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Path: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!sdcsvax!ncr-sd!stubbs
From: stubbs@ncr-sd.UUCP (Jan Stubbs)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers,net.misc
Subject: Re: Jacob's Ladders
Message-ID: <1188@ncr-sd.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 1-Oct-86 16:18:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: ncr-sd.1188
Posted: Wed Oct  1 16:18:07 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 3-Oct-86 06:47:06 EDT
Reply-To: stubbs@ncr-sd.UUCP (0000-Jan Stubbs)
Distribution: na
Organization: NCR Corporation, San Diego
Lines: 35
Xref: ucbvax net.sf-lovers:1644 net.misc:283

In article <1248@utastro.UUCP> butch@utastro.UUCP (Allan Butcher) writes:
>
>   Does anybody know how to make a functioning Jacob's Ladder - you know,
>the big "V" shaped apparatus that throws an arc of lightning upwards that
>was always in the mad scientist's laBORatory ???   I know you need a lot
>of voltage, but what else and how ???


I will answer this with a story about the Jacob's ladder I built as a
kid. I got a hold of a small neon light power supply which I think
was just a transformer which output about 8000 volts at about 100ma.

I took two peices of copper wire and nailed one end of each to
a wooden board. They were about 1/4 of an inch apart at the
bottom and then spread apart slowly to about 2 inches at the top.

I attached the two wires to the transformer output and plugged
it in. Presto, it began sparking across at the bottom, and the
spark slowly climbed up the ladder just like in the Frankenstein
movies. 

Suddenly it stopped. Thinking it needed adjustment I grabbed the
upper ends of the wires to press them closer together. Unfortunately
I forgot to unplug it. 


When I woke up... I had 2 little black holes in the ends
of my fingers. Moral? be careful!


Jan Stubbs    ....sdcsvax!ncr-sd!stubbs
619 485-3052
NCR Corporation
16550 W. Bernardo Drive MS4010
San Diego, CA. 92127