Re: ATM Junkyard Aluminizer :)

[ATM@antiquaries.com]

I don't remember how much Al  - I think I used short loops, about 1/4 
inch and pinched one onto each turn of the coil to get good thermal 
contact. Then do a low-temp melt and the Al will form little beads. 
After the first heating the tungsten gets VERY brittle.

I got tungsten wire from a specialty metals company in NYC - I don't 
remember who - it was 40 years ago. I think your best bet is to find 
a source or real tungsten - it can't be very expensive - just a pain 
to find.

Frank Manasek



>From: <ATM@antiquaries.com>
>>
>>  Congratulations!
>
>Thanks, definetly exciting times :)
>
>>  Tungsten wire is very flexible until you heat it the first time.
>
>Today's goal is to find some of that flexible Tungsten locally.  I'm
>thinking that perhaps a heater replacement kit for a drier or  air handler
>heat strip might work.  Other wise I'll find some of the interenet.
>
>>  I used to wind a spiral spring-like coil, leaving two legs. The legs
>>  were connected tot he high-amp terminals and small loops of pure Al
>>  hung on the coil, which was horizontal.
>
>How much Al could you load onto the coil?
>
>>  Tungsten is soluble in molten
>>  Al so the wire would get very thin where the Al was. I remember
>>  getting about 2-3 burns on a filament.
>
>My .060" tungsten tig rods seem good for 6 or so burns, then I usually end
>up breaking it while I try and wrap the Al foil around it..
>
>>  Best to try to have the mirror vertical so if some Al falls off it
>>  won't damage surface.
>
>Next chamber :)  Untill then I'll do like they do at Mount Wilson, Melt in
>the Al with an empty chamber, THEN put the mirror in and Evap it off!
>
>>  You can run a high-voltage electrode into the chamber and watch the
>>  plasma as the vacuum gets better. Great fun! I suspect, too, that
>>  there is some ion cleaning of the surfaces if you do this.
>
>Already doing this, and makes for an incredible light show!  My HV
>electrodes are two Bosh Platinum Spark plugs, and my HV source is a 5KV neon
>sign transformer.  Back during early testing with the rough pump only, I
>noticed that a finger print would be removed from a piece of glass with my
>Glow Disharge System running.  However, it still leaves enough residue for a
>faint impression to show up on the coated glass (no surprise!)
>
>Take Care,
>James Lerch
>http://lerch.no-ip.com/atm (My Bino-Scope Construction Site)