I have been tossing around the idea that it may be better to make the base of a VDG out of a conductive enclosure similar to the upper terminal. It just seems...
Craig: There are some commercial VDGs on the web that go both ways. I would suggest that the shape of a conductive shroud would be optimum if it were a mirror...
Does anyone have any information on optimal belt length? I understand the desire for wide and fast belts (expressed as square inches per minute contact between...
I think that our homemade VDG are not really usefull with that six roller design, first off there is the problem of the belts touching each other and the huge...
Re: Belt length. Belt length would typically be determined by column height which must accommodate the desired terminal voltage. The problem of opposite sides...
Thank you Elmer and Dick for your info. I wasn't suggesting a six roller design (I think you are right Elmer, way too many complications!) rather I was using...
JT: I am using Nylon for my bottom rollers and Teflon for the upper in the small VDG and white PVC (plumbing style) for the top in the big VDG. The big one's...
for rollers I heard you can also use plexiglas, I am planning to make mine from plexiglas and siliconerubber, I now plexiglas is a bit strange in the...
Elmer: If you are planning to run a high speed belt, I am not sure you can easily cast a solid cylinder and then drill a hole for a shaft AND wind up with a...
Dick the stuff from EMS here is pretty expensive so i am searching a lot for the right materials to make my rollers, since my father has a lathe but it is very...
Elmer: I have an old Sears Roebuck lathe and used common lathe tools to turn the roller concentric with the shaft. I used a series of files (medium to fine)...
I'm curious to hear what those of you with large generators and high-speed belts are using for bearings. I once tried using a bicycle wheel bearing on the...
Dick Did you have some sort of clamp on both sides to hold the axis in place, because most lathes I see have a big clamp on one side (3 or 4 clamps, clawplate)...
Elmer: I am having images of Deja-Vous...I have screwed so much up learning the hard way re: bearings, rollers etc. When I inherited this lathe it had a 4 jaw...
Dan: Bicycle wheel bearings are rated for more radial load that you will ever apply in VDG service. Can't imagine why it failed unless the high RPM, which is...
Dick Thanks a lot, I had some sort of idea how to do it but that makes everything really clear on how I should do it. the headchuck my dad's lathe has is a...
Dick Where did you get your electric motor from because 10,000 rpm is very fast, and I have been looking for another motor because the one I have now is 1.5 hp...
Elmer: Sounds like you will be in good shape once you get a tailstock chuck. As far as drilling the rollers: If you can get a piece of round stock, your 3 jaw...
Elmer: First of all, 10,000 rpm was not my first choice but there are not many small 1/2 hp universal motors to choose from and I did want a variable speed AC...
That's an excellent point. I forgot how the base of the machine tends to draw charge from the terminal. Adding grounded points to the base (like the corners...
Dick, What is your total belt length? The reason I ask is that McMaster sells the neoprene coated nylon in increments of 1, 5, 10, 20, and 50 feet. My belt is...
Craig: I am not experiencing any base originating corona problems with either VDG. Take a look at my pic27 in volume 1 of my picture posts. It is an open...
Dick Your idea of that teflon roller is good but I have searched hard but have not come across teflon flat stock here, I saw some teflon rod but it was 130...
Elmer... I think you will find that your nylon rod, if rubbed with silk not leather, will give you a good charge. If you ever want to try teflon another good...
Hi JT thanks for your input, yeah I know that a tiny layer is good enough but for my machine I am aiming for the speed that dicks big VDG is doing and maybe...
I fully understand your want for solid rollers Elmer though of course a three inch diameter teflon or aluminum rod gets pretty heavy even over short lengths...
that is a really nice shop certainly possible for me if I want to build a smaller VDG, and my rollers on this VDG will be 60 mm (2.36 inches) in diameter and I...
Elmer: Regarding your experience with rubbing lower and upper roller with the belt material: I never tried that experiment but I am not convinced that it is a...
Elmer: My opinion: Speed control is a must if you are experimenting with large VDGs and high belt speeds. Adjustment of belt tracking and tension must be done...
Dick Apparently my father wants also to work on a lathe to build a traction engine and because the lathe that we have is old and not in a good condition he...
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