How to make a simple Tesla coil at home. Simple Tesla coil Tesla transformer from 12 volts

Amazing things are constantly happening in our world. So the great inventor Nikola Tesla at one time invented a miracle of technology - the Tesla coil. This is a transformer that allows you to increase the output voltage and frequency electric current in many times. In common parlance this device is called a Tesla coil.

Today a large number of The technique uses the operating principle of the invention of the great physicist of yesteryear. However, since then technology has improved, so there are more modern views transformers, but they are also called Tesla coils.

Types of Tesla Coils

Actually, the coil of Tesla himself (a spark gap was used in the composition);
Transformer on a radio tube;
Transistor coil;
Resonance coils (two pieces).

All coils have a similar principle of operation, the only difference is the complexity of their assembly and the electronics used.

Looking at the photo homemade reels Tesla, you will inevitably want exactly the same one for your home. After all, their work is such a beautiful sight that it is impossible to take your eyes off.

However, many are afraid to undertake the manufacture of such a device, justifying it by the fact that the work will take a lot of time and effort, and all this is also life-threatening.

But we assure you, the circuit of a regular Tesla coil is quite simple. Therefore, we invite you to assemble this unusual device yourself.

Step-by-step assembly of a Tesla coil yourself

So, we don’t need to demonstrate aerobatics, so we will make the simplest coil that uses a transistor in its assembly. It is the most economical in terms of time and money, and therefore is ideal for us.

Tesla coil structure

Primary coil (primary circuit);
Secondary coil (secondary circuit);
Power supply;
Grounding;
Ring of protection.

These are the main elements of transformers. It should be noted that in various types coils may also contain other components.

How the device works

The power supply supplies the primary circuit with the required voltage. After which the circuit produces high-frequency oscillations, which, in turn, force the secondary circuit to create its own oscillations, which go with the first ones in resonance. Thanks to this, a current with high voltage and frequency appears in the second coil, which forms the much-anticipated effect - a streamer. Now you need to collect all the elements in one pile.

Necessary materials

Let's take as a source car battery(or any other DC voltage source 12-19 V);
Copper wire (preferably enamel) with a diameter of 0.1 to 0.3 mm. and about 200 meters long;
Another copper wire with a diameter of 1 mm;
Two frames (dielectrics). One (for the secondary circuit) with a diameter of 4 to 7 cm and a length of 15-30 cm. The other (for the primary circuit) should be several centimeters larger in diameter and shorter in length;
Transistor D13007 (you can use others identical to it);
Pay;
A few resistors of 5 - 75 kOhm, power 0.25 W.

Assembling a Tesla coil yourself at home

Now we have gradually approached the assembly of the installation itself. First, let's create a secondary outline. We wind a thin wire with a diameter of 0.15 mm onto a long frame tightly without overlaps. You need to make at least 1000 turns (but you don’t need too many). After this, we coat the coil with varnish in several layers (other materials can be used) so that the wire is not damaged in the future.

Now about the terminal. It allows you to control the streamers, but at low powers it is not necessary; instead, you can simply move the end of the coil up a few centimeters.

For another coil, we wind thick wire around the remaining frame. In total you need to make 10 turns. The secondary circuit must be inside the primary.

Now we install everything so that the structure does not fall down and the primary and secondary contours do not collide together (this is exactly what the frame is for). Ideally, the distance between them should be around 1 cm.

Then we put everything together. To the plus of the power supply we connect the primary circuit and one resistor, to which we connect another resistor in series. To the end of the second resistor we connect the secondary circuit and the transistor. We connect the other end of the primary circuit to the second contact of the transistor. And we connect the third contact of the transistor to the minus of the power source.

When connecting, it is important not to mix up the transistor contacts. You also need to attach a radiator or other cooling to it. Everything is ready, you can try the device in practice. However, do not forget about safety. Do not touch anything, only in the dielectric!

You can check the operation of the installation by the presence of a streamer, or, if there is none, you can bring a light bulb to the coil, and if it lights up, then everything is in order.

Photos of Tesla coils with your own hands

Many of us admire the genius of Nikola Tesla, who made such discoveries back in the 19th century that not all of his scientific heritage has yet been studied and understood. One of his inventions was called the Tesla coil or Tesla transformer. You can read more about it. And here we will look at how to make a simple Tesla coil at home.

What is needed to make a Tesla coil?

To make a Tesla coil at home, at our desk or even in the kitchen, we first need to stock up on everything we need.
So, first we must find or purchase the following.
The tools we need are:

Soldering iron
Glue gun
Drill with thin drill bit
Hacksaw
Scissors
Insulating tape
Marker

To assemble the Tesla coil itself, you need to prepare the following:

A piece of thick polypropylene pipe with a diameter of 20 mm.
Copper wire with a diameter of 0.08-0.3 mm.
A piece of thick wire
Transistor type KT31117B or 2N2222A (can be KT805, KT815, KT817)
Resistor 22 kOhm (you can take resistors from 20 to 60 kOhm)
Power supply (Krona)
Ping pong ball
A piece of food foil
The base on which the product will be mounted is a piece of board or plastic
Wires for connecting our circuit

Having prepared everything you need, we begin making the Tesla coil.

Instructions for making a Tesla coil

The most labor-intensive process for making a Tesla coil at home will be winding the secondary winding L2. This is the most significant element in the Tesla transformer. And winding is a labor-intensive process that requires care and attention.

Let's prepare the base. For this purpose, we will use a PVC pipe with a diameter of 2 cm.

Mark the required length on the pipe - approximately from 9 to 20 cm. It is advisable to maintain a proportion of 4-5:1. Those. if you have a pipe with a diameter of 20 mm, then its length will be from 8 to 10 cm.

Then we cut off with a hacksaw along the mark left by the marker. The cut must be even and perpendicular to the pipe, since we will then glue this pipe to the board, and a ball will be glued on top.

The end of the pipe must be sanded with sandpaper on both sides. It is necessary to remove the shavings remaining from sawing off a piece of pipe, and also level the surface for gluing it to the base.

One hole must be drilled at both ends of the pipe. The diameter of these holes should be such that the wire that we will use when winding can pass through there freely. Those. these should be small holes. If you do not have such a thin drill, you can solder the pipe using a thin nail, heating it on the stove.

We pass the end of the wire for winding into the pipe.

We fix this end of the wire with a glue gun. We fix it from the inside of the pipe.

We begin winding the wire. To do this, you can use copper wire with insulation with a diameter of 0.08 to 0.3 mm. The winding should be tight and neat. Avoid overlaps. The number of turns is from 300 to 1000, depending on your pipe and wire diameter. In our version, 0.08 mm wire is used. diameter and 300 turns of winding.

After winding is finished, cut the wire, leaving a piece of 10 centimeters.

Pass the wire through the hole and secure with inside with a drop of glue.

Now you need to glue the manufactured coil to the base. As a base, you can take a small board or a piece of plastic measuring 15-20 cm. To glue the coil, you need to carefully coat its end.

Then we attach the secondary winding of the coil to its place on the base.

Then we glue the transistor, switch and resistor to the base. Thus, we fix all the elements on the board.

We make coil L1. For this we need thick wire. Diameter - from 1 mm. and more, depending on your reel. In our case, the thickness is 1 mm. the wire will be enough. We take the rest of the pipe and wind 3 turns of thick insulated wire around it.

Then we put the coil L1 on L2.

We assemble all the elements of the Tesla coil according to this diagram.

Circuit diagram of a simple Tesla coil

We attach all elements and wires to the base using a glue gun. We also glue the Krona battery so that nothing dangles.

Now we have to make the last element of the Tesla transformer - the emitter. It can be made from a tennis ball wrapped in food foil. To do this, take a piece of foil and simply wrap the ball in it. We trim off the excess so that the ball is evenly wrapped in foil and nothing sticks out.

We attach the ball in the foil to the upper wire of the L2 coil, pushing the wire inside the foil. We secure the attachment point with a piece of electrical tape and glue the ball to the top of L2.

That's all! We made our own Tesla coil! This is what this device looks like.

Now all that remains is to check the performance of the Tesla transformer we made. To do this, you need to turn on the device, pick it up fluorescent lamp and bring it to the reel. We must see how the lamp brought to us lights up and burns right in our hands!

This means that everything worked out and everything works! You have become the owner of a Tesla coil made by yourself. If problems suddenly arise, check the voltage on the battery. Often, if a battery has been lying somewhere for a long time, it no longer works as expected.
But we hope everything worked out for you! You can try changing the number of turns on the secondary winding of coil L2, as well as the number of turns and thickness of the wire on coil L1. The power supply can also vary from 6 to 15 V for such small coils. Try it, experiment! And you will succeed!

Combination of several physical laws in one device is perceived by people far from physics as a miracle or a trick: discharges flying out, similar to lightning, fluorescent lamps glowing near the coil, not connected to a regular electrical network, etc. At the same time, you can assemble a Tesla coil with your own hands from standard parts sold in any electrical store. It is wiser to delegate setting up the device to those who are familiar with the principles of electricity, or to carefully study the relevant literature.

How Tesla invented his coil

Nikola Tesla - the greatest inventor of the 20th century

One of the areas of work of Nikola Tesla at the end of the nineteenth century was the problem of transmission electrical energy over long distances wirelessly. On May 20, 1891, at his lecture at the University of Columbia (USA), he demonstrated an amazing device to the staff of the American Institute of Electrical Engineering. The principle of its operation underlies modern energy-saving fluorescent lamps.

During experiments with the Ruhmkorff coil using the method of Heinrich Hertz, Tesla discovered overheating of the steel core and melting of the insulation between the windings when connecting a high-speed generator to the device alternating current. He then decided to modify the design by creating an air gap between the windings and moving the core to different positions. He added a capacitor to the circuit to prevent the coil from burning out.

Tesla coil operating principle and application

When the appropriate potential difference is reached, the excess energy comes out in the form of a streamer with a purple glow

This is a resonant transformer, the operation of which is based on the following algorithm:

the capacitor is charged from a high-voltage transformer;
when the required charge level is reached, a discharge occurs with a spark jumping;
a short circuit occurs in the primary coil of the transformer, leading to oscillations;
by selecting the connection point to the turns of the primary coil, they change the resistance and configure the entire circuit.

As a result high voltage in the upper part of the secondary winding will lead to the appearance of impressive discharges in the air. For greater clarity, the operating principle of the device is compared to a swing that a person swings. A swing is an oscillatory circuit consisting of a transformer, a capacitor and a spark gap, a person is the primary winding, the swing stroke is the movement of electric current, and the lifting height is the potential difference. It is enough to push the swing several times with a certain effort, and it will rise to a considerable height.

In addition to educational and aesthetic use (demonstration of discharges and lamps glowing without connecting to a network), the device has found its use in the following industries:

radio control;
wireless transmission of data and energy;
darsonvalization in medicine - treatment of the skin surface with weak high-frequency currents for toning and healing;
ignition of gas discharge lamps;
searching for leaks in vacuum systems, etc.

Making a Tesla coil with your own hands at home

Designing and creating a device is not difficult for people familiar with the principles of electrical engineering and electricity. However, even a beginner can cope with this task if he makes competent calculations and scrupulously follows step by step instructions. In any case, before starting work, be sure to familiarize yourself with the safety regulations for working with high voltage.

Scheme

A Tesla coil consists of two coreless coils that send out a large pulse of current. The primary winding consists of 10 turns, the secondary - of 1000. Including a capacitor in the circuit allows you to minimize the loss of spark charge. The output potential difference exceeds millions of volts, which makes it possible to obtain spectacular and spectacular electrical discharges.

Before you start making a coil with your own hands, you need to study the diagram of its structure

Tools and materials

To assemble and subsequently operate the Tesla coil, you will need to prepare the following materials and equipment:

transformer with output voltage from 4 kV 35 mA;
bolts and metal ball for the arrester;
capacitor with calculated capacity parameters of at least 0.33 µF 275 V;
PVC pipe with a diameter of 75 mm;
enameled copper wire cross section 0.3–0.6 mm - plastic insulation prevents breakdown;
hollow metal ball;
thick cable or copper tube with a cross section of 6 mm.

Step-by-step instructions for making a coil

Powerful batteries can also be used as a power source

The coil manufacturing algorithm consists of the following steps:

Selection of power source. The best option for a beginner - transformers for neon signs. In any case, the output voltage on them should not be lower than 4 kV.
Making a spark gap. The overall performance of the device depends on the quality of this element. In the simplest case, these can be ordinary bolts screwed in at a distance of a few millimeters from each other, between which a metal ball is installed. The distance is selected so that the spark flies when only the spark gap is connected to the transformer.
Calculation of capacitor capacity. The resonant capacitance of the transformer is multiplied by 1.5 and the desired value is obtained. It is wiser to purchase a capacitor with the given parameters ready-made, since in the absence of sufficient experience it is difficult to assemble this element yourself so that it works. However, it may be difficult to determine nominal capacity. As a rule, in the absence of a large element, the coil capacitors are an assembly of three rows 24 capacitors each. In this case, a 10 MΩ quenching resistor must be installed on each capacitor.
Creating a secondary coil. The height of the coil is equal to five of its diameters. A suitable one is selected for this length available material, for example, PVC pipe. It is wrapped with copper wire of 900–1000 turns, and then varnished to preserve the aesthetic appearance. A hollow metal ball is attached to the upper part, and the lower part is grounded. It is advisable to consider a separate grounding, since when using a common grounding, there is a high probability of failure of other electrical appliances. If a ready-made metal ball is not available, then it can be replaced with other similar options, made independently:
- wrap the plastic ball in foil, which should be carefully smoothed;
- wrap aluminum tape around a corrugated pipe rolled into a circle.
Creation of the primary coil. The thickness of the tube prevents resistive losses; with increasing thickness, its ability to deform decreases. Therefore, a very thick cable or tube will bend poorly and crack at the bends. The pitch between the turns is maintained at 3–5 mm, the number of turns depends on the overall dimensions of the coil and is selected experimentally, as well as the location where the device is connected to the power source.
Test run. After completing the initial settings, the coil is started.

Features of manufacturing other types of devices

It is mainly used for health purposes

To make a flat coil, a base is first prepared, on which two copper wires with a cross-section of 1.5 mm are laid in series parallel to the plane of the base. The top of the installation is varnished, prolonging its service life. Externally, this device is a container made of two spiral plates nested inside each other, connected to a power source.

The mini-coil manufacturing technology is identical to the algorithm discussed above for a standard transformer, but in this case less will be needed. Supplies, and it can be powered from a standard 9V Krona battery.

Video: how to create a mini Tesla coil

By connecting the coil to a transformer that outputs current through high-frequency musical waves, you can get a device whose discharges change depending on the rhythm of the music being played. Used in organizing shows and entertainment attractions.

Tesla coil is a high-frequency, high-voltage resonant transformer. Energy losses at high potential differences make it possible to obtain beautiful electrical phenomena in the form of lightning, self-igniting lamps that respond to the musical rhythm of discharges, etc. This device can be assembled from standard electrical parts. However, one should not forget about precautions both during creation and during use of the device.

We can see and purchase a miniature Tesla coil in the store in the form of a toy or a decorative lamp. The operating principle is the same as Tesla himself. There is nothing different except the scale and tension.

Let's try to make a Tesla coil at home.

- This is a resonant transformer. These are basically LC circuits tuned to one resonant frequency.

A high voltage transformer is used to charge the capacitor.

As soon as the capacitor reaches a sufficient charge level, it is discharged into the spark gap and a spark occurs there. Happening short circuit primary winding of the transformer and oscillations begin in it.

Since the capacitance of the capacitor is fixed, the circuit is adjusted by changing the resistance of the primary winding, changing the point of connection to it. At correct setting, very high voltage will be at the top of the secondary winding, resulting in impressive discharges in the air. Unlike traditional transformers, the turns ratio between the primary and secondary windings has virtually no effect on the voltage.

Construction stages

Designing and building a Tesla coil is quite easy. This seems like a difficult task for a beginner (I found it difficult too), but you can get a working coil by following the instructions in this article and doing a little math. Of course, if you want a very powerful coil, there is no way other than studying the theory and doing a lot of calculations.

Here are the basic steps to get started:

Selecting a power source. The transformers used in neon signs are probably best for beginners since they are relatively cheap. I recommend transformers with an output voltage of at least 4 kV.
Making a spark gap. It could be as simple as two screws a couple of millimeters apart, but I recommend using a little more force. The quality of the arrester greatly influences the performance of the coil.
Calculation of capacitor capacity. Using the formula below, calculate the resonant capacitance for the transformer. The capacitor value should be about 1.5 times this value. Probably the best and most effective solution There will be an assembly of capacitors. If you don't want to spend money, you can try making a capacitor yourself, but it may not work and its capacity is difficult to determine.
Manufacturing of the secondary winding. Use 900-1000 turns of 0.3-0.6mm enameled copper wire. The height of the coil is usually equal to 5 times its diameter. PVC drainpipe may not be the best but affordable material for a reel. A hollow metal ball is attached to the top of the secondary winding, and its bottom is grounded. For this, it is advisable to use a separate grounding, because When using common house grounding, there is a chance of damaging other electrical appliances.
Manufacturing of the primary winding. The primary winding can be made from thick cable, or better yet from copper tube. The thicker the tube, the less resistive losses. A 6mm tube is sufficient for most reels. Remember that thick pipes are much more difficult to bend and copper will crack if it is bent too many times. Depending on the size of the secondary winding, 5 to 15 turns at 3 to 5 mm pitches should be sufficient.
Connect all the components, set up the coil, and you're done!

Before you start making a Tesla coil, it is strongly recommended that you familiarize yourself with the safety rules and working with high voltages!

Also note that transformer protection circuits were not mentioned. They have not been used and there are no problems so far. The key word here is yet.

The coil was made mainly from those parts that were available.
These were:
4kV 35mA transformer from neon sign.
0.3mm copper wire.
0.33μF 275V capacitors.
I had to buy 75mm drainpipe PVC and 5 meters of 6mm copper tube.

Secondary winding

The secondary winding is covered with plastic insulation on top and bottom to prevent breakdown

The secondary winding was the first component manufactured. I wound about 900 turns of wire around drain pipe height about 37cm. The length of the wire used was approximately 209 meters.

Inductance and capacitance of the secondary winding and metal sphere(or toroid) can be calculated using formulas that can be found on other sites. Having these data, you can calculate the resonant frequency of the secondary winding:
L = [(2πf) 2 C] -1

When using a sphere with a diameter of 14cm, resonant frequency coil is approximately 452 kHz.

Metal sphere or toroid

The first attempt was to make a metal sphere by wrapping a plastic ball in foil. I couldn't smooth out the foil on the ball well enough, so I decided to make a toroid. I made a small toroid by wrapping aluminum tape around a corrugated pipe rolled into a circle. I couldn't get a very smooth toroid, but it works better than a sphere because of its shape and due to bigger size. To support the toroid, a plywood disk was placed under it.

Primary winding

The primary winding consists of copper tubes with a diameter of 6 mm, wound in a spiral around the secondary. The inner diameter of the winding is 17cm, the outer diameter is 29cm. The primary winding contains 6 turns with a distance of 3 mm between them. Because of long distance between the primary and secondary windings, they can be loosely coupled to each other.
The primary winding together with the capacitor is an LC oscillator. The required inductance can be calculated using the following formula:
L = [(2πf) 2 C] -1
C is the capacitance of the capacitors, F is the resonant frequency of the secondary winding.

But this formula and calculators based on it give only an approximate value. The correct coil size must be determined by experimentation, so it is better to make it too large than too small. My coil consists of 6 turns and is connected on the 4th turn.

Capacitors

Assembly of 24 capacitors with a 10 MΩ quenching resistor on each

Since I had a large number of small capacitors, I decided to collect them into one large one. The value of capacitors can be calculated using the following formula:
C = I ⁄ (2πfU)

The capacitor value for my transformer is 27.8 nF. The actual value should be slightly more or less than this, since the rapid rise in voltage due to resonance can damage the transformer and/or capacitors. Quenching resistors provide some protection against this.

My capacitor assembly consists of three assemblies with 24 capacitors each. The voltage in each assembly is 6600 V, the total capacity of all assemblies is 41.3 nF.

Each capacitor has its own 10 MΩ quenching resistor. This is important because individual capacitors can retain a charge for a very long time after the power has been turned off. As you can see from the picture below, Rated voltage capacitor is too low, even for a 4 kV transformer. To work well and safely it must be at least 8 or 12 kV.

Arrester

My arrester is just two screws with a metal ball in the middle.
The distance is adjusted so that the arrester will spark only when it is the only one connected to the transformer. Increasing the distance between them can theoretically increase the spark length, but there is a risk of destroying the transformer. For larger coil it is necessary to build an air-cooled arrester.

Characteristics

Oscillatory circuit
Transformer NST 4kV 35mA
Capacitor 3 × 24 275VAC 0.33μF
Arrester: two screws and a metal ball

Primary winding
Inner diameter 17cm
Winding tube diameter 6 mm
Distance between turns 3 mm
Primary winding tube length 5m
Turns 6

Secondary winding
Diameter 7.5 cm
Height 37 cm
Wire 0.3mm
Wire length approx. 209m
Turns: about 900

One of the most widespread inventions of Nikola Tesla is the Tesla transformer. The operation of this device is based on the action of resonant electromagnetic standing waves in coils. This principle formed the basis of many modern things: fluorescent lamps, TV picture tubes, charging devices at a distance. Due to the phenomenon of resonance, at the moment the oscillation frequency of the primary winding circuit coincides with the oscillation frequency of the standing waves of the secondary winding, an arc jumps between the ends of the coil.

Despite the apparent complexity of this generator, you can make it yourself. The technology of how to make a Tesla coil with your own hands is contained below.

Components and operating principle

The Tesla transformer is assembled from a primary, secondary coil and trim consisting of a spark gap or breaker, a capacitor and a terminal serving as an output.

The primary winding consists of large number turns copper wire large section or copper tube. It can be horizontal (flat), vertical (cylindrical) or conical. The secondary winding consists of a large number of turns of smaller cross-section and is the most important component of the structure. Its length to diameter ratio should be 4:1, and at the base there should be a grounded protective ring of copper wire, designed to preserve the electronics of the installation.

Since the Tesla transformer operates in pulse mode, its design is characterized by the fact that it does not include a ferromagnetic core. This allows the mutual induction between the windings to be reduced. The capacitor, interacting with the primary coil, creates an oscillatory circuit with a spark gap included in it, in this case a gas one. The spark gap is assembled from massive electrodes, and for greater wear resistance it is additionally equipped with radiators.

The principle of operation of a Tesla coil is as follows. The capacitor is charged through the inductor from the transformer. The charging speed directly depends on the inductance value. Once charged to a critical level, it will cause a breakdown of the spark gap. After this, high-frequency oscillations are generated in the primary circuit. At the same time, the arrester is activated, removing the transformer from the general circuit, closing it.

If this does not happen, then losses may occur in the primary circuit, negatively affecting its operation. IN standard scheme A gas arrester is installed in parallel with the power source.

Thus, a Tesla coil can output a voltage of several million volts. From such tension in the air, electrical discharges appear in the form of coronary discharges and streamers.

It is extremely important to remember that these products generate high potential currents and are deadly. Even low-power devices can cause severe burns and damage to nerve endings, muscle tissue and ligaments. Capable of causing cardiac arrest.

Design and assembly

The Tesla transformer was patented in 1896 and is simple in design. It includes:

A primary coil with a copper core winding with a cross-section of 6 mm², sufficient for 5-7 turns.
A secondary coil made of dielectric material and wire with a diameter of up to 0.5 mm and a length sufficient for 800-1000 turns.
Hemispheres of the arrester.
Capacitors.
A protective ring made of copper core, as on primary winding transformer.

The peculiarity of the device is that its power does not depend on the power of the power source. More important physical properties air. The device can create oscillatory circuits using various methods:

using a spark gap arrester;
using a transistor oscillation generator;
on lamps.

To make a Tesla transformer with your own hands you will need:

For the primary winding - 3 m of thin copper tube with a diameter of 6 mm or copper core the same diameter and length.
To assemble the secondary winding, you need a PVC pipe with a diameter of 5 cm and a length of about 50 cm and a PVC threaded fitting for it. You also need a copper wire coated with varnish or enamel with a diameter of 0.5 mm and a length of 90 m.
Metal flange with internal diameter 5 cm.
Various nuts, washers and bolts.
Arrester.
Smooth hemisphere for the terminal.
You can make the capacitor yourself. It will require 6 glass bottles, table salt, rapeseed or vaseline oil, and aluminum foil.
A power supply capable of delivering 9kV at 30mA will be required.

The Tesla transformer circuit is easy to implement. There are 2 wires coming from the transformer with a spark gap connected. Series-connected capacitors are connected to one of the wires. At the end is the primary winding. The secondary coil with a terminal and a grounded protection ring is located separately.

Description of how to assemble a Tesla coil at home:

A secondary winding is made by first securing the edge of the wire to the end of the pipe. It should be wound evenly, without allowing the wire to break. There should be no gaps between the turns.
When finished, wrap the winding at the top and lower parts masking tape. After this, coat the winding with varnish or epoxy resin.
Prepare 2 panels for the bottom and top bases. Anyone will do dielectric material, sheet of plywood or plastic. Install in the center lower base metal flange and secure it with bolts so that there is space between the lower and upper bases.
Prepare the primary winding by twisting it into a spiral and securing it to the upper base. After drilling 2 holes in it, bring the ends of the tube into them. It should be secured in such a way as to prevent contact of the windings and at the same time maintain a distance of 1 cm between them.
To make a spark gap you will need to place 2 bolts opposite each other in a wooden frame. The calculation is made that when moving they will play the role of a regulator.
Capacitors are manufactured as follows. Glass bottles wrap in foil and pour into them salt water. Its composition should be the same for all bottles - 360 g per 1 liter of water. They pierce the covers and insert wires into them. The capacitors are ready.
All nodes are connected according to the scheme described above. Be sure to ground the secondary winding.
The total number in the primary winding should be 6.5 turns, in the secondary - 600 turns.

The described sequence of actions gives an idea of how to make a Tesla transformer yourself.

Switching on, checking and adjusting

It is advisable to carry out the first launch outdoors; it is also worth putting everything away Appliances to prevent their damage. Remember safety precautions! To start, perform the following steps:

They go through the entire chain of wires and check that bare contacts do not touch anywhere, and that all nodes are securely fastened. In the arrester, a small gap is left between the bolts.
Apply voltage and observe the appearance of the streamer. In case of its absence, secondary winding bring a fluorescent lamp or incandescent lamp. It is advisable to fix them on a dielectric, a piece will do PVC pipes. The appearance of a glow confirms that the Tesla transformer is working.
If there is no glow, swap the leads of the primary coil.

If it doesn't work out the first time, don't despair. Try changing the number of turns in the secondary winding and the distance between the windings. Tighten the bolts in the arrester.

Powerful Tesla Coil

A distinctive feature of such a coil is its size, the strength of the resulting current and the method of generating resonant oscillations.

It looks like this. After switching on, the capacitor is charged. Having reached the maximum charge level, a breakdown occurs in the spark gap. At the next stage, an LC circuit is formed - a circuit formed by the sequential connection of a capacitor and a primary circuit. This creates resonant oscillations and high power voltages in the secondary winding.

Moreover, something similar can be assembled at home. To do this you should:

Increase the diameter of the coil and the cross-section of the wire by 1.5-2.5 times.
Make a terminal in the shape of a toroid. For this Aluminum will do corrugation with a diameter of 100 mm.
Replace the DC source with an AC source delivering 3-5 kV.
Make a reliable grounding.
Make sure your wiring can withstand this load.

Such transformers can generate power up to 5 kW and create coronary and arc discharges. In this case, the maximum effect is achieved when the frequency of both circuits coincides.