How to build a Tesla Coil

Step 6 Connect Everything

Wire up everything according to the schematic below. The secondary's ground CANNOT be put to mains ground, it will fry everything in your house.

My Coil's Specs

• 599 Wraps on secondary
• 6.5 Wraps on primary

Comments

[ccoote]

Is it possible to make it produce different sounds and possibly make music?

[Mudbud]

If you can't figure out how to wire this from the diagram, you should NOT be playing around with high voltage. Please take the time and learn how.

[Evisela]

3 Things. 1. Can I use a computer power supply instead of an nst? 2. Can you write out what to connect everything to plz because I don't really understand the diagram. 3. Can you use beer bottles for the capacitors? Thanks!

[adamnsmith]

in fact it doesn't say anything about how to wire anything up

[genious123]

I agree with you....

[genious123]

Hey, seriously, this diagram shows nothing....... I need a well labelled diagram of the connections to be made. I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY NEED IT!!!!!!!! I would be gratefull if only u could mail the steps to me(please write the steps in detail and send properly labelled diagrams if possible).
mail ID: [e-mail].
hope to recieve your mail.....very soon...
i hav to build it before 27th august(It's the day i have to submit it.....)
So please help me make it!!! PLEASE.!!!!

[genious123]

Hey, seriously, this diagram shows nothing....... I need a well labelled diagram of the connections to be made. I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY NEED IT!!!!!!!! I would be gratefull if only u could mail the steps to me(please write the steps in detail and send properly labelled diagrams if possible).
mail ID: [e-mail].
hope to recieve your mail.....very soon...
i hav to build it before 27th august(It's the day i have to submit it.....)
So please help me make it!!! PLEASE.!!!!

[phooper1]

Not true, you just need to some electronics to do this, If you dont know, do not attempt to make this device. This device can and will kill you, if built large enough, and if you do not know what you are doing, so builders be weary. Large capacitors can hold charges for days. Then come hop along casadey and whack. Large currents and voltages can be generated, thats is it whole purpose. Do some research on Inductors, capacitor, the math that goes along, yes you need math to build these, cause most of all the parts you will be making are hand made unless you buy a complete kit. I have been working in the electronics field for years, and I'm leery of building one in my own home, you should be too

[adamnsmith]

well no duh it will kill me i know all about this stuff and i just found out how it really works but my transformer is broken and i need a new one where can i get one?

[kve23]

ebay

[adamnsmith]

never mind i just got one at a sign shop and i dont really trust online shopping cuz i wont know if it will really do what i want it to do

[MRBADASS]

hey, what about the safety gap? how do i make it?

[adamnsmith]

where do you connect the secondary, the primary, and the capacitors. this diagram shows nothing )=

[codplyer23]

how are the capastiors connected ti the circyt and does the off the spark gap connect to the tray

[jj.inc]

Can I use a tube tv transformer, it is a flyback transformer is why I am checking, and also how do you make a wire to tap the high voltage to send it through something.

[sadasivan]

what's the top thing and how to do it..... where is the wires connected{every wire}..pls tel me..pls

[Jaye773]

Can I use something other than the NST?

[DevCoder]

Yep, really any high voltage and low current will work, I just prefer NSTs as this is pretty much what they are made for.

[aweis]

what about a high voltage neon sighn transformer, and are not NST's for changing DC into AC, what if i am already using AC? i want to get all my questions straight before i start biulding

[lightning r fun]

can i use a marx generator instead of a transformer?

[lightning r fun]

or an ignition coil

[sarah.shuhart]

If I buy this, will it work as the NST? http://store.everything-neon.com/st9ktr.html

[DevCoder]

nope, it's solid state. look for HIGH shipping prices

[sarah.shuhart]

Like this? http://store.everything-neon.com/721-0007.html (Sorry, I don't mean to be dense about this --- I just have no idea how to shop for one of these things.)

[DevCoder]

yep, that exactly

[badassintheshadows]

why 599??? why not 600???
<-----------OCD

[Mudbud]

LOL 599, seems like an estimate especially if you wound it with a motor :P

[virtip]

some advice for all, to start off, if you want to use a battery then youre going to have to put a high frequency osscilator on it (look up "ZVS flyback driver"), second of all, for those that want to go cheap and still need good resualts, go for a flyback out of a CRT (small high voltage transformer from any tube type television) these little things produce 25 KV at around 30 milliamps, which is plenty for any small to medium sized tesla coil (and can produce even more watts with the zero voltage switching inverter i mentioned earlier), third of all, use the right kind of capacitors, the ones this instructable uses will work just fine, but electrolitic capacitors (such as those from a disposable camera) can and will detonate when used with high frequency DC (i speak from personal experience, really a spectacular thing to see.) and finnaly, be safe and have fun

[munson]

would a 12kv 2ma transformer work alright? i found one in my basement but im not sure if the amprage is too small

[bwang]

No.

[scredshirt]

Sry, scratch my last comment about the secondary, I meant how do you connect it to the base

[scredshirt]

Where does the secondary connect to? You werent really specific about what gets exactly wired where also

[crazyhalofreak]

i have a question: the copper wire that the spark jumps to from the top load, what is it connected to or is it just grounded?

[djhusi]

Hi! Nice work!
One question: can I change the frequency by changing the size of the spark gap?

[infernotommy]

Does this Tesla coil work cuz on some of the others i read on the comment and some say it dont so im just wondering

[DevCoder]

No, the frequency depends on the size of the secondary and the capacitance of capacitor bank and top load.

[djhusi]

Hmm then if I make the secondary coil variable I can make a singing tesla coil? :)
Is there a formula to calculate frequency?

[DevCoder]

If you mean something like this:

then you are looking to build a solid state Tesla coil.

[aweis]

oh ya and also, it is not the tesla coil vibrating, it is the air because they have a MIDI system i forget what it stands for, but t causes the discharges to alternate at certain rates causing different musical notes, when the electricity vibrates the air.

[aweis]

i do believe by the way that tesla coil looks it is arcattack, and yes they do have a mario theme, as well as doctor who.