-86 03:30:57 EDT
References: <1249@utastro.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: Amdahl Corporation,  Sunnyvale, CA 94086
Lines: 40
Keywords: how to ...

In article <1249@utastro.UUCP>, butch@utastro.UUCP (Allan Butcher) writes:
>  Does anybody know how to make a Jacob's Ladder ???  You know, the big
>upright "V" shaped apparatus in the mad scientist's laBORatory that threw
>an arc of lightning up its sides.  I know that it takes a lot of voltage,
>but what else, and how ???
> 
>Allan Butcher and Dave Doss

I made one many years ago when we converted the furnace in our house
was converted from an oil-burner to natural gas.

I just took the "starter transformer" (sorry, I don't know the correct
buzz-word for it :-) ) and connected the primary to 110 volts (just like
it was it the furnace application).  Then a couple of un-bent garden
variety wire clothes-hangers ... one to each of the secondary terminals,
and that's it!

The gap at the bottom was 3/4" inch or so, and on a dry day with no air
motion, the top ends could be seperated by 4 and sometimes 5 inches.
Putting a large diameter clear plastic tube around the wireshelped
alot to curb air motion.

Be VERY SURE to io and TV
users for several blocks around.

Sure looked impressive tho ...
/kim

P.S.  The air needs to be pretty still so the heat generated by the
      arc will cause the air around it to heat up and rise.


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[  Any thoughts or opinions which may or may not have been expressed  ]
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