Be a Scientist: Bottle Electricity.

This is a quick-and-dirty method for making a Leyden Jar (an early form of capacitor) from my old friend, the 35mm film cannister.

Step 1 Tools and materials.

Tools:

Something sharp.

Scissors.

Glue stick.

Materials:

35mm film cannister

Aluminium (kitchen) foil

Wire

Sticky tape

Optional:

Proper wire strippers.

Comments

[chubawabu]

Great instructable.

[Kiteman]

Thanks!

[TheBookworm]

Quick tip: NEVER try to strip wires while your hands are covered in glue. You will end up making the wire so gluey that you cannot grab it, and your tools will be filthy. :)

By the way, GREAT Instructable

[Kiteman]

Hehe, thanks!

[Higgs Boson]

So to charge it using the CRT you would just rub the wire connected to the inside foil on the screen? could you charge a leyden jar with a fly back transformer or would it have to be an electrostatic generator?

[Kiteman]

You know when you switch a CRT on or off, and you hear a crackle? Wave the back of your hand near the screen, and you can feel the static make the hairs move on the back of your hand. That's when you "wipe" the wire across the screen.

As for a flyback, I'm afraid I don't know - I've never tried it.

[freeza36]

how else can i charge it?

[Kiteman]

Which ones have you tried?

[freeza36]

ballons don't work for me. I have yet to try my old tv

[vishal11]

Wat ll charge it

[Kiteman]

See step five - if you don't have a high-voltage source, use an old CRT or balloons.

[Electorials]

nice tutorial!
it works perfectly ;)

Thanks!

[Kiteman]

Thank you!

[think3000]

could you charge it with a plasma globe?

[lunchweek]

Thank you, great instructable. I built two of these yesterday and they're working great!

[Kiteman]

Cool, glad you like it.

[geeklord]

does a CRT monitor charge it very effectively???

[skuitarman]

put tin foil on the front of the screen then brush the wires on the tin foil, but be careful you can get A pretty nasty shock

[beehard44]

i'll revamp this leyden jar with that method but with a 1.5l soda bottle

[geeklord]

O, good idea. I thought about doing that with a plasma globe.

[freakyqwerty]

Did you try that method?

[Kiteman]

Yes - switch it on and off, then brush one of the wires over the screen. Repeat that a couple of times (more if you made a large version.

[2743]

BUT, what would happen if we hold the tin foil onfront of the crt tv screen with our bare hands?

[Kiteman]

The charge earths ("grounds") through your body instead of charging the jar.

[Coffee bean]

this applies to tube tvs right?

[Kiteman]

Yes - "CRT" stands for Cathode Ray Tube.

[Coffee bean]

thanks i was pretty sure.

[pocholox8]

could i use aluminum tape?(pls answer asap)

[Kiteman]

That should work.

(Sorry about the delay, I've been away for Christmas)

[yoyoyolilay]

 wait, what source? do you just rub the wires together? or do the wires have to be connected to something?

[the_burrito_master]

get a pvc pipe and an old t-shirt rub the pipe over the top wire. it works much better than destroying your crt tv.

[Kiteman]

Have you not read this?

...try switching your CRT TV or monitor on and off whilst brushing the screen with the centre wire, or rub balloons on your jumper and stroke the bare wire along them them pick up charge.

[NicOmbra]

Jumper?

[Kiteman]

Not easy...

[AlphaRomeo]

how about using a gas lighter - I suppose that it self is generating good are, isn't it

[AlphaRomeo]

would it be better to use some rubber gloves or stand on some wooden platform to save oneself getting hurt?

[Kiteman]

Not with this little thing - you hardly get a kick off it - but, with a big one, rubber gloves wouldn't hurt.

[AlphaRomeo]

I have been checking various high voltage instructables - can someone add safely measures that one should take - of if those are already explained - can we have the link please

[droyce4596]

the biggest safety measure in my opinion would be don't let both of your hands touch a conductive material at the same time just in-case it has a charge in it. Because the most dangerous shock is from hand to hand because it goes across your heart which could potentially stop your heart.

[Kiteman]

With this particular leyden jar, no special measures are required.