Construction on the coil has seen steady progress. The chassis has been completed, although the top has yet to be screwed down to allow easier access to some of the components. The primary coil is also nearly complete after a full day of work. 5/8ths inch Plexiglas was used to space the spiral primary. After some difficulty using the drill press(the bits tend to 'bite' the plexi as you exit the back, destroying the piece :/), I milled the Plexiglas in the student machine shop on campus. I then wrestled 60 feet of 3/8ths inch copper tubing through the holes, making 13 turns on the primary coil. This should give an adjustable inductance around 57.2 micro-Henrys. The spacing on the coil is not perfect, but I'm hoping that with a little more tweaking it will serve its purpose well.
I have ordered 2000 feet of 26 awg magnet wire for the secondary coil and am eagerly awaiting its arrival in the mail. Making the secondary coil will likely be the most challenging task yet, but it will also mean I am nearing completion of the coil. One issue I am currently facing however, is that I'm unable to find 4 inch PVC piping in Davis. I may have to make another trip out to Lowe's in Sacramento to find the right PVC for the secondary. Next, I'll be focusing on constructing the main spark gap for my coil. Stay tuned.
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