how to make a jacobs ladder?
 

ok well i got the transformer... but i was wondering what i should use to make the wires that go up... it has to not flex on its own... but i have to be able to bend it relatively easily... and i was also trying to figure out what i should use to hold the wires in place... ive found a couple sites that talk about making them... but no one ever says what they use for those parts...

the ladder we have at my museum uses a very heavy guage of copper wire that you can get through science supply stores

well money is a big issue... a friend of mine was sayin maybe a thicker piano wire... i dunno about that... i thought that piano wire wasnt smooth... i know ive seen copper wires that would prolly work at hardware stores...

Why would you want to make one? I remember when I was a kid my brother made one. He's turn it on, we'd watch it for a minute, then turn if off. Kind of dull... Once he did "accidentally" leave an oily rag on top of it. That was fun when it burst into flames.

Anyway, if you want to make one use 12 or 10 guage copper wire. Just go down to Home Depot or Menards and buy some. I think you can buy "ground" wire which is uninsulated and ready to go.

I sued a heavy-duty oil furnace transformer and brazing rods. By changing the type of rod used, you can vary the color of the spark. Mine had leads about 3ft high and the spark would go about 75% of the way up if conditions (temp, humidity, etc) were correct.

Make DAMN certain that you SECURE it to a WIDE base. I just used the transformer as a base. It worked fine until I took it too a science fair and the extension cord it was on got stepped on. It is NO fun to catch the end of your Jacob's Ladder in the chest. It burnt two holes in my shirt front and slammed me into a wall hard enough to damned near knock me out (it did knock the breath out of me, which did not help with my recovery). My heart was hammering like crazy, and I probably escaped death by a hairsbreadth.

Be VERY careful with that much open juice.

Yep, that's how the one my brother had was made. I remembered that after I posted earlier. My dad's a welder and had some that were about 3 feet long.

You got that right! Unfortunately, the transformer was a borrowed unit and it had to be in place again by Fall. Didn't really get the chance to play with it much after it bit me.

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yeah thats what happens witha 1500V supply and some clothes hangers :D God the engineering dorms are exciting

well ive got a 13.5kv transformer... my friend whose in EE said about all its big enough for is a jacobs ladder... so thats what im gonna do with it...

I was thinking i would make a little box that the transformer goes in... and then on top i would get a couple wood screws with big heads or with washers and just tighten them down on top of the wire so i could adjust how close /far the wires are from each other.

although not exactly on subject here is a page that one of my freinds websites. he has built a couple diffent jocob's ladders, just no info on them
I'm sure if you need any info you can email him, or pm me and i can relay it to him

http://members.tripod.com/extreme_skier/tesla/