PG13
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38
Advanced Plasma Ball
I have not tried this yet, so I leave it up to the experimenter to figure this one
out, but these are some ideas to play with. It involves using special gas,
possibly a vacuum pump, and some materials that may be difficult to get a hold
of. Anyway, here are my plans, and if you get it to work, post your findings on
the Ramsey Electronics BBS.
What you’ll need:
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Glass Dome used for lighting. I have seen these on driveway lights up to
about 10 inches in diameter. Get the biggest one you can find. Supposedly
lighting supply houses should be able to locate one.
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A vinyl sheet 1/2 inch thick, and large enough to cover the open end of the
glass dome.
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A metal sphere about 1” in diameter or so. These are tough to find, but I
have seen a rash of stainless steel balls for garden decorations (instead of
glass), so try the local garden store. Also a solid metal Christmas ornament
may work if you can find one.
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If you were unsuccessful finding a metal sphere, use a 1/2” diameter
smooth metal rod (preferably brass or aluminum), and round one end to a
semi-circle. Otherwise use 1/8” rod up to the sphere instead.
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A U shaped wood routing hand tool that has a shape approximately that of
the lip of the glass dome.
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Silicone RTV tub sealer.
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Small tube fittings (aquarium hose and fixtures may work) to mount into the
vinyl to be sealed. Many arrangements will work here, so it is up to you.
What to do:
1. Place the dome on the Vinyl sheet. Trace a circle around the outside of
the glass dome.
2. Find the center of the circle, then use a compass to trace a new circle
that approximates the inner circumference of the glass dome.
3. Use a wood routing tool that has a shape of a U to carve a relatively
deep channel (1/8” deep to 1/4” deep) staying between the circles you
made. This must be clean and even for a good seal, so periodically check it
with your dome to make sure you are in line.
4. Drill a hole in the center for your rod to go through, but make the hole
barely large enough for the rod to fit. The tighter the better. If you have to
hammer your rod through, that is optimum.
5. Hammer in your rod and ball assembly, so the ball will reside
approximately in the center of the dome, or the end of the rod is in the
center.
Summary of Contents for PG13
Page 24: ...PG13 24 PG13 SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM...
Page 42: ...PG13 42 Component Placement...