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Registered Member #1408
Joined: Fri Mar 21 2008, 03:49PM
Location: Oracle, AZ
Posts: 679
You need only a dimmer, a NST, & a specially designed Jacob's Ladder. The object of the "Game" is to turn the dimmer up & down to walk the arc up the Ladder. Notice the design of the Jacob's Ladder, the outside coil is even as it winds around a heavier central pole. At the top of the pole is a flattened end & the coil ends in a curl away from the tip. The arc WILL walk from end to end only if you use the knob of the dimmer to control the arc. At it's peak it will spread quite wide depending upon the NST and your turning the dimmer open at the correct time. If not the arc will drop off and start again. I used a little 9K because the 15k is black and did not show up well but the arc can be quite unique with various additions, power levels, etc. The black box w/ knob contains the dimmer. (The Variac is superfluous) The tip design and the even coil are important so as to actually demand the user to turn the dimmer differently as the coil heats, and the slight movement demands differing levels of energy. If put together with care it's challenging and looks MUCH better than these pictures indicate. I really got it hopping with a variety of energy sources but if it's shielded with an acrylic tube it MAY be suitable for a classroom.... The heavier & thicker the materials, the better - to a point. You want it to respond to heat. This is a very simple and fun thing for children (supervised) to introduce them to aspects of science.
Registered Member #1408
Joined: Fri Mar 21 2008, 03:49PM
Location: Oracle, AZ
Posts: 679
Thanks! The arc moves in accordance with how much energy you give it from the knob on the dimmer & of course what you are using as a source. The little 9K NST travels the 9" length (if you don't knock out the arc & it keeps climbing) in about 8-10 seconds.. The dimmer is enclosed in the small black box & there is a small knob to allow the individual to race it or back off. I tried quite a few things as source energy. The one I liked most was an old France 15K NST but it was black and the pics REALLY didn't show up. (As it is you can't see the knob on the box: I hurried taking pic with a phone as we were going to dinner.) I tried one MOT w/ 2 caps but the arc didn't "adhere" well to the spiral potion of the ladder. I tried a pretty hot flyback but it didn't look vivid enough (it worked well however). The only thing I think would look better would be a ignition coil with a really hot driver but then you have parts to box up & I was lazy. The concept was in the design of the Ladder and the use of a device to maintain the travel (a dimmer in this case).
Registered Member #1408
Joined: Fri Mar 21 2008, 03:49PM
Location: Oracle, AZ
Posts: 679
Working on arcs for display I came across a technique in an old 1960's electronics magazine. Applying two opposing tines is said to height the field necessary for the arc to start stronger (more efficiently) and "stick" to the Ladder. For those who just LOVE a good arc demo, this concept helps quite a bit. The tines oppose each other and the sum of the longer/wider branches of the display as a whole. The pics are shoddy as it was done with a phone, but you get the idea. I tested this concept quite a bit and it indeed does help & perhaps even widen the spread!Running some halfway serious energy though such a design wil result in easier "sticking power" but will also give a viciousl "snap" to the beginning arc. This was the only way I could get some strong arcs to start as opposing shorter tines creat a field that also appears to widen the arc itself.
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Novice Quick Project: Turn a Jacob's Ladder into a Game
