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Table of Contents
Make your own Lightning Globe! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Step 1: Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
http://www.instructables.com/id/Maker-your-own-Lightning-Globe!/
Step 1: Supplies
Here's a list of supplies I used:
1. Large, clear light bulb
Not just any light bulb will work. It must be one that has been gas filled.
Typically, anything 60 watts or higher should work. Lower wattage bulbs typically have a vaccuum. 60 watt and higher usually have an argon nitrogen mix, which lights up
nicely!
I found a 5 inch 60 watt bulb for about $2.49 at the hardware store.
2. Aluminum screen, painted black
The aluminum screen will be our ground to attract the high voltage.
Instead of shelling out a bunch of money for an entire roll of aluminum screening, just look for an HVAC vent with some right on the back.
I found the one below at the hardware store for about $1.50, and the screen was already painted black!
3. A cheap black plastic pot
This is going to be the holder for the globe. Since it will be used at night, it doesn't need to look pretty.
I found a black plastic pot for about $0.79, you guessed it, at the hardware store.
4. A high voltage power source
This is what makes the magic happen.
I used the same monitor as the one in my Electric Fence Monitor Hack Video
With people upgrading to LCDs like crazy these days, you can easily get a 15" monitor from someone for free. You might even talk them into paying you for removing the
hideous eyesore from their humble abode.
WARNING: Color monitors put out close to 30,000 volts. This voltage can harm you and quite possibly kill you, depending on the depth of the water you are standing in
or how old your pacemaker batteries are. Seriously, though, be careful.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Maker-your-own-Lightning-Globe!/
Image Notes
1. Large clear light bulb. 60 watts or higher. This one is 5 inches in diameter, the
biggest I could find at the hardware store.
Image Notes
1. HVAC air vent.
Image Notes
1. Use a pocket knife to scratch off the paint. If it's shiny, then it's probably
aluminum. It should be easy to tell just by running your fingernail over it, though.
Regular black screen is made of some sort of fiber.
Image Notes
1. This plastic pot had the perfect sized indentation for the light bulb.
Image Notes
1. EXTREMELY HIGH VOLTAGE!
2. An old CRT monitor that went the way of the Dodo bird.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Maker-your-own-Lightning-Globe!/
Image Notes
1. Scrape off the black paint.
Image Notes
1. I folded it to make sure the scraped areas were lined up.
Image Notes
1. Fold it in half carefully. It needs to be round, as it will be wrapped around the
bulb.
2. Scrape off both sides of the screen where they will touch each other.
Image Notes
1. Feed the stripped ground wire through both edges of the screen, and then
wrap it tight.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Maker-your-own-Lightning-Globe!/
Image Notes
1. Solder the ground wire to itself.
Image Notes
1. The bulb should fit tightly inside the screen.
Image Notes
1. Trim off the excess screen. Make sure to trim it fairly high up from the tip,
otherwise the voltage will try to arc.
Image Notes
1. Make several evenly spaced cuts around the screen.
Image Notes
1. Fold the screen flaps on top of each other.
Image Notes
1. It's actually easier to make all the folds without the bulb inside, then slide it
http://www.instructables.com/id/Maker-your-own-Lightning-Globe!/
in.
Image Notes
1. Nice and form-fitted around the bottom.
Image Notes
1. Form-fitted around the top, too.
Image Notes
1. Cut a hole for the bulb stem. This pot was the perfect size.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Maker-your-own-Lightning-Globe!/
Image Notes
1. Cut a hole in the side about four inches up for the high voltage wire to pass
through.
Image Notes
1. Feed the wire through the hole in the side, and then up through the top
hole.
Image Notes
1. Wrap the wire around the bulb tightly.
2. Cut an extra notch to allow the bulb and wire to pass through the hole.
Image Notes
1. Ground wire.
2. High voltage wire.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Maker-your-own-Lightning-Globe!/
Image Notes
1. You should see a nice lightning show evenly spread all around the bulb.
Image Notes
1. If it's arcing to the bottom of the bulb, trim the screen.
Image Notes
1. You might have to trim up it fairly high to keep it from arcing.
Image Notes
1. Turn out the lights to see it in all its glory!
Image Notes
1. Here's a good closeup view.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Maker-your-own-Lightning-Globe!/
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment
pjp15 says:
Fireater989 says:
ernestmac13 says:
badideasrus says:
cheychey777 says:
What kind of high voltage power source do i need? I don't have access to a computer monitor or TV.
Lil6lil says:
would this work if i used a low voltage source????? cause the high voltage sounds kinda dangerous...
badideasrus says:
ctrlx says:
LeviMan_2001 says:
Do you think this would work with an old TV as well?
http://www.instructables.com/id/Maker-your-own-Lightning-Globe!/
badideasrus says:
codename_two says:
Lil6lil says:
help!!!!! do you actually need a pc moniter for this to work or is there something else that will work??
speakerman9 says:
Try a neon ballast. The voltage is lower (15KVDC), but, in a smaller bulb, it should give you the desired result.
Quantinuim says:
You can use any kind of screen that is based the cathode ray
pjp15 says:
zombiefire says:
adammcbride says:
hey. what kind of wire do i have to use to connect it to the ground? and to connect the bulb to the source?
Gilly001 says:
ARMITRON says:
knoxarama says:
how do you get the arcing to be continuous? mine just zaps for a couple seconds every few seconds.
KryptoTSD says:
COOL!
I Gots To Get Me One Of THESE!
Derin says:
look u can also connect it to the filament and super bright lightbulb!
Derin says:
im takin that back super quick explosive
http://www.instructables.com/id/Maker-your-own-Lightning-Globe!/
psych0munky says:
I am guessing it was super bright for a few milliseconds...hopefully you weren't hurt...
osmonde says:
I probably shouldn't mention it, but someone here is bound to try it if they aren't warned off first...
About 30 years ago (40?) Scientific American magazine's Amateur Scientist column did a DIY X-ray generator that used a light bulb, a piece of aluminum
foil and a HV DC supply. Basically, it is the same set-up as this project except that they turned on the light bulb filament in order to boil electrons off it. The
HVDC then accelerates the electrons to hit the foil target through the glass. Some weak X-rays are produced and if I recall correctly, they were used to
cause mutations in seeds that were then grown to observe the effects of the radiation/mutations.
I shouldn't have to say it, but I will because there are always a few people out there will think it is a cool idea to try to x-ray their own body parts or those of
their pets, girlfriends, etc. DON'T DO IT. X-rays are potentially dangerous. The mutations can cause cancer, etc. Here's an article similar to the one I am
referring to: www.noah.org/science/x-ray/stong/
alzie says:
CoolKoon says:
CoolKoon says:
You mean an arc would form THROUGH the glass itself? I thought that glass is a better insulator than air itself.......
http://www.instructables.com/id/Maker-your-own-Lightning-Globe!/
CoolKoon says:
CoolKoon says:
yep
CoolKoon says:
Wareagle says:
the ONLY bad thing about this is that you cant put your hand on it and attract the lightning. good 'ible!
if you have an ac flyback you can, it may hurt a bit depending on the power
i happen to have one that the diode blew out on, ill post a video of it soon (i just made a nice little casing for it)
CoolKoon says:
CoolKoon says:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Maker-your-own-Lightning-Globe!/
CoolKoon says:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Maker-your-own-Lightning-Globe!/