by Brian Bradfield bradfield@geocities.com
This page tells you how to build a Wimshurst Machine. There is a picture of one below. It is possible to build one out of common materials. I also tells you where to obtain them. Have fun building a working Wimshurst machine.
Trace around two LP’s on the Acrylic plastic. Carefully cut the two discs out with a saber saw. Sandwich the discs between two boards.
Round the edges of the plastic discs with sand paper. Now, line the empty CLEAN Polaner All fruit jars with foil on the inside and outside. Make two chains of paper clips. Now lay one of the plastic discs on top of a scrap board. Drill a half inch hole in the center. Do the same with the other disc. Now, saw a twenty by ten inch base out of wood. Saw two five inch by ten inch boards. Mount the two five by ten boards on the twenty inch side. by using glue. Let the glue dry and drive two screws per side on the board. Now drill one five - eighths inch hole one and one - half inches above the base. Now do the same on the other side. Drill a half inch hole one inch from the top. Do the same on the other side. Take some five minute epoxy and smear it on the one and one half inch pulley. Line the pulley up straight with the hole in the disc and let it dry for at least fifteen minutes. Do the same with the other disc. Now, take the hex key and loosen the three and one - half inch pulley to stick it on the five - eighths inch dowel rod. Now put the other one on just one - half or one inch from the other pulley. Now tighten the hex screws. Slip a rubber band on each pulley. Drill a quarter inch hole on one side of the dowel in the holes. Cut a piece of half - inch dowel, about two inches long. Now drill a quarter inch hole near one end. Cut a piece of quarter inch dowel about one inch long. Stick the quarter inch dowel through the quarter inch holes. Now dab some Elmer’s glue on each of them. Cut two half inch dowel stocks seven inches tall with a quarter inch hole through them. Cut two more dowel stocks three inches tall with quarter inch holes through them. Cut four five inch dowel stocks with quarter inch holes through them too. Now, cut the pads out of alumiumn foil. Be sure there are no sharp edges. Also, the pads MUST be almost the same shape and size. I used metal cut out of a pop can to make a pattern to cut the pads out. Now, smear a thin layer of the 527 craft cement on the foil pads. Now, place them on the disc. Make sure they have a good bond. Make sure that each pad is directly opposite of the other one. Repeat the procedure on the other disc. Now, mount the discs on the half inch dowel rod reserved for them. Make sure both pulleys are facing the outside. Take the rubber bands and bring the one toward you straight up and slip it on the pulley. Take the next one and cross it, now take it up and slip it on the pulley. Now, drill two holes on the left side directly opposite from each other. Drill two holes on the right side directly opposite of each other. Drill another two holes to the right about one inch from the first holes on the left side. Drill another two holes one inch to the left of the first two right ones. Dab some Elmer’s glue on each dowel rod. Now, put the two five inch ones in their place. On the right side of the side facing you, mount the seven inch dowel rod. On the right side of the side facing away from you, mount one of the two inch dowel rods. On the side facing toward you mount another seven inch dowel rod. I hope you can guess where the last one goes. Now, get some fourteen gauge wire. Cut a piece long enough to go from the left dowel’s quarter inch hole to the inside of the Leyden jar. (Polaner All - Fruit Jar). Do the same for the other left dowel. Do the exact same thing for the right dowels. Use a hole saw to cut some lids for the jars. Now stick the two wires on each side to the appropriate jars. With a wire tool (used for crimping and other things) strip about a half inch of insulation off of each wire. Do the same on the other jar. Now, take a paper clip chain and twist the wires and the paper clips to make sure they all have contact. Now, wrap a piece of electrical tape around the wire twist mass you have created. Do the same on the other jar. With the wire tool, carefully strip the insulation off of the other end (about a half inch) Do this on the left and right sides. Separate the gauges to form a brush looking thing. Secure the brush by bending the insulated part and taping it to the dowel with electrical tape.
Cut a wire long enough to reach from the long dowel to the short dowel with extra slack. With a wire tool, strip the insulation off about a half inch from the end of the wire. Do the same to the other side and the other wire. Now, secure the wire to the dowel using electrical tape as described before. Now, cut the wire half way down. Cut two wires long enough to go to each separate jar. Do the same for the other side. Now, strip off a half inch of insulation on the wire you cut in the center and the wire you cut to go to the jar (both ends [the one that goes to the jar]). Now, twist the wires on the 45 degree brush all together and tape them good. Tape the two wires hanging out to one jar each. Do the same on the other side. You are finished!!! Twist another wire to the inside of one of the jar masses and wire it to one side of the spark gap you are about to make.(under the tape). Drill two more half inch holes about three inches from each other. Mount two half inch dowels about five inches high wit quarter inch holes in them. Make the other spark wire and give it a side of the spark gap. Strip one half inch of insulation off of the spark gap wires once they are through the holes. Now, bend back the sharp parts of the wires just a little bit. Now, coat the ball like ends with a little solder. Twist the neon light bulb on both sides of the spark gap. Crank the handle counter - clockwise. If after a minute the neon bulb doesn’t light up, then check your connections. Make sure that everything is nice and snug. Go back to the index page