"The Machine": Jacob's Ladder (high voltage arc generator) prop

This device was made specifically for the 2010 independent theater production of "FROGWOMAN" at Soul Invictus Theater in Phoenix, AZ. The device consists of a 9Kv/15A transformer from an oil-fired boiler, Power surge relay override, two 18" 6 gauge copper electrodes, and various hardware. It's built upon a segment of Plywood covered in Vinyl and treated with a spray-on neoprene treated black paint to resist grounding. The glass insulator is made up of two glass tubes adhered together with epoxy, and the power source is controlled by a power strip (with the power surge relay I decided to run it straight off the power strip to make it simple and safe for the actors to use and to make the device very simple in operation that way if something went wrong, no one would be hurt).

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• DIY
• Tesla
• Jacob's Ladder
• High Voltage
• Theater
• Fringe Theater
• electrical projects
• Make
• Sci-Fi
• indie

[godlessdustin]

Sweet, asid from looking cool, what is it good for?

[neothespian]

@godlessdustin

Not really much It's more a physics experiment by controlling a "short" over a distance. When you hook up the ends of the electrodes to the transformer, potential voltage exists between them. The air in between the electrodes acts as a dielectric. When the potential becomes great enough the power from the transformer overcomes the dielectric and jumps, turning the air between into plasma, which rises and causes the arc to rise as well until the gap becomes too great to connect

[trekiegirl]

we have one of thoughs at work, very cool wicked device indeed.