madlabs.info

Disclaimer: The author of these documents is an amateur, not a professional. The safety information provided in these documents should be interpreted with this distinction clearly in mind. The author hereby disclaims any liability for injury to persons or property that may result due to the construction and use of Tesla coils and other high voltage apparatus. These documents are for informational purposes only, and make no claims to its completeness or accuracy. While some of the dangers associated with the construction and the use of Tesla coils have been pointed out in these documents, other potential hazards exist. Tesla coils are inherently very dangerous devices and should only be constructed and operated by individuals familiar enough with these dangers.

So you want to build a Tesla coil?

One of the biggest problems for the would be coiler is the confusing array of choices one is confronted with when planning the project. This primer is not intended to give step by step building instructions. Rather, the intention is to help the n00b coiler decide upon what components to build and what materials to use. The focus here is simply to give the beginning coiler a place to start planning their system, and to help avoid some of the common basic mistakes.

This page assumes you know what a TC is and have at least some basic electrical experience. If you don't, click HERE for basic TC information!

And remember: Much on this page is my opinion. And I am by no means a pro coiler! So, your mileage may vary!

NOTE: These pages are still under construction.

Table of Contents:

1) Safety
2) Tesla coils, you and your neighbors
3) Determine your goals
4) Scrounging Vs Spending Money
5) Components:
A) Power supplies and Controllers
B) Capacitors
C) Secondary Coils
D) Primary coils
E) Spark Gaps
F) Safety Gaps
G) Toploads
H) RF Filters
I) Grounding