I am now committed to a stainless steel chamber, I called J B Braun yesterday to order the hemispheres, they have been inundated with orders (thousands) for hemispheres, by people making of all things, windmills!
I have debated about a high voltage feedthrough ie, buy it vs make it. MDC Vacuum Products has a nice feedthrough, based on a conflat 2.75" flange, 30 KV rated, part #642000 for $215.00. It is similar in appearence to Richard Hull's fusor III feedthrough. A discussion of his feedthrough is buried in another thread.
Making a feedthrough involves, buying a conflat blank $12.00, machining it out to fit a spark plug making the alumina insulated electrode extension gluing or welding the thing together and hoping that it doesnt leak. I can get some really good high vacuum clear epoxy locally (you have to grind it out once it is cured) but is is $70.00 for six 1/2 ounce packets of epoxy.
The MDC feedthrough is looking more attractive.
Created on Wednesday, May 02, 2001 6:35 PM EDT by Thomas D Dressel Last Modified on Thursday, May 03, 2001 6:23 PM EDT by Thomas D Dressel