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Recommended Suppliers & Service Providers

 

Updated:  January 25, 2005                Suggestions for other sources and materials are welcome

Founded in 1923, Leeds Electronics is one of the oldest sellers of electronic parts in the United States.  Stocking more than 350,000 tubes and tube sockets, CRT's, ballast tubes, time delay relays, some Tungar bulbs and thousands of rare and hard to find parts including parts for vintage telephones.  LEEDS ELECTRONICS, 68 N 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, (718) 963-1764, fax 963-1963.

  Current Limiting:  D&M's High Voltage,   We offer variable reactors (slide chokes) in a commercial version for this application (current limiting or ballasting tesla coils).  You can see a picture of one on our website at:  http://www.dmshv.com/, DMsHV.DavMcKin@verizon.net

Aluminum & Copper Spheres -  2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14" - I have 8" and smaller in stock and am working on a group buy for the larger sizes.  Email me with size and quantity needed:  sales@tesla-coil.com

Anodizing - Tiodize, 15701 Industry Lane, Huntington Beach, CA 92649.  (714) 898-4377, fax 891-7467.  Great work at a nice price and quick turn-around time.  http://www.tiodize.com   

Auto Repair -  Jaguar, Mercedes & BMW.  Gold Star Service, Irvine, Calif.  (949) 660-1777, a reasonably priced, honest, competent and reliable shop for repair, maintenance and sales of premium vehicles.  They rebuilt my Jaguar XJS and it's been trouble free for over 2 years now (of the 7 Jaguars I've owned, this is one of three that haven't had ANY motor or tranny leaks and is the most reliable of them all!).  You're treated fairly and a free loaner is often provided so that  it's an easy decision to return for maintenance, repairs and other vehicle matters.

Capacitors, Tesla Coil or other Pulse Discharge Duty - CSI Technologies, Inc., 2595 Commerce Way, Vista, CA 92083.  (760) 682-2222, Fax (760) 682-3333.  Gary Greiser (cap. engineer) has many years of design and developmental work on Tesla tank caps and they manufacture the best and will build to your spec.

Concentric Spheres - formerly referred to as a 'sphere-in-sphere' go to Concentric Spheres page, sizes at bottom of that page.  Available as double CS.  A triple CS is under evaluation.

Copper Bolts - You really wouldn't want copper hardware - it's too soft and has poor tensile strength. Instead, use what the power companies use for making solid bus bar connections - silicon bronze hardware. This alloy combines excellent tensile strength, corrosion resistance (it's often used in marine applications instead of brass) and high electrical conductivity. You can find silicon bronze hardware at McMaster-Carr, marine, or electrical hardware suppliers.  Bert.  www.mcmaster.com , http://www.us-strut.com/blank13.html.  Otherwise, buy round cu rod to thread.

Here's an idea to look into:  Using a 'Quarter-Shrinker', place cu rod sections where a quarter would normally go and fire the device.  This will not only shrink the cu rod but should also appreciably harden the material that can then be prepared for threading.

Magnet Wire -  I recommend Phelps-Dodge Poly-Thermaleze, Heavy Build, Armored, (APTZ) and Imideze, Heavy Build, (IMZ).  If at all possible, when buying 12awg or larger diam., avoid re-spooled wire (fortunately or unfortunately) that means buying 80 to 100 lb. spools).  Careless re-spooling can introduce another curvature into the wire (180 degrees from the original curvature) which makes it very difficult if not impossible to tight wind.  I'll post a close up picture of this problem if I still have an example.  I've only noticed this on 12awg and 14awg.

Museum Coils and Electrostatic Machines -  Dr. Resonance

Plastics - all types, e. g., tubing, sheet, cylinder, G3, and other hi tech materials.

Security Equipment - Spy Guys, 14252 Beach Blvd., Westminster, CA (714) 899-1155

Silicone Sheets - to insulate coils against arcing.  Diversified Silicone Products, 13937 Rosecrans, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670.  (562) 404-8942, www.diversifiedsilicone.com.  Mention this site when inquiring and/or ordering from them.

Thoriated Tungsten and Tungsten Rods for electrodes - Lizard Welding - 343 SW 190th Terrace, Pembroke Pines, FL 33029, Ask for Jeff (305) 788-1123, (954) 441-5482.  This was the only source I could locate for thoriated rods, there must be others but as soon as I found Lizard Welding I stopped looking and Jeff's prices are real nice.

Toroids - Al

  1. O. W.  Landergren - 1500 West Housatonic St., Pittsfield, MA 01201-7508  www.owlandergren.com.  Their toroids are typically 1/8" Aluminum.  They've been manufacturing these since 1927.  Check out this link to some of their installed toroids.  Anyone recognize this?

  2. John Freau - FutureT@aol.com, 1.75" x 6" spun toroid, $43.00 (spin polish), 5" x 16" spun toroid, $183.00 (pristine brushed finish).  http://hometown.aol.com/futuret/page3.html, click on toroids.   The three sizes are:
    5" x 16", 4" x 13" & 1.75" x 6"

  3. www.rossengineeringcorp.com.  In California, their toroids may not be seemless like O. W. Landergren's

Toroids - Cu - I'm currently working on these, email me if you have an interest.

Transformers - Neon -  N. Glantz & Son (800) 273-1878 Fax (714) 634-8657 Anaheim, CA - 3 year warrantee.

Transformers - Tesla Specific - Dr. Resonance  Contact the good Doctor for info on his purpose designed, Tesla Coil transformers that will replace pole pigs and neons.

http://www.herbach.com/                            http://www.sciplus.com/