The 44XLS plug has been spoken of before on the old list for use on fusors up to the 25kv range. The threaded base portion was just sawed and or machined off to create a poor man's vacuum insulator for high voltage. More can be found on this entire subject in the old achives.
Remember, no "R" is allowed in the 44XLS number, as this is a resistor plug AND IS NOT USABLE. If you cast about for another type of plug, do not buy or fiddle with any form of resistor plug.
New tips and techniques...........
It is necessary to use a good vacuum rated epoxy such as epoxy patch, (Duniway), to backup the seal at the point of the plug's ceramic insulator entering the metallic plug base. This is OUTSIDE of the chamber, of course.
The plug is designed to seal pressure blowing upperward from the base and not pressure trying to enter from above.
I have actually had some other type plug's ceramic bodies come adrift in the metal base!!!! They can actually wobble around! This is actually a gift!
I placed the plug in a very warm oven for 20 minutes, mixed up a small amount of epoxy, removed the plug from the oven and heated the epoxy with an infrared lamp until it flowed like water. I next poured/paddled the epoxy into the small cavity around the base of the insulator and the metal plug base. Pulling upward on the insulator distributed the epoxy all over and around the ceramic body via the "stopper like action of the two pieces. Alcohol on the finger can then be used to wipe away excess epoxy with a spinning motion. Place the spark plug inverted in a vise to setup.
****note********
Warm epoxy on a warm item to be bonded, sets up real fast. You will not have time to dawdle once this operation begins.
Such a finished plug can then be epoxied into a machined, flange, sphere, or other vessel to make a demo fusor or a simple first-pass, d-d fusion, fusor.
Richard Hull
Richard Hull
Created on Tuesday, January 23, 2001 10:02 AM EDT by Richard Hull