Miniature Wimshurst Machine

See this small homemade Wimshurst machine in action. The discs are 15cm in diameter. A CD disc is shown for comparison.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• wimshurst
• sparks
• high
• voltage
• electricity
• static
• electrostatic
• science
• education
• teacher
• classroom

[enadon1]

what materials can you use to make the disk, I have a perfect piece of PCV but I dont know if it will work.

[magx1]

I used plexiglas, but many insulating materials will work. Material must be clean. Coating with shellac helps to insulate. Where did you obtain a flat piece of PVC? The only PVC I know about are in the form of PVC pipes. But yes, PVC should work. If you have any trouble, let me know: I can help you debug your machine if you cannot get it to work in the beginning.

[zhhyr]

zezimashock. Cd's= no good.

The film on them is semi-conductive at high voltages. Old 45 records would be better. Rule of thumb... if you can rub the disks on a wool sweater or such, and build up a static charge, the might work..

Glass seems ideal but it has iron in it.

Look at the edge of a piece of window pane and it has a greenish hue. That's iron. Metal = conductivity. Not ideal.

peabody asks if the disks spin in opposite directions. YES They have to !

Make everything adjustable !!!!

[magx1]

Cd's will work if you remove the conductive film. Glass works, but only if used in a very dry environment, or if coated with shellac. I've used both glass and CD's in the construction of my machines.

[zhhyr]

VERY efficient ! I made one with 32 inch

disks of 1/4 inch plexiglass. Then hooked up an OLD printer motor to it so I wouldn't have to crank it, freeing both hands to play. 4 inch STRONG sparks sent my old RCA camcorder into spastic fits from 5 feet away !! I cracked 3 layden jars so far !

With the layden jars disconnected, flourescent lights glowed as well as my tv screen with the power OFF ! Such fun !!!

[magx1]

Thanks.

I've made big machines and I've made motor driven ones. I've built and sold them - other kinds also (not just the Wimshurst). I use electrostatic generators with my laser experiments (anywhere a source of extremely high voltage is needed).

Stay away from tv screens, CRTs, and anything with a vacuum. Dangrous X-rays will result from the high voltages produced by these machines.

[patelprincess1995]

could you let me know what materials u used and how u made this please and thank you

[karlbiper14]

como lo hiciste?

[thelth88]

hey there, if you add some magnets on your disks they would spin themselves, also creating free energy

[enadon1]

oh, thanks. not sure what its from but in plastic packaging I found a pvc disk. if you rub cloth against it you can get your hair to stand up.

[WhiteLiteProduction]

umm i wana make this for my science project and i want to know how can i make it and how much does this all cost?

[zhhyr]

You wrote."anywhere a source of extremely high voltage is needed".

thanks for the speedy reply !

High voltage is just fun and tinker toys to me. Nice that you have a serious use for it. I'm gonna get that old wimhurst machine outta the garage and make it good again. I miss the cosmic aura it creates along with creating that unmistakable smell of OZONE.

Gotta replace the old tin foil sectors though. I used solder wick for brushes.

It wears out the thin foil fast.