Home Sign Up!

Browse Community Submit

All Art Craft Food Games Green Home Kids Life Music Offbeat Outdoors Pets Photo Ride Science Tech

How to build a Five Foot Tall Jacob's ladder

by ewilhelm on December 13, 2005 Table of Contents How to build a Five Foot Tall Jacob's ladder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro: How to build a Five Foot Tall Jacob's ladder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 1: Obtain neon sign transformer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 2: Build a base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 3: Mount copper pipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 4: Set the spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 5: Build a case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 6: Power up and take pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 4 5 6 8

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Five-Foot-Tall-Jacob-s-ladder/

Author:ewilhelm

author's website Eric J. Wilhelm is the founder and CEO of Instructables. He has a Ph.D. from MIT in Mechanical Engineering. Eric believes in making technology accessible through understanding, and strives to inspire others to learn as much as they can and share it with those around them. Read about Instructables' history: http://www.instructables.com/id/How_to_Start_a_Business_1/ and meet the others on the Instructables team [http://www.instructables.com/about/ . In addition to his doctorate, Eric earned his SB, and SM degrees in mechanical engineering from MIT, where he developed methods to print electronics and micro-electromechanical systems using nanoparticles. He co-founded Squid Labs http://www.squid-labs.com, an innovation and design partnership, and a number of Squid Labs spin-off companies including Potenco http://www.potenco.com, producing a human-powered generator for cell phones and laptops; Makani http://www.makanipower.com, an energy company seeking to harness high-altitude wind; and OptiOpia http://www.optiopia.com, developing low-cost portable vision-testing and lens-fabricating devices. Eric has been recognized as one of the top innovators under 35 years old by Technology Review :http://www.instructables.com/community/Eric_wins_TR35_Innovation_Award/, and was awarded the National Inventors Hall of Fame Collegiate Inventors Award for the development of a printing technique used to create patterns in films of nanoparticles or polymers with resolutions reaching into the 10's of nanometers. Contact him at his Instructables profile by clicking the "Private Message Me" button, or by guessing his email address @instructables.com (it's easy). You can also follow his work here by clicking the "subscribe" button, or on Twitter http://twitter.com/ericwilhelm or Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ewilhelm

Intro: How to build a Five Foot Tall Jacob's ladder

This classic climbing arc completes any mad scientist's dungeon. Don't touch the electrodes: they're at 12 kV!

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Five-Foot-Tall-Jacob-s-ladder/

Step 1: Obtain neon sign transformer

Get a neon sign transformer rated for 9 - 12 kV and 30 mA. Make sure it's an old style, heavy coil transformer and not solid-state. The solid-state transformers won't start the arc. I got a Transco 12 kV 30 mA transformer on Ebay for $35. It didn't have a wall plug, so I wired one on.

Image Notes 1. Hot. 2. Neutral. 3. Ground.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Five-Foot-Tall-Jacob-s-ladder/

Image Notes 1. Make sure to put this cover on before screwing down on the wires; I always forget and have to undo the wires.

Step 2: Build a base

Build a base from the something nonconductive and nonflammable. I chose wood, which doesn?t quite meet the nonflammable criteria. Drill two holes approximately 0.5 inches apart and shove two dowels in the holes. Use thick wire to make electrical connections between the output of the transformer and the dowels. Attach the base to the transformer to make the whole thing stable.

Step 3: Mount copper pipes

Mount two copper pipes on the dowels. Make the fit snug by putting the wire between the dowel and the pipe. Connect the transformer output to the stiff wire.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Five-Foot-Tall-Jacob-s-ladder/

Image Notes 1. ... and burn a scar, like this one. 2. Make sure the copper pipe starts well above the base. Otherwise the arc might start at the base and never heat enough air to rise...

Step 4: Set the spacing

Set the spacing at the top of the copper pipes. I used a laser cut piece of acrylic. Something like drywall could also work. Eventually, the spark hung out under the acrylic long enough to ignite it. In later versions I put a gap between the two holes to allow the spark to pass through. You have to experiment with the spacing; start around 2 inches and go as wide as you can.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Five-Foot-Tall-Jacob-s-ladder/

Image Notes 1. Gap to let spark through.

Image Notes 1. Gap to let spark through.

Step 5: Build a case

To make sure no one grabs the pipes, build a case around them. I cut pieces of acrylic on a table saw and attached them to the base and a small frame at the top. There is a piece of reflective mylar on the back acrylic.

Image Notes 1. The top frame.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Five-Foot-Tall-Jacob-s-ladder/

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Five-Foot-Tall-Jacob-s-ladder/

Step 6: Power up and take pictures

Power up and check the spacing. Make sure to unplug before you adjust any gaps! Use a long exposure to take pictures.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Five-Foot-Tall-Jacob-s-ladder/

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Five-Foot-Tall-Jacob-s-ladder/

Related Instructables

Mini Jacob's Ladder or High Voltage Climbing Arc by Resurrecting The Siege Engine

Large Jacob's Ladder by Zorink

How To Make A Jacobs Ladder by fatboyslim

How to make a Jacob's Ladder! by duct tape

Low Cost Jacob's Ladder Made From A Salvaged Oil Transformer by bloomautomatic

JACOB'S FORKS? by jacobfork

Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 222 comments
Jan 1, 2011. 8:46 PM REPLY

dog digger says:

I love it. I love how it temporarily sends the camera out of focus

tinstructable says:

Nov 30, 2010. 8:03 PM REPLY You should try cooling the copper pipes with liquid nitrogen and then spreading them apart. Perhaps you could also get your hands on another NST and wire it in parallel with the current one to get twice the length of sparks!

goober6 says:
i can only find a 5 kv and 30ma transformer is that ok???

Nov 18, 2010. 8:27 PM REPLY

dataa2 says:
anyone have a good online source for suitable neon sign transformers for good prices other than the obvious ebay ?

Nov 6, 2010. 1:34 PM REPLY

brady911 says:
is it just me or is it true that it will produce nitrogen gas or something of the sort. and it will fill the enclosement with the gas.

May 30, 2010. 6:53 PM REPLY

uGo says:
it makes O3 ( ozone) ;)

Oct 18, 2010. 11:47 AM REPLY

Jimmy Proton says:

i dont know it it will produces nitrogen gas but there is no danger if it does

Aug 7, 2010. 8:22 PM REPLY

Jimmy Proton says:

thats so cool, im making one. that is...after i get a transformer...

Aug 7, 2010. 8:24 PM REPLY

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Five-Foot-Tall-Jacob-s-ladder/

Ora says:

Jun 16, 2008. 10:03 PM REPLY I was thinking about making one of these and having it horizontal instead of vertical. Would this work, or does it need to be vertical in order for the spark to travel along the length of the copper pipes?

ewilhelm says:

Jun 17, 2008. 10:27 AM REPLY It needs to be vertical. The spark heats and ionizes the air, which reduces its resistance. This heated air tends to rise drawing the spark up. You can blow the spark around, but doing so in a consistent manner would be a challenge.

freakshow freak says:

Having air entering top and bottom seems to help the spark rise, making a kind of chimney i suppose.

Aug 2, 2010. 11:50 AM REPLY

Ora says:
Okay, thank you very much.

Jun 17, 2008. 9:56 PM REPLY

killerjackalope says:

Jun 17, 2008. 10:54 AM REPLY Maybe a setup using a computer fan, something quite gentle, it would have to reacht the length of the arc rods though, you could use the power supplies case fan as a source of vaguely warm moving air, if it was a little warmer than room temp it would lower the heat gradient needed to make the arcs move, I think, cold air might have a more pronounced effect for a very powerful and slow moving arc...

Ora says:
Hmm, that might work. If I give it a try I'll be sure to let you know.

Jun 17, 2008. 9:57 PM REPLY

killerjackalope says:
It should work ok if you can get the right airflow...

Jun 18, 2008. 1:49 AM REPLY

sarosh6 says:

Apr 3, 2010. 7:18 AM REPLY Im using a similar NST rated 9kV and 30mA for my tesla coil. It was two brown terminals on the side (similar to yours but on the sides). One side has two such terminals and the other side has only one. Which one of these is input and which one is the output? Also, what wires have you used for connecting the mains to the transformer and what wires do I use with the output current? Thanks! Jan 10, 2010. 4:59 PM REPLY

strmrnnr says:
I just had a vision while reading this Eric.

I saw a similar ladder but with smaller, more flexible, tubing being used and the tubing was bent into curves and loops, some similar to a helical staircase. The sparks were traveling around the track of the tube in amazing patterns.

Idonet says:
Can you tell anything about the circuitry you use to power that thing?

Dec 4, 2009. 10:05 PM REPLY

Idonet says:
Wow! This looks really impressive.

Dec 4, 2009. 10:00 PM REPLY

hamjudo says:

Jan 23, 2008. 9:33 PM REPLY My electronic neon sign power supply works just fine in my Jacob's Ladder. It has safety features that aren't present in the old transformers, and it weighs a lot less. It is current limited, so that nothing bad happens when it is accidentally shorted. It has a builtin GFCI. (Note: a GFCI will only protect stupid people that touch one electrode and create a path to ground. It will not protect stupid people who touch both electrodes!) It has no trouble generating a spark. The power supply is rated at 35ma or 10,000 volts. Since it only draws 175watts, it must not be doing both at the same time. I used a marble floor tile as the base. I glued the transformer and a glass block to the base. I connected the wires to the glass block. It is putting quite a few watts into the arc. Most of that becomes heat, so the copper wires get really hot. The arc is even hotter. The GFCI means that this ladder is far more likely to start a fire, than to electrocute someone. It produces very little RF interference, so I assume there must be some filtering in there somewhere.

Prometheus says:

Feb 7, 2008. 1:05 AM REPLY You have a tolerant "soft-coil" setup, but I should add that it would be advisable to increase the heatsinking capacity of any heatsinks (any aluminum blocks/flanges attached to components) by at least 200%, but do not tie them all together, as voltage potentials may exist between them....do not allow an electrically-compatible connection between them unless one is implied in the circuit. Adding a fan would not be unwise. The arc itself releases not just the imported power creating the spark, but also adds the atomic level to it. Any electrical arc can create temperatures over 9500C, no matter how minute it may seem, it is fire on a level still not entirely understood by the scientific community. A 100mW transformer can create more than 100W of heat output per minute.....work for you on an atomically-driven perpetual-motion machine, or close to it. The GFCI has only one purpose: To monitor a current difference between hot and neutral. When one exceeds the other by approx 100mA (depending on calibration), the unit trips, assuming what is called a "ground fault", and promptly disconnects both prongs of the plug through a double-pole contact (both sides removed at once) on what is called a "collapsible circuit" (fault = open with a manual close, in most cases), borrowed from bomb-making technology.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Five-Foot-Tall-Jacob-s-ladder/

If you have a blown hair dryer, saving the cord and GFCI is smart, even in dry conditions. One day, one may save your life by pure accident, noticing you to be the "ground-fault", which is what they aspire to detect in the long run. The GFCI will immediately recognize a short (probably within 100ms) and trip, and may just prevent a fire as well. Any electrocution will likely be more a lesson learned than a trip to ER....Most Americans need this to ensure safety from themselves and their own ignorance. All a GFCI needs is a disparity of current on one side or the other....and while it may not save you from a painful shock for stupidity, it may still save your life....Worth using as an additional precaution.

hamjudo says:

Feb 7, 2008. 2:56 PM REPLY I wasn't very precise. The GFCI isn't on the input to the power supply, it is on the two 10kV output leads. I believe this is called a "secondary GFCI", because if the high voltage power supply were a simple transformer, the GFCI would be connected to the secondary winding of the transformer. The 110V portion of the circuit is electrically isolated from the 10kV portion except for a single ground connection, a high voltage current ground fault, even if it goes through a person, is unlikely to create a current imbalance in the power cord. You still want a 110V GFCI to protect against ground faults in the mains portion of the circuit. The neon sign power supply barely gets warm, it has more than adequate heat sinking. Neon sign power supplies have to work when installed in badly ventilated metal boxes as part of an exterior sign of a restaurant in the desert.

Prometheus says:

Feb 12, 2008. 12:54 AM REPLY I might have been unclear as well, the GFCI won't see you from the other side of any isolation transformer, such as neon-sign transformers. A "ground-fault circuit interrupter" can only protect you from the mains current. At the least having one on the kit gives someone a quick and safe way to kill power (by hitting the "test" button), without having to fight a plug loose, but this should not be used as an on/off switch. Tripping the safety manually should be done only in emergency or the potential of one. A GFCI on the secondary side is something I haven't heard of, but it would work in the same way. If one does exist on the secondary side, it will definitely see a person as a ground fault because us bags of meat are far more conductive at 10kV that the current would well exceed 100mA.....but for a secondary-side unit, especially in this application, would trip on at least 5mA. I still prefer the old-school heavy-coil transformer as there is less to go wrong, and it has a purist aspect to it. Solid-state power supplies are prone to the EMF created by an arc, where a heavy-coil type inherently absorbs it. The only remaining RFI escapes directly into the air. "It produces very little RF interference, so I assume there must be some filtering in there somewhere." The filtering is not on the power supply, but rather on other things you expected to pick up the interference. Per FCC rules, it is trying to block out unnecessary interference while not creating any of it's own. I'd give the credit to your other electronics rather than to your kit, as you are using it in ways it wasn't designed for. (In any case, got a make/model for your neon power supply? I'd like to get my hands on one too)

_Manni says:

Nov 12, 2009. 9:38 AM REPLY To be on the safe side, how powerful should my transformer be? Note that it is a school project and im taking precautions. lol i don't wna kill anyone. _Manni

ewilhelm says:
Awesome! Can you post a picture?

Jan 24, 2008. 1:54 PM REPLY

realcelestialphoenix says:
(removed by author or community request)

Jul 22, 2008. 12:34 PM

puffyfluff says:
The higher the voltage, the better it is. 100kV is awesome.

Aug 28, 2008. 1:17 PM REPLY

realcelestialphoenix says:
(removed by author or community request)

Aug 29, 2008. 2:07 PM

puffyfluff says:
Yes. Pole pigs work great for any high voltage project!
Wow. You are lucky. In Colorado, there are hardly any pole pigs. They all get refurbished and reused.

Aug 29, 2008. 8:19 PM REPLY

realcelestialphoenix says:
(removed by author or community request)

Aug 30, 2008. 4:43 AM

puffyfluff says:
Wow. A substation? Maybe a little bit more than you need, but still awesome!

Aug 30, 2008. 7:12 AM REPLY

realcelestialphoenix says:
(removed by author or community request)

Aug 31, 2008. 2:20 AM

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Five-Foot-Tall-Jacob-s-ladder/

puffyfluff says:
Definitely.
you are so lucky...

Aug 31, 2008. 5:49 AM REPLY

realcelestialphoenix says:
(removed by author or community request)

Aug 31, 2008. 6:47 AM

puffyfluff says:

Aug 31, 2008. 8:29 AM REPLY Yeah, I got one of those from my Uncle, and it was like 1kV. Oh well, I could always string a bunch together. Because that was an amazing instructable, you could always fill it up with oil again and run the ladder where you found it...

realcelestialphoenix says:
(removed by author or community request)

Aug 31, 2008. 10:17 AM

puffyfluff says:
I think everyone would! 99 cents on eBay.
i have evil plans...

Aug 31, 2008. 10:31 AM REPLY

realcelestialphoenix says:
(removed by author or community request)

Sep 1, 2008. 4:24 AM

puffyfluff says:

Sep 1, 2008. 8:14 AM REPLY Maybe, if it was as close to the arc as possible. Yeah. eBay is a pretty cheap way to get anything. muahaha...

realcelestialphoenix says:
(removed by author or community request)

Sep 1, 2008. 11:20 AM

puffyfluff says:

Sep 1, 2008. 12:26 PM REPLY Oh, even better! Just use tongs. I didn't either until I looked. That is pretty cheap. mua ha ha ha ha I shall rule mua ha ha people will do my bidding I will threaten them with arcs mua ha ha ha ha ha

realcelestialphoenix says:
(removed by author or community request)

Sep 1, 2008. 1:35 PM

puffyfluff says:

Sep 1, 2008. 5:56 PM REPLY Thanks. Wow, she really likes teddies. muah hahahahahaha! people will bow down to me! arcs will be my aid! muah hahahahahahahahahahahaha!

duct tape says:

Oct 20, 2009. 5:13 PM REPLY It is kind of annoying when half of a conversation is removed.

cdousley says:
yeah

Oct 23, 2009. 1:05 PM REPLY

Zaphod Beeblebrox says:

yep it is

Oct 24, 2009. 6:21 PM REPLY

matt says:
Heres mine:

Sep 29, 2009. 7:04 AM REPLY

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Five-Foot-Tall-Jacob-s-ladder/

bombmaker2 says:
that looks alot like the one from the franklin institute

Sep 18, 2009. 3:13 PM REPLY

ewilhelm says:
I briefly worked at the Franklin Institute while in high school.

Sep 18, 2009. 6:04 PM REPLY

bombmaker2 says:
is it modeled after the one in the electricity section?

Sep 19, 2009. 6:18 PM REPLY

view all 222 comments

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Five-Foot-Tall-Jacob-s-ladder/