Nathan Stubblefield Earth battery/Self Generating Induction Coil Replications

[jeanna]

Jeanna:

You could weld them together by melting the wire ends but, if it were me, I would just cut the ends of the wire on an angle, match them together and solder them.  .....

PS  Depending upon your wire gauge and the size of your soldering gun or iron, you may need to use a propane torch...even a small one would do it well.

Hmm, I don't have the tools to hold the cut wires together while I weld them with a torch.
Perhaps, I will solder them first.
Actually, I will probably use the ends as they are, and see how I am doing, but from looking at lasersaber's I think it needs to be all 3 spools of copper with matching Aluminum.

I know I can't weld the aluminum, and I did not realize I could use a propane torch (which I DO have) to weld the copper. I thought I had to braze the copper.

Tell me, how long should it take to get the copper hot enough to melt?
(10 seconds or 3 minutes kind of thing -  this will tell me what kind of rig I need to set up to hold it together.)

Actually the reason I was avoiding the non welded joint,  was that I wanted to avoid a spark jumping the gap and wrecking things. Now, dcc said I could shrink wrap (the magnesium) so I think I could try that here; maybe if I solder it, shrinkwrapping will isolate any spark from the rest of the coil.

Thanks for the great info,

jeanna

[Pirate88179]

Jeanna:

Maybe I was not clear in my post.  I said you could weld them but you should just solder them instead.  A propane torch would be for soldering not welding...it is not hot enough.  If the wire is say, 10 gauge, your soldering iron may not make enough heat to solder them which is why I suggested the use of a propane torch.

We used to use propane torches when soldering our ultrasonic drills into the mounting adapter.  It works well and is just like soldering a water pipe made of copper.  Same rules apply, clean surfaces, some flux, etc.

The reason to cut the wire on an angle is to allow for more surface area contact.  These could be held in alignment in a number of simple ways.  Then, just heat the wire...apply the solder to the hot wire, watch it flow and poof...you are done.

There should be no way any spark would be made to jump in the primary but, if you are still concerned, some plastic tubing insulation over the joint would not hurt.

I'm sorry if it sounded like I said you could weld the wire with a propane torch.  Maybe Mapp gas, I am not sure but oxy-acetylene for sure.

I have soldered my windings in my Bedini coils when I ran out of mag wire.  I was told you could not join them but I have and it works just fine.

I hope I am more clear this time.

Bill

[electricme]

@ Jeanna,

I don't know how I am going to attach the 3 spools into one long one for the coil replication.
And, I still only have a short al or fe wire and need to make them longer too.

Did Lasersaber ever say what he did?

jeanna

Don't remember how he did it, but when I joined two copper wires I have 3 methods.
A clean the insulation and solder.
B BUTT join and solder or weld
C just weld with a hot flame.

As Bill mentioned, he and I spoke to each other about this very same thing just recently.

I have actually welded 2 copper wires together using oxy torch and have tried with a small propane torch, if you could feed some oxy itself into the propane brass mix area, the oxygen will defiantly be much hotter and do the weld.

You can hold the wires using 2 small alligator clips in the vice (just like I did with the cotton burn test for you), overlap the copper wires 1/8th of an inch, make sure they touch, then heat them in the middle, the wires will get red, then orange, then yellow, then you will have to remove the flame the instant the metal melts or it will form a big bead and drop out/off the wire.

You can try BUTT welding the wires, as the right temp is reached, just move one wire against the other wire the very moment the 2 beads form and remove the flame.

Next, using a small "file", file the bead back into a round profile the same size of the wires. Re insulate with nail varnish, perhaps 2 coats and then continue the winds. Don't forget to "touch up" with nail varnish where the 2 clips were holding the wires, just in case there are micro brakes in the insulation.

jim

[electricme]

@ Iota Yodi

What Im particularly interested in is the specific core material. Being that old a college with a spectrometer or other means can give you the specific chemistry makeup. If it was manufactured by a company there may even be a history of it.
Did it appear like cotton between the lamination's? Did the farmer have any info on it?

The farmer hasnt any idea about this as I havent been in touch with him since I bought the coil, but I'm pritty sure he wouldn't even know what I would be talking about if I asked him, but I am going to be in contact with him and ask how and where did he get it from.

I have already had thoughts about taking a sample to the UNI in Toowoomba and ask them if they might do a small spectrometer test on it.
I have a contact name from my old telescope making days, in the astronomy science building and will give him a phone call, see what can be done, lets hope he still works there 

jim

[electricme]

@ Jeanna

I know I can't weld the aluminum, and I did not realize I could use a propane torch (which I DO have) to weld the copper. I thought I had to braze the copper.


jeanna

Aluminium can be welded, but once again it is difficult, the trick is not to break the surface tension during the process, using too much heat, very difficult for a beginner and experience counts.


@all,
Made a boo boo yesterday, I forgot to take my coil to town with me and get some PVC pipe fittings to continue the dismantling  of this coil, duhh     , so I have to go back in again, never mind, it's gota be done, so you all have a nice sleep while I do things, ha ha.

jim