Control Box Page:

This control box contains a large variac (240 VAC at about 30 amps) and is close to a black hole in weight but doesn't complain about the current I draw through it. I designed it such that two people could easily lug it into and out of my car. Note the oak pole I have through the center of it. That makes it easy to lift and move around. The meters are an AC voltmeter monitoring the AC to the potential transformer. The right one is the relative current to the primary. I didn't have a "knob" for the variac and the best I could find was a steering wheel from an auto parts store. I think it looks dopey but kids seem to thing it looks cool or at least some kids said that.

In the picture below, you may be able to see that the cord going to the transformer cart. It is a 240 or 208 Volt plug so no one will plug it in the wall while I step out. The switches are for Rotary gap motor, Variac Power, morse code switch bypass, and AC cap experimental/fan power. I used to have a small variac for controllign the rotary motor speed till it smoked but it was under-rated.

  © Copyright 2006-2017. Jamie Oliver  -  Contents of this page are the sole responsibility of me, Jamie Oliver, and no, I'm not the British "Jamie Oliver, The Naked Chef" but I'd enjoy meeting him some day.