Gordon

I don't know what terms you searched with but try this LINK as a starting point. There are 5 pages to it in all, just change the part number in the url to 1,2,3 or 4 as required, part 5 you can access from the end of part 4 and it is concerned with the set up and adjustment.

I've not read the articles in detail but if the finished machine looks like that shown on the web pages then it's a pretty good representation of the classic machine, and no doubt with some care and attention to any bits of polished metal ware and wooden bases would be a very attractive display item.

Keith

ps just had a look at the ME index – there are dozens of articles on Wimshust machines running from 1898 or there abouts for the next hundred years!

Edited By Keith Long on 18/08/2013 17:02:27

Super job, when I were a lad, 15 of us joined hands and then each end of the line touched an electrode as the master turned the handle !! 15, 14,13,…… down to about the last 6 hard nuts. Another experiment was to stand a lad with long hair on a glass plate. he held one wire whilst the master held another wire fixed to a metal plate above his head – just to see his hair stand on end. Don't make em like that now – more's the pity.

There is a book on construction called I believe "The Whimshurst Machine" how to make and use it. I have a copy somewhere which came from Lindsay Publications who now are defunct I believe. You should be able to track down a second hand copy from somewhere.

regards Martin

I have a book called 'Homemade Lightning' by R. A. Ford which gives details of making a Wimshurst machine. It was published by TAB Books; ISBN 0-8306-3576-9 for the paperback version.

Regards,

Andrew

I did at one time have the plans in a pre war copy of Hobbies magazine that my dad had, unfortunately gone now, there was also plans to make your own X-Ray tube. Ian S C

Quite a lot of Wimshurst / electrostatic info. on here :

**LINK**

Including a sector dimension etc. calculator, bottom of page.

http://www.coe.ufrj.br/~acmq/wimshurst.html

D.

Edited By Dave Daniels on 14/09/2014 06:51:35

Hello all and thanks for the help. As usual with these things the job got a bit behind, but is now almost ready to go. For interest the main discs are 5mm acrylic ? x 13" dia. main frame is 20mm ply. I got a lot of imfo 'about sectors and spacing of the link posted above. For a start all bearings are brass bushings but may fit rollers later. Main problem has been getting something to make the neutralising brushes, had to buy some expensive chocolate to get some foil. If I had not had a leak in the loft and some tiles to fit in kitchen it would be sparking now. PS I bought the discs ready cut of ebay, they are not dead round but near enough for this job.

Gordon ..

No need for metallic neutraliser brushes. On my Bonetti I used a bit of the black conductive plastic bags I get chips [ ic chips ] in. As a Bonetti has no sectors, they don't tend to rip up the disc surface. So long as there is a reasonably conductive path between the brushes, they will work fine. Well, mine did anyway. Could get 7-8" sparks from a 16" machine. Should, in theory do rather better than that though, but Bonettis are more sensitive to humidity than Wimshursts.

Dave.

My understanding of these machines suggests that the brushes don’t. .”touch”..and its the spiky nature of the brush that is the active bit…
But I have seen brushes made of bowed foil___^___ sort of fold thing. ..

Huh, Wimshurst machines are kiddies toys. Build a Tesla coil and you can play like this.

Russell.

Dave Daniels…last wimshurst….38 years ago…
Collector brushes. ..vandegraff…four examples built over as many years…..but as I said MY understanding….

Although not of the complication and hence mechanical appeal of a Wimshurst. .I like the kelvin generator for its elegance
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelvin_water_dropper