Static electricity.

[sidecar_jon]

Anyone been watching (in the UK) joe al kalili's great programs on Electricity, which this week included a great synopsis of Tesler's life and battles. Its inspired my lad to want a static electricity machine. I want to encourage him but my own adventures into this area have met with stubborn failure. However last weeks program about the origins of electricity had a very simple machine, a revolving glass barrel (which looked to me to be a demijohn) Some pointed pick ups and a small dome to collect the static. Sneakily they missed out the silk/rabbit skin that rubs on the glass but i spotted that (i have seen on in the museum ). However i think my old projects foundered on problems of insulation and maybe humidity. I could make the support frame of wood but is that good enough? I think maybe i could make the barrel out of a demijohn or "polly pipe" (maybe soil pipe from a plumbers).. and one know more?

I can heartily recommend all of joe al kalili's BBC programs for inquiring minds http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00yb59m , http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00kjqch/Shock_and_Awe_The_Story_of_Electricity_The_Age_of_Invention/

[von Corax]

Ask and ye shall recieve. Make Magazine #21 contains this Remaking History article with instructions on building both a Ramsden generator (out of PVC pipe) and a Leyden jar (out of a plastic food tub.)

[sidecar_jon]

ah and thank you very much for that.....much appreciated...

[Khem Caigan]

Here are a couple of books that might prove
to be of use :

Homemade Lightning:
Creative Experiments in Electricity
by R. A. Ford
(Preview @GoogleBooks)
http://tinyurl.com/n34ssj

Electrical Experiments:
A Manual of Instructive Amusement
by G. E. Bonney
(Read / Download @GoogleBooks)
http://tinyurl.com/5rr6zhj

[greensteam]

I agree, these programmes are brilliant: exciting, fun, instructive and above all, you know they are accurate!

Keep us posted on the lightning machine!

[sidecar_jon]

My son (11) has been introduced to a van de graff geny at school, sadly "health and safety" now means he didn't get to shock his mates or even have his hair stand on end!.. so a home made machine is in order for his further education.

[Professor Bevel]

Oh, well done.  That said, my second son tells me they actually let off a small demonstration charge of thermite in his chemistry class, where in my day they only let us see a video.  (He also told me the new nickname they came up with for the chemistry teacher who taught there in my day and is still there, and it's far better than anything we came up with.  So much for the woeful state of the youth of today.  I should add that the teacher in question is, from my grown-up perspective, a skilled and committed professional and only second-best while I was there because the best guy was frankly astonishingly good, but he does have an unfortunate interpersonal manner that seems calculated to cause sniggering in teenaged boys.  I half suspect it's an act that helps him get the results he does, and I shouldn't be surprised to meet him now as an adult and find no trace of it outside the classroom.)

[greensteam]

My son (11) has been introduced to a van de graff geny at school, sadly "health and safety" now means he didn't get to shock his mates or even have his hair stand on end!.. so a home made machine is in order for his further education.

I was asked to judge a science fair at a local school last year and the stand-out winners were a couple of young lads who had made their own VDGG. The sphere was made from two stainless steel bowls from the local pound shop and an electric drill was harnessed to drive a belt to create the friction for charging up the sphere. This actually worked and was capable of making a clearly visible spark. Cost = negligible. Effect = outstanding.

[Dr. Nikola]

Static electricity is the official electricity of steampunk.  I have an old Wimshurst machine which produces a good jolt to wake one up.  A.D. Moore's book, Electrostatics, is a delightful classic and full of sound construction advice to make your own static electricity generator (the Dirod) and related paraphernalia. 

[sidecar_jon]

I notice that Our American friends can buy a Wimshurst machine for about 37 quid! (http://www.sci-supply.com) terrible postage cost make that double for the UK however.

My lads science teacher did demo a jam jar jet engine in the classroom, which according to my son was better than mine, as mine blew up at the end. I don't agree a bit of an explosion is the mark of a great experiment!

[von Corax]

I notice that Our American friends can buy a Wimshurst machine for about 37 quid! (http://www.sci-supply.com) terrible postage cost make that double for the UK however.

My lads science teacher did demo a jam jar jet engine in the classroom, which according to my son was better than mine, as mine blew up at the end. I don't agree a bit of an explosion is the mark of a great experiment!

Any experiment which leaves a crater must be considered a success.

As for the Sci-Supply Wimshurst machine, it's cute but not very steamy. It will cost you a bit more than US$49.95/CA$50.66/£31.76, but you can make a von Slatt Wimshurst machine that's both bigger and prettier, and you can say "I made that!"

[sidecar_jon]

Hum not al that Steamy in its appearance but uber steamy in its effects!...i'm sure some would stick a few cogs on it and be happy..Mind you the other ones does look a 100% better.

[jcbanner]

I notice that Our American friends can buy a Wimshurst machine for about 37 quid! (http://www.sci-supply.com) terrible postage cost make that double for the UK however.

My lads science teacher did demo a jam jar jet engine in the classroom, which according to my son was better than mine, as mine blew up at the end. I don't agree a bit of an explosion is the mark of a great experiment!

thank you for that link! all kinds of fun stuff for christmas wish lists on that.