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So I finally finished building my wimshurst machine! Disks are around 14" and it works, but the sparks get about 1/2" :( so i was wondering what i could fix and for my metal thats connecting the outside of both leyden jars, im using a thin ribbon cable wire. Is this an issue? Should i replace it with something thicker or is this not the problem? enter image description here

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Reese Houseknecht
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    This is not your issue. Conductor size scales with current not voltage and the currents in those conductors are very very small. You might be having problems with corona discharge from sharp edges or just low efficiency in the disk assembly. If you post more details about your construction (disk material, etc) someone might be able to help. – Dean Franks Feb 11 '18 at 06:03
  • I had to just make my collecting combs closer to the disk thats all – Reese Houseknecht Feb 11 '18 at 06:51

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I had to wrap aluminum foil around my collecting combs and now my sparks are huge so.. enter image description here enter image description here enter image description here

Reese Houseknecht
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