Shocking!

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When I was a freshman in college, I had this idea to build a shocking device. This sophomore on our dorm floor, Jim, kept telling me I never finished my ideas, so of course I had to build it. I built a wooden frame in which I could just fit my fist. Next, I built a 12vdc-to-300vdc inverter and used a micro switch to dump the 300v across a car ignition coil whose high tension end had a piece of coat hanger wire attached to it. This worked, except that the 20kV? would jump around the insulated tower.

To keep this from happening, I gathered a few old deodorant roll-on balls, the thermoplastic kind, and melted them over the coat hanger section, pushing them down to the base, and melting them together. This stopped the arcing. I was also able to increase the chances that the arc would form at the tip of the coat hanger by filing it to a sharp point. Now I had this cool-looking wooden box/glove with which I could throw a pretty good spark by clicking a micro switch in the box.

After I had the device working, I spray painted it black except for the tip and knocked on Jim's dorm room door. When he saw this shocker he took off running for his life with me close behind, but I was laughing too hard to catch him.

This was great fun, but one time I was riding in my friend's truck and he hit a bump. My box/glove jammed into the truck's metal frame and my hand hit the micro switch. I had a pretty good jolt jump up through the micro switch and into me. I dismantled this device shortly thereafter.

Shocking!

I take no responsibilities for anything resulting from someone else trying any of my stories, they are highly dangerous, and I'm lucky to be alive. i.e. they can KILL YOU, you have been warned.

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