How to Build a Tesla Gun

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
Joined
May 9, 2000
Messages
75,400
It seems the real trick to this project is to build the Tesla Gun without killing yourself in the process. Rob Flickenger is a professional project builder who turned his many talents to building a real life, spark spewing Tesla Gun. After much research, consultation, self-training and a lot of sweat, he managed to create a weapon capable of producing 100k volts with a range of three feet. Nikola would be impressed. :cool:
 
Just wondering, how dangerous is 100k volts. Is it "it could kill you" dangerous, or is it "you'd be vaporized" dangerous?
 
Voltage is just the force moving charge. A static shock is 10k volts but the charge is tiny so it doesn't harm you.
 
Thanks for the info, I don't know much about electricity, though now that you mention it I did know that the amperage is the dangerous part (from opening PSUs).
 
I had something like that in Borderlands...unlimited ammo was nice, longer range than this one, but it took a while to recharge...decent scope as I recall
 
Just wondering, how dangerous is 100k volts. Is it "it could kill you" dangerous, or is it "you'd be vaporized" dangerous?

more like give a mild jolt

its 100k volts but the VERY VERY VERY low amps

if you have ever had a static shock they have been hit with much more then the 100k volts
 
Its pretty scary how little most people know about these things.

1. There is very little danger, Tesla coils operate at such a high frequency there is little harm in touching them or getting shocked by them. The energy doesn't actually flow through the human body at that frequency but over it. Compare 60hz a.c. vs 150Khz a.c.

2. This is not a new idea or concept we have had small hand held tesla coils in our lab since the 70's for testing.

3. Tesla would often electrocute himself and take direct strikes from very large telsa coils in the 3-4 million volt magnitude to prove the safety of A.C. electricity; while Thomas Edison would electrocute elephants to show the danger.
 
Its pretty scary how little most people know about these things.

1. There is very little danger, Tesla coils operate at such a high frequency there is little harm in touching them or getting shocked by them. The energy doesn't actually flow through the human body at that frequency but over it. Compare 60hz a.c. vs 150Khz a.c.

2. This is not a new idea or concept we have had small hand held tesla coils in our lab since the 70's for testing.

3. Tesla would often electrocute himself and take direct strikes from very large telsa coils in the 3-4 million volt magnitude to prove the safety of A.C. electricity; while Thomas Edison would electrocute elephants to show the danger.

A person can only ever "electrocute" themselves once, and unless they're suicidal, it's always an accident.
 
A person can only ever "electrocute" themselves once, and unless they're suicidal, it's always an accident.

Really? 120v (house current) doesn't really do anything to me anymore because I have zapped myself so many times.

Bad grounds are also "fun". When I was in college I had an old aluminum hot-pot and if I touched the metal door frame next to where it was plugged in and touched the hot-pot at the same time I would get zapped.
 
Really? 120v (house current) doesn't really do anything to me anymore because I have zapped myself so many times.

He's referring to the fact that "electrocute" means death via electric shock.

So it would be more proper to say "I have given myself electric shock so many times", not "I have electrocuted myself so many times".
 
Its pretty scary how little most people know about these things.

1. There is very little danger, Tesla coils operate at such a high frequency there is little harm in touching them or getting shocked by them. The energy doesn't actually flow through the human body at that frequency but over it. Compare 60hz a.c. vs 150Khz a.c.

2. This is not a new idea or concept we have had small hand held tesla coils in our lab since the 70's for testing.

3. Tesla would often electrocute himself and take direct strikes from very large telsa coils in the 3-4 million volt magnitude to prove the safety of A.C. electricity; while Thomas Edison would electrocute elephants to show the danger.

The danger comes not from the high frequency side but electrocution from a D'Arsonval type discharge that can connect the user to the lethal primary side currents/voltages. An arc is a conductor as if one is touching a solid copper wire. In a 25kVA set up with 34kV and 750mA I can assure you such contact would be lethal. ;)

For portable, truly portable units one like this has potential (sorry for the pun!)

http://www.rmcybernetics.com/projects/DIY_Devices/plasma-gun.htm
 
Really? 120v (house current) doesn't really do anything to me anymore because I have zapped myself so many times.

Bad grounds are also "fun". When I was in college I had an old aluminum hot-pot and if I touched the metal door frame next to where it was plugged in and touched the hot-pot at the same time I would get zapped.

It's not like you build resistance (I couldn't think of a better word) to shocks. You've just been lucky with the path the current follows. 120 VAC across the heart will cause fibrillation and death if you are not immediately treated.
 
Back
Top