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World's Smallest Jacob's Ladder: LOW voltage Climbing arc

Step 3Bending the wires

Here you will bend the wire so it can create the electrical arc.

Now take the screw driver and/or pliers and bend the wire so they just touch and have it tapperd to about 1-2 mm. Then plug the tranformer in and see if it arcs, if doesnt keep it plugged and just keep pushing the wires closer till it gets a yellow/blue/white spark going across. Be extremely carful here and don't touch the wire with youhand only the screwdrivers insulated handle, if you do that you will not get zapped or hurt.Don't do that with a high voltage Jacob's Ladder. Then tape it at the top to keep together(unplug transformer before that). You don't have to tape it but it will help keep the wire together in the future.

If the spark/arc doesn't stay just keeping pushing the two wires together! That is just how easy it is to make a jacob's ladder. Make sure not to keep it running for more than 5 minutes with out allowing it to cool down otherwise permanent damage may occor to transformer. The train transformers aren't desgned to have the full voltage being pulled out of them constantly because normally they will just run small light accesiories.

Please post any questions for me to answer to the best of my ability.

Warning: DON"T TOUCH THE ARC IT MAY HURT YOU, also the wires will be hot after the current has been through, so wait 1 minute or so to let it cool down.

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Author:froggyman