Tom_Braider
New Member
zachtheterrible said:Tom, when you say that I want high current from the flyback transformer, umm, I think you mean voltage? ideally, you want the highest voltage and lowest current.
Generally, that's true, but for a 'hot' arc, the transformer needs to pump both high voltage, but a lot of current too, like a burner ignitor or a neon xfmr. They deliver thick, bright yellow arcs that you could light a cigar with. (God forbid)
You are correct that you could deliver a long thin arc in the 50,000-150,000 voltage range with just micro-amps, and in fact Tesla coils and static electricity generators do exactly that. However, their arcs tend to be thin and kind of a pale blue.
Trivia: Out on the ranch, my father used to carry on his tractor a welding rod attached to a pair of battery cables. If a machine broke, he was often able to 'arc weld' a temporary fix just by attaching the welding rod cable to the battery post. Cool. Or hot. You know what I mean.