High Voltage Episode 18 - Transformer Types For Home Shop High Voltage

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[@Teukka72]

Also, if you're going after MOT and other transformer cores, if you find one where the core is held together with nuts and bolts and not welded together as often is the case, those are worth their weight in gold if you're the kind who winds their own transformers.

[@ChaoticGoodChris]

That's super rare in MOTs, but you can come across them in other transformer types. :)

[@SeanBZA]

Another variable voltage transformer manufacturer, mostly in Eurpoe, is Sfernice, who made a whole lot of different types. They also made some not for 50/60Hz operation, including 400Hz avionics ones, which will work with suitable voltage derating, on 50/60Hz/ I use one, with a 115VAC 5A 400Hz rating, on 12 VAC, to make a variable 0-12VAC supply, using a 12V 50VA iron core toroidal transformer. Works really well, and as it is isolated, it is safe to touch. I have a 15A ish unit as well, which is still in the original transit wooden box, used as housing, which is used for all purpose use, as it has no ratings plate, other than part number. Can go from 0-360VAC output, and is useful as well to test with. Had to add soft start to it, as otherwise it would trip the mains, and it will make incandescent lamps into photoflood lamps.

[@mathysgobeil1592]

At my job they gave me away an old « superior electric company » variac for free bc they didn’t used it in like 10 years. It can take max 16,7 amps and goes from 0v to 120v. Pretty happy that they give it to me instead of throwing it away

[@ChaoticGoodChris]

I'm always happy to see useful gear end up in the hands of those who appreciate it instead of the scrap pile. :) Good job!

[@mathysgobeil1592]

@@ChaoticGoodChris thanks!

[@motersickel]

The variac on your right...I also have one of those almost identical to it...except mine doesn't have a switch and doesn't have a plug on the back, it has a cable coming out with a plug on it... I found it at the local Recycling yard... someone had thrown it out...think I gave like a dollar fifty for it... I've had it for about seven or eight years now...it's came in handy...one of the most handy things in my electronics and Transformer collection...👍👍👍.... would love to run up on a much much bigger one though... but... they are very expensive...

[@ChaoticGoodChris]

I may sell a couple in the next year or so as I clean out my surplus and build the new shop. Keep an eye out. ;)

[@ronaldfain4541]

I love electric transformer

[@JimsLab]

So exited for the video on the balancing chokes! I’ve got my hands on a 3-phase 20A variac and need to wind some balancing / paralleling chokes for the output. The information I can find on the net is limited (although I have gleaned some useful information) and I was thinking about winding 20 wraps of 10mm2 cable (with a center tap for the output) on two identical MOT cores. I have no idea wether this would be sufficient. The prebuilt chokes I have found online are expensive and rare. Any light you can shed of this topic would be absolute gold dust! Thank you for the awesome content.

[@sylkelster]

General Radio makes a good balancing choke for ganging large variacs. Found a used one for $50. Have not found an inexpensive one from Superior Electric, they all seem to be over $200.

[@ChaoticGoodChris]

We'll be covering that in detail when we get into serious Variac stuff. I may even show you how to build your own chokes! :)

[@AndresRamirez-ez4ek]

Great video! Im building a 4 kVA tesla coil and have spent some time looking for an acceptable power supply. I was planning on using a dual resonant MOT setup, but the voltage was slightly too low and they're heating up quit a bit. Where would one be most likely to find a small potential transformer? Thanks!

[@That_Handle]

13:53 - keyword search variac and Eddie Van Halen

[@ChaoticGoodChris]

Oh wow that's a whole rabbit hole I'd never gone down. Thank you! :)

[@That_Handle]

@@ChaoticGoodChris 👏👍🍻😎 I'm not so sure that Tom Scholz of the group _Boston_ might not also have used one at some point in time.... maybe the _Third Stage_ album but not sure about that at the moment.

[@breezetixhv]

why don't you ever create some arcs in your videos lol

[@ChaoticGoodChris]

I've made a couple arcs in my videos once or twice. Do a search on this channel for Gemini, Arcturus, Thumper, Stomper, and Groucho. ;) The new series is designed to be very comprehensive, so that someone just starting out and working in their home shop can learn how to build all manner of incredible things safely. So, we're very early in this series (it will be many hundreds of videos), and that means I have to teach people how to walk before they can run. At this stage, we're still crawling, but it gets better. In the meantime, if you're craving arcs, search for those project names on this channel and I'm sure you'll be amazed for hours. I've been doing this for a few years. ;)

[@breezetix]

@@ChaoticGoodChris yeah i love arcs. massive arcs :D you can see on my 2nd channel ^