Primaries:

The first thing I learned is don't build your forms out of plywood  or anything even remotly conductive. My first forms were 30deg  plywood wound with 1/4" spacing and 1/4" copper tubing. They worked well at first but then again I was only running a 12000V 30ma transformer at half power with salt water caps. By the time the power was raised to the full 360W the forms were shorting out through the wood making carbon trails and catching on fire. Plexiglass is the way to go here .  As for the primary wire, use soft copper tubing  unless size prohibits.

Secondaries:

Well first and fore most don't get any wires crossed, don't get it dusty, keep the lint off it, keep the windings tight, make sure the form is smooth, clean, and dry. Keep tension on the wire at all times. Other than that there are only a few other things to do. Make sure and coat your coil, tape the coil every inch or so to keep the wire nice and tight . Also build a winding rack if you only wind one it will still be worth it.        I have read on many pages not to use wire that is smaller than #22  and I had almost become convinced of this. Then I came across  Sambarrows' tesla page. Well after seeing that I decided to give small wire a try. It was cheaper all the way around to go small! I also decided to use inexpensive magnet wire. A 1600' roll cost less than 18 US dollars from  Raidoshack. This wire worked well up to powers of 800W or so . After  that I would use heavy ins. or even double coated.                         and don't forget to coat your coil. As power goes up it it also advisable to use larger wire  . This helps prevent break out along the secondary And oh yha make sure and coat your coil !

See  links

Toploads:

Do not:

Touch the out pu of a coil!!! Make a primary coil form out of wood! Use small ground wires!! Touch the primary with out grounding out all the caps!!!!!!!!!!! Put your caps in direct parallel with your primary and the spark gap in series!!! or by by transformer:(((( Run the coil on the house ground !!!!!!!!1 or bye  bye electronics:((((

A topload can be made of almost anything made of metal. However not all are created =.. A smooth topload with no edges or points will work the best If long hot sparks are what you are after, the toroired is the preferred shape but many will work. One of my favorites is a cylinder with rounded ends. The best  way to make large nice toploads is to inflate a tire tube just untill it is firm then wrap it in long peices of foil tape  overlaping the tape about a 1/2 width. It is inportant to come across the tube face  smoth you can correct your angle on the in side of the turn . Make sure and over lap the tape pretty good. When your finished smoth the tape with a large spoon then pump some more air into the tube this will make the wrinkles pull out . Don't over do it or you will split the tape!

Free Stuff:)

Being the local "MAD SCIENTEST" can be exspinsive so here is how to get some pretty cool stuff for free. The TV: the tv is a wealth of HV componets  inside you will find a flyback ,a cascade you will also find some good caps .      Microwaves: Never run a megatron out side the microwave NEVER! The best part is the free trans former it is only 2000v or so but wire a couple together  and you can have a 4000 volt transformer that puts out hundreds of millamps or more if you want to push it! you must current limit you microwave transformers But hay thats what the large cap attached to the  transformer is for use it in series with the HV out put.      Vaccume pumps are also avalable at the dump from an old frigh or ac unit. You will have to vent the gas though :(. Look for a tall thin pump if you can find one. other than that the bigger the better.    Power resisters of the 30 to 80 ohm rang can be found at the dump also just pull the eyes out of an old stove.

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