Are you holding the electrodes while current is going into the wood? If you can hold the electrodes while running, it sorta negates the safety feature of the dead man's switch.
Working on microwave ovens... the output winding has one side connected to the body of the transformer, which is why the one lead goes to the base. The reason for this arrangement has to do with the magnetron tube used for making the microwave radiation. The plate of the tube is also the body of it so the transformer, case of the oven and body of the tube can all be connected together and connected to the green wire on the plug. As long as the case is not removed, there is no shock hazard. But making a wood burning machine is pretty much the definition of a lethal shock hazard. When used as intended there is also a capacitor and a high voltage diode forming a voltage doubler to produce the voltage the tube needs with cheaper parts. While the cap has a built in bleeder, never trust it. The cap can have a 2600 volt charge on it, act accordingly when stripping an oven. There is also a low voltage isolated winding for the filament supply on the tube. Safe to ignore just don't short it. Wire... neon signs use wire with an insulation rating over 10,000 volts, that would be a good choice. Some RUclips videos show people using car booster cables. Those are rated for at least 30 volts. Only advice If you come across one of those setups, stay far away and if you don't think the owner needs to die advise them to never plug it in. It might work for awhile but as soon as the insulation breaks down it might as well be bare wires.
All you people trying to sound smart are missing the biggest point and that's the amperage when your body is the conductor. Pretty much every way you build this will be safe. Until it isn't.
@@YoureNotSoSmartBro If you make yourself the conductor, the amperage is academic. It is quickly lethal. You are mostly salt water, same as the conductive material on the wood. Just picture that lovely fractile pattern going through whatever is between the two contact points on your body. Ps 120 volts can kill through burns but it takes a little while. The power is volts × amps. As V=IR the power increases with the square of the applied voltage ( P=V^2/R combining Ohms law and the power formula) so at 10 times the voltage, approximately, a microwave transformer should be able to kill 100 times faster. Permanent injury in maybe 100 milliseconds, if between hands and so across the heart probably death in that time. Do you think booster cables with a rated breakdown voltage of 30 volts are safe to block 1500 volts? How do you safely hold them while energized?
@@garygough6905 This is pretty much my point. Everybody seems to speak about this project like it's the transformer specs that need to be evaluated but nobody seems to consider what the specs are when you're part of the circuit. Nor do most of these people seem to understand that this transformer will cause it to keep supplying current until it's turned off or the circuit is broken. So if you become part of it you're going to be a part of it for way longer than it will take to kill you. Honestly anybody who holds on to their fractal wood burning tool while it's being used is an absolute idiot. This whole comment section, aside from like 2 people, is filled with stupid people and quite frankly the dude who made this video is worthless. It pisses me off that he does this with his kid.
@@lunarrn ac power is a sign wave that is only up at a set rate (cycle)… one will either have a single phase or 3 phase panel feeding a given piece of equipment. Each phase A/B (single phase really has 2 phases) or A/B/C in 3 phase is generating a sign wave like guns fire once each in a set pattern. So, a wire that is connected to phase A will never be at the same frequency as Wire B or Wire C…. This only matters to the equipment used or when sharing a neutral wire between phases. ( can be done but very dangerous for others if it’s not known) Imagine 3 base drummers hit at a 4/4 time…. Then, add a bell in between each drum beat…. The bell would be the neutral wire carrying the signal ( drum beat ) back to the ground for each phase.
wow so i am assuming you hold those electrode leads in your hand when the burner is energized? Wow amazed you are still alive. The only safe way would be to clamp the electrodes to the wood, go back 20 or so ft and power the leads using a 2 handed dead mans switch. Then maybe it is safe.
The step up transformer steps up the voltage from 120V to7-8-9000 volts . #8 wire isn’t needed for this because it’s low amperage going through the wire. #14 or #12 is more than enough. It’s the type of the insulation that dictates the voltage the wire(cable) can handle. The size of the wire dictates the amperage it can handle. Most consumer wire only has 600 volt jacket (insulation )on it. You do need a high voltage insulation on the wire if you do this type of stuff to prevent leakage.
I love idiots explaining shit to other idiots in comment threads and the first idiot is always like "Bro thank you! Everything makes so much more sense now!" Let's just ignore the fact that there are books and entire studies published on electricity. I'll just take some random dude's opinion from the internet. This dude is completely wrong in this situation. Not to mention the amperage when your body becomes the conductor. And your dumbass sits there like "omg I understand now...."
Ive used DLO for large brake resistors coming off of 100 HP VFD's. Brake voltage is up to about 875-900V, if I remember right. Also, you need a good pair of leather gloves to put outside your HV gloves. it protects the rubber glove from pin holes..
Cool, I didn't know, to be perfectly honest any of that. I accept you as accurate, meaning what I thought I knew before, from I couldn't say where was exactly wrong. Most sincerely, I appreciate it
No disrespect but sharing this with green noobies will undoubtedly kill someone. Unless you are trained on handling live circuits, you are at risk! I am speaking to you as a 44 year electrician and I’ve seen a lot of dangerous shit. Be safe kids.
First comment I've seen with common sense lol! Also it's very clear that not only is he sharing it with the greenies but he's very green himself. Stupid people showing stupid people how to do things in the most stupid of ways. This darkhorse dude is the last person I'd ever listen to.
Videos like this were not available when I made my first burner. I built my first one 10 years ago and would have loved to have this video to help me out as a green noobie.
It is unfortunate that people have died doing this. But it’s because they are uneducated on the process or they don’t use the proper safety precautions. But statistically that is not as bad as 1 person dies every 75 minutes from walking across the street.
Hey bro, be VERY CAREFUL ❗.A friend of mine lost her son trying wood frackin', and was electrocuted, he was only 14 yrs. I use to do it back in the early 1970's, but I KNEW EXACTLY what I was doing. I was only 10 or 11 yrs old at the time. And emphasize this, IF YOU/THEY THINK THEY KNOW, THEN THEY DON'T. Remember that a 'microwave' transformer can generate upwards of 20,000 - 30,000 volts, and the current will be DEADLY‼️. 🥺🥺🥺🤠🤠
These things are dangerous as hell . My friend built one had been using it for while this past weekend he was electrocuted by it he lost his thumb on right hand an index finger on left hand . So it's not worth it
That is unfortunate. I hope your friend is more careful in the future. I built one of these 10 years ago and have been making burnt wood and selling it. It's been worth it but I still have all 10 fingers.
Cars are dangerous as hell. Glass is dangerous as hell. Water is dangerous as hell. Alcohol is dangerous as hell. O2 is dangerous as hell. Tablesaws are dangerous as hell . A girlfriend finding someone else’s underwear is the most dangerous. See a pattern? It’s just like chemistry; everything is a poison. It’s all about length of exposure(amount ) and time of exposure(type of exposure) If you were dying of thirst in the desert, and someone handed you a bucket of ice, cold water, you would think you received, unless they held your head under the top of the water surface ; suddenly it’s more dangerous than the desert heat.
I would be hesitant about black polypipe, it is pigmented with carbon, so it is likely to not be as insulative as non pigmented, or colour dye pigmented pipe.
Just trying to help you out here nothing else so don’t think that. The black wire is the hot, white is neutral, ground is recommended for safety purposes. Machine looks good, keep up the good work and stay safe.
...good info...thanks...one thing...I don't know what your footswitch is rated for, but it will likely arc between contacts when opening and closing...that's the nature of AC. There may come a time when they weld themselves together and then it won't shut off when you remove your foot...I'd make sure I could get to the wall outlet easily to yank the plug if/when that occurs, or wire in a normally closed emergency stop switch... Stay safe, and thanks again... Matt
This is not even helpful advice and you're thanking him. The blind leading the blind. The world will be a better place if you idiots stick with this hobby.
I am an experienced engineer, and your setup and instructions are pretty safe. Engineers tend to complicate safety. But you cannot over-emphasize safety in this configuration. A microwave transformer is a death machine and can kill you. You are a good instructor.
Did you catch that the secondary is connected to the transformer frame, which is screwed into the mounting board, ALSO, that the other secondary lead (red) has a junction screwed into the same board? If you are saying "engineers tend to complicate safety", I seriously question your experience. Sorry bud.
@@TheGreenHeartofItaly-fl3wvI know that i am not very experienced. I am announced that through my videos. I do have to say that engineers do complicate safety. I just so happen to work directly with a bunch of them for the department of the army and other engineers from around the world. I appreciate your feedback back and thanks for supporting my channel.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop They are not "complicating" safety, they realize how far you have to go in terms of component reliability, safety by design, and many other aspects. "Safe" under non-real world conditions is not safe. And it takes a lot of work, what you call complications, to make MIL or medical or consumer gear safe in the real world under real world use conditions. Not everything is as simple as we would like. Still, decent job, you have at least made some of the really terrible hardware out there look as "rickety" as it is. But if you get more sensitive/knowledgeable about the other areas of accident probability (beyond the hardware itself) you will be doing the woodworking community a better service. Education never stops.
big props for the focus on safety; this is "lucky to keep two fingers, and your thumb isnt gonna be one of them" levels of voltage. Good idea with the piping.
I use 4 mot’s for mine And a blower out of an old downdraft stove to suck the smoke outside through five inch dryer vent just a hobby for me. Nice work looks great
You did a pretty safe job. I’m a licensed electrician and have done this. Even me having knowledge and always working in hot panels. I am overly cautious and safer than I usually am even working in 277/480 panels. It’s an extreme output and can also sometimes retain energy even after unplugged. Thanks for explaining safety the best you can. It’s beautiful art but very dangerous art. Everyone be safe out there! You can never be too safe and don’t get in a rush just because it looks awesome!
@@derekiwi haha! Well first off . My clientele doesn’t request that I fractal burn for them. Secondly. I was simply saying that he was taking more proper precautions than most do. So don’t come at me questioning my professionalism as far as electrical work. You came here looking at fractal burning for a reason. Have you done it?
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop it’s the internet. You will always have smart asses telling you how you can do things better. Most of them haven’t tried or researched. At least you post your work. I say piss on the haters. Do you and be safe man.
You're holding both leads in both hands at the same time. Better to mount one lead to the piece and use the other lead to prod, less chance of getting something through your heart (moisture on the pipe or hands), but I understand how much faster you can work holding both leads, it is increasing risk though. Your art looked amazing. You should know that after you mounted the high voltage lead with a screw through the plastic into the wood you lost all isolation protection the plastic under the mot provided. The only isolation from the earth is the thickness of wood under the screw. One end of the high voltage winding is attached to the core of the transformer. By sitting the tranformer on plastic and and mounting the lead to the wood through the plastic, you are isolating the output high voltage by the resistance of the plastic the transformer is sitting on and the wood. Its a good idea to mount the whole thing inside some thick plastic and get a lightbulb wired parallel to the primary so it is lit up whenever there is power, incase your foot switch ever fails (mots short circuited can draw over 15 amps and its unlikely your foot switch is rated that high and could fail closed circuit and you would never know its still live.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop Robert Murray smith makes the best video ive seen on the safest way to operate one. He uses 2 momentary push buttons in series and a parrallel light on the transformer primary indicating powers on. This ensures that you will never be in contact with the output (both hands have to be on the switches to activate power), the double switch is also a nice backup incase one fails closed circuit. Although if you never get careless, what you're doing in my opinion can work somewhat safely and has high speed and efficiency. I suggestested mounting one lead but that in itself might get you shocked because you have to move it more often with power off. Your chicken stick leads are long and you are never directtly touching the output, as long as your body never brushes up against the wood or gets wet... ruclips.net/video/EZ2CQMf1NRc/видео.html
Hey man, I don't know if you haven't uploaded or if my RUclips is messing up but when I go to your homepage I only see this video and one other one and nothing in any playlists or anything. Did you decide not to do this? Your video is by far more comfortably instructive when it comes to the setup and safety and I was looking forward to following your instruction with my own device. I'm glad someone posted the name of the Creator who made the husky box so I can go check them out but I was really looking forward to seeing more videos about this from you. I understand life is hectic at times especially when you have kids like you do and sometimes you're interested just change or something falls through so if you are planning to upload videos and just haven't done it yet then I apologize for being impatient but if you're on the fence about whether or not you should upload more videos I would encourage you to do so because someone like me who has never done this before but wants to do it safely and properly could get a lot of good information that may even save a life from someone who knows what they're doing. Thanks for all your effort. I appreciate it.
Man I appreciate your words of encouragement. I do plan on getting more videos on there. And I’m not trying to make an excuse, but there has been a lot going on. I promise I will have a video up shortly and I do appreciate your comment. It puts me back on track. Everyone needs that from time to time so I do appreciate it. There will be a video shortly I promise.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop Not being able to find poly pipe by the foot might be a regional difference on what's available. I've noticed hardware stores I've been to in different areas have different selections. I was surprised by the difference between home depot stores in different states I've worked in.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop look for PEX. Specifically look for (uphonor/wirsbo type A) cross-linked polyethylene tubing. If you get the type A, it can be heated to return it back to its original form after it cools. Also, for your connections, I would look into service box connectors for main panels; like the lugs that you use to connect ground, wires to grounding bars.
Forget the fire extinguisher, that’s irrelevant. A defibrillator would be top of my list, along with a paramedic on standby. As an electrical engineer please don’t do this, and take the video down before someone gets killed.
...GFI outlets will work even without the ground wire attached...in older units, the "test" button won't work without the ground, but newer units have changed the circuitry so that it will... However, that will only protect you if you touch the input voltage side (120V)...the high voltage side is completely isolated through the transformer...👍
NOT a GOOD idea! I have over a decade of experience with Fractal buring using various transformers. Do not loop your "8 ga." wire out the top of your poly pipe! [it should be GTO wire actually IE Gas Tube Only], but the reason to NOT LOOP IT OUT THE TOP is when you spray your electrolyte solution [and you will eventually],, the fine mist/solution is invisible and there is a line of current that can easily jump from your nail probe to the top of the poly pipe. When that probe is constantly higher on the nail end side, the electrolyte solution will run down the poly pipe and YOU WILL GET A SHOCK! I am speaking from experience as I grabbed one gto wire several feet from the probe and got a small shock, then realized the spray solution [disolved in a salt after it dries and is invisible]. The 20kv gloves help, but lets face it, we dont wear them all the time. A "dead man" switch is good too, but when doing slabs, you must constantly keep moving the probes. IF YOU HAVE TO MOVE A PROBE when hot, do so with one arm and the other arm behind your back. That way the current is less apt to travel up your arm and across your heart to the other arm. If one arm, then the current would find "ground" more easily by travelling up the arm, then down the same side leg to ground, bypassing your heart [which is how peeps die]. A NEON LIGHT TRANSFORMER can save lives vs Microwave IMHO [30ma vs 500ma!][ BE SAFE
Glad you are still alive and kicking👍One other small tip is to use white pvc instead of black HDPE for your insulators. Black material contains Carbon Black and is slightly conductive. I can't remember if you are using a MOT or NST, but I would also stay away from the MOT's. You have a slim chance of survival if zapped with a MOT system, vs a better chance of survival with a NST. Also, the NST's do not create a flash burn when the two fractals connect. Kick some more ass!
electrical current through baking soda water also makes hydrogen, highly flammable. glad your still here and I want to try it too. I'm thinking I'll go with some kind of clamps. don't want to be anywhere near that kind of voltage.
I worked on high voltage valve equipment as a younger man and I'm telling you straight, I would NOT operate this device, the potential for self harm is outstanding. Using a wood screw into wood to clamp a connection is only the start. Please do not be insulted but be safe, this stuff will kill you and then cook your remains.
My burner has been cutting out (loosing power) after a short period of burning. The wires are all good & it doesnt seem to be getting too hot or anything i have noticed. Any suggestions as to why I am loosing power?
To be honest it could be a multitude of Things. It could even be the mixture of water baking soda you are putting on the wood. I had issues once because there was not enough moisture on the wood. When it comes to electricity, I am no expert. It could be the internal wiring to the outlet you are plugging it into. I have had that issue. My garage plug had really old wiring and would not push the current. It could also be the power source of the burner itself. I had one that would not burn at all. I hope this will steer you in the right direction. Good luck.
You are absolutely right. I should lean more about electricity before I try teaching others. I also claim to not know anything about it in the video. I post videos about specific things not the broad spectrum of electricity. So as I learn more about electricity or anything else I will be posting video. You are more than welcome to subscribe to my page and we can all learn together. If not have a blessed day. .
Who's commenting from "the other side"? Wow, the state of that workshop really inspires confidence, doesn't it.. Last video was 8 months ago. Is this guy still alive?
Ordinary rubber gloves are not high voltage rated rubber gloves. The transformer belongs in a properly rated plastic enclosure. The ethical thing to do is discourage people from this unimportant use of dangerously high voltage because it's just for making decorations. There are plenty of ways to play with wood but burning for some reason fascinates adults who should know better than to want this dangerous foolishness. Not everything cute is wise and the woodworking world did fine for thousands of years without it.
On the setup of the nail's personally I used heavy Guage pvc pipe and ran the wire through it but drilled a hole in the pipe at the end and ran the wire out of it to connect to the screws that I use but to hold the screws tight I made a dowel out of scrap wood to fit into the end of the pipe and ran the screws through the pipe and wood it holds them in quite well and I wrapped the end of the pipe completely with electric tape to avoid contact with the power
The safest way to do a fractal burn is with a CNC machine. May not be pure, may not look exactly like a fractal burn, but most people buying something with this "design" don't know the F'in difference, so why risk it. I myself am allergic to electricity, could cause me to break out in dead.
Couldn't figure out how to edit my post but ruclips.net/video/NvNIVsSM33g/видео.htmlsi=lkjvVY8IRcs_mNiW there are plenty of vids showing how to do fractals with CNC without risk of death or dismemberment. I mean if you pass out on the CNC table drunk that's on you and can't be blamed on the process.
@@DG-kr8ptThat's completely wrong. You need a certain voltage to let a lethal current flow through your body, so saying this is completely safe is pure nonsense. And it doesn't just depend on the current, it also depends on a lot of other factors, such as frequency, exposure time and what part of the body gets exposed.
I have a whole drawer of these transformers some guy at work took out of microwaves... But I wont mess with them lol...I will try my cheap stick welder though
I loved the video, brother. Have been intrigued by this method of wood burning and have been wanting to learn. Looks a bit intimidating. I subscribed to your channel, and I am looking forward to seeing more. One thing u didn't answer, tho. Where exactly did u get the 8 gauge wire? U said don't buy your run of the mill hardware store 8 gauge. Did u buy it from an electrician? Keep up the great work, brother.
You don't need 8 gauge wire because the current on the high voltage side is only a couple of amps, at most. 12 or 14 is more than big enough. However, what you do need is wire with high voltage insulation. This whole thing is very dangerous. Since 2016, at least 33 people have died using such devices, and every one of them thought they knew what they were doing. Think about that!
Dude, take yourself on an electronics course, learn the basics of circuitry and electrical engineering, and don't touch this thing until you understand just how lethal that contraption is.
Will any microwave do? I have a small OLD microwave (It has dials!) - would that be too weak? Then I have a quite big one which turns on and runs BUT it doesn't heat anything up, so would that mean that it wouldn't work for this or does it just need to be able to run? Thanks!
If you are REALLY set on doing this, DON'T follow this guy's instructions, other than to consult a professional electrician. His setup is very sketchy and is going to get someone killed one day.
Welding clamps like for a stick welder worked well for me. Sorry for blowing your comments up but this is one of my favorite things to to it’s my zin time lol I have a few on my tictok also but not a real big page
The wire used to connect neon tubes is 100% silicone and can withstand 15,000 volts at 50 hz 60 miliamps...called G T O wire any sign company can help you out
I have a 40 year old microwave which still works like a charm. I opened it up and it appears to have a small transformer and a larger one. Do I need both or will the larger one do the job?
So im finally burning, i just tried salt water, my question is how to get bigger deeper burns is it the solution or the denseness of wood, or should i leave it burning longer whenever the two burns contact each other?
Honesty I have never used salt water. I use baking soda and water. The type of wood does make a difference. The more dense it is , the harder it is to burn. I will coat the wood multiple times through the burning process until I get the burn that I want. I do leave it on there longer for deep burns. I try to connect the burns through the grain of the wood. Its almost like the electricity has a better connection through the grain channels. Keep working with it and be safe.
my transformer has the the 2 red wires 1 white wire. Do i cut the whitr wire off or attach it to the base of the trsnsformer? Great video thanks for sharing
I would attach the white wire to the base. It sounds like to me that is your power wire. The little red wires. I had some of those as well and I cut those off.
Im an aircraft electician, and as a professional opinion, that is one sketchy setup. Too many open contact points. The nail in the pipe that just slips in and out. That thing would scare me to death, and electricity doesnt normally scare me. I have too much respect for it.
at 71 and being the "dark horse" all my life I have been playing with this type of thing for awhile. But I am still having a duce of a time getting my burns to go across the grain like I want them to. I have tried graphite traces, scoring, small steps (which is hard with the transformer). I get it done but would like to have a bit more control.. Got any ideas? Just thought I would ask.. "dark horses" always know the secrets.. But hardly ever share them..
I have been doing a lot of research of the same thing. I have not tried it yet but I am going to. I have seen a lot of people only wet the wood where the want it to burn. They are designing a lot of different shapes and even faces when they do that. I have been meaning to try it. Just haven’t had the time.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop Thanks.. That it kind of what I have been doing to make just the burning around the perimeter of a block of wood so that folks can make signs inside of the borders.. Just wet the section I want to burn.. but that cross grain thing really gives me mixed results. Well, I guess I will just continue to play with it.. thanks for the help.
Hi again, it's Richard. Last week you where very kind in getting me the info off your transformer. I looked it up and found it on the internet to purchase. My dilemma is it has a few wires on the output and don't know which one to use. I want to do this right. Can you help me with this? Thanks !!!
For the output I have 2 8 gage wires that I bought from an electrician. One of them is connect to the body of the transformer. There should be 2 male prongs on one side of the transformer. That is where you have connect the plug for the outlet. On the other side there should be one male prong. The other output is connected to it with a red wire. Tied into the 8 gauge wire that runs down to the nail. There is going to be a bunch of little red wires that are useless. I cut them off and the ground wire.
Bro if you don't know how to take this out of a microwave from goodwill then you probably don't know how to do this in general. Just sayin. It literally will electrocute you to death. The only things that will stop the current when you get hit is you falling away from it because you died or got lucky and just fell. Because your body will cease up and you can't move. It will kill you if you have no clue.
Keep it out of reach from other family members and use some dead man switch or pedals at distance ensuring your hands are never near this voltage. Never trust your gloves as such voltage can easily jump through a microscopic damage and kill you. Professionals dealing with such lethal voltage will use certified gloves that are checked regularly with special equipment.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop Yes, complacency is what kills people in this hobby. I hate to see videos of people playing Russian roulette with this hobby such as relying on some consumer gloves that some day easily can fail e.g. if some chemical touches it or even a needle or some spiky nail pricks through it. Trusting a rubber glove to keep 1000s of volts from the skin is like trusting a condom to be 100% reliable. But having an extra baby is less harmful and sort of opposite of getting killed.
You mentioned not using the green grounding wire. If I were to connect it, would the burner still work, or would it disable the burner?? Also, you could try to reduce your investment for the polypropylene tube by selling two pieces of it in 2 or 3 foot lengths.
Poly is not even expensive and you come here like "Hey bro. You should cut corners on this electric chair." Of course a dude named paganwizard that lives in fucking neverland would say some dumb shit like this. Welcome to reality. Dude thinks he's pagan 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 maybe stick with world of warcraft and having mommy wipe your ass there bud.
I do alot of wood work . I have a wood working shop . I burn alot of the things I build with a torch. I would like to chat with you so I will know how to burn with electricity. Maybe I can give you some tips on burning with torch.
You clearly don't understand how electricity works, so you're definitely not the guy who should explain this to others. Some points: Switching live and neutral wire colors (though polarity doesn't matter in this case. Not understanding why there's a return path connected to the transformer HV side. Choose this wire cause the electrician said so. Screws connected to HV GND on the transformer possibly in contact with your metal workbench, which then also becomes dangerous to touch. Remember that GND will still be floating (not at 0V) and this case still lethal. etc. etc. You would do well to remove this video cause people in the comments are already copying this jank device, and possibly hurting themselves. Coming from an Electrical Engineer.
Hi there, if you´re still looking for the guy with the black toolcase I guess it could be BruceBurns Woodshop - he also improved the concept with a dead man switch
The guys your talking about is "Josh and Jason Destroy Everything". I found the same issues when searching for info on RUclips, great job on explaining everything.
Interesting seeing the comments. Some are educational, but the ones that say " you're playing with fire", "this is dangerous", etc are pointless. It's like- thanks for letting everyone know electricity is dangerous.....i wouldn't have guessed....
It’s not the electricity as such that is dangerous when building this type of circuit, it’s the fact that you’re upping the voltage without circuit protection. That’s what kills and has done on many times.
@@utube1818 Thanks for the informative response. I thought about building one, as I have a transformer. Then I thought I'm not an electrician and don't want to die.... Lol. I don't like the fact that one misstep could result in death, so I opted out.
your super good at that, do you do anything special not generally seen? or ideas on having some sort of control over the bolts, so they are less random, maybe like to control depth by the size and speed of the bolts? possibly shape it?
Thank you. But you know what is amazing to me. There is a bunch of people on here. That actually waste there time to write something negative on someone page. Thinking your opinion is a concern of mine. But in all actuality you need to find a better hobby of trying to put people down. What I do on my page is to educate and motivate. Not try to belittle people because that is what strokes your ego. So to you my friend, I would hope you subscribe and if I do have questions or if there is something that would make woodworking easier on my behalf or anyone else you would be there like any other respectable woodworker. Or if you chose to not subscribe. I hope you have a blessed day. And stay classy.
I don't do the (anti) social media thing personally. I've never had Facebook, Twitter, or tictoc which that last one I'm not really clear on exactly what that is. All that to say I did enjoy the video. I'm just in the process of making my own lichtenburg device now. I salvaged a transformer this morning, what is today Monday i guess, yesterday morning. I'm subbing to the channel. Again, most sincerely I enjoyed the video, good information, well delivered. What more could you want
![Eminem - Temporary (feat. Skylar Grey) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZaK9Wi5ho0o/mqdefault.jpg)
Are you holding the electrodes while current is going into the wood? If you can hold the electrodes while running, it sorta negates the safety feature of the dead man's switch.
Good to see that Darwinian theory is still being practiced.
hilarious
Working on microwave ovens... the output winding has one side connected to the body of the transformer, which is why the one lead goes to the base. The reason for this arrangement has to do with the magnetron tube used for making the microwave radiation. The plate of the tube is also the body of it so the transformer, case of the oven and body of the tube can all be connected together and connected to the green wire on the plug. As long as the case is not removed, there is no shock hazard. But making a wood burning machine is pretty much the definition of a lethal shock hazard.
When used as intended there is also a capacitor and a high voltage diode forming a voltage doubler to produce the voltage the tube needs with cheaper parts. While the cap has a built in bleeder, never trust it. The cap can have a 2600 volt charge on it, act accordingly when stripping an oven. There is also a low voltage isolated winding for the filament supply on the tube. Safe to ignore just don't short it.
Wire... neon signs use wire with an insulation rating over 10,000 volts, that would be a good choice.
Some RUclips videos show people using car booster cables. Those are rated for at least 30 volts. Only advice If you come across one of those setups, stay far away and if you don't think the owner needs to die advise them to never plug it in. It might work for awhile but as soon as the insulation breaks down it might as well be bare wires.
All you people trying to sound smart are missing the biggest point and that's the amperage when your body is the conductor. Pretty much every way you build this will be safe. Until it isn't.
@@YoureNotSoSmartBro
If you make yourself the conductor, the amperage is academic. It is quickly lethal. You are mostly salt water, same as the conductive material on the wood. Just picture that lovely fractile pattern going through whatever is between the two contact points on your body.
Ps 120 volts can kill through burns but it takes a little while. The power is volts × amps. As V=IR the power increases with the square of the applied voltage ( P=V^2/R combining Ohms law and the power formula) so at 10 times the voltage, approximately, a microwave transformer should be able to kill 100 times faster.
Permanent injury in maybe 100 milliseconds, if between hands and so across the heart probably death in that time.
Do you think booster cables with a rated breakdown voltage of 30 volts are safe to block 1500 volts? How do you safely hold them while energized?
@@garygough6905 This is pretty much my point. Everybody seems to speak about this project like it's the transformer specs that need to be evaluated but nobody seems to consider what the specs are when you're part of the circuit. Nor do most of these people seem to understand that this transformer will cause it to keep supplying current until it's turned off or the circuit is broken. So if you become part of it you're going to be a part of it for way longer than it will take to kill you. Honestly anybody who holds on to their fractal wood burning tool while it's being used is an absolute idiot. This whole comment section, aside from like 2 people, is filled with stupid people and quite frankly the dude who made this video is worthless. It pisses me off that he does this with his kid.
11
@@garygough6905 I don’t know about you, but I hold jumper cables while energized every single time I use them; that’s kind of how they work
FYI The black wire input is your hot lead and the white is the neutral wire and the green was the ground wire.
Great video but yes black wire is hot , white is neutral and green is ground.
I’m confused. If AC cycles from positive to negative 60 times a second, how is one wire a dedicated hot wire?
@@lunarrn ac power is a sign wave that is only up at a set rate (cycle)… one will either have a single phase or 3 phase panel feeding a given piece of equipment. Each phase A/B (single phase really has 2 phases) or
A/B/C in 3 phase is generating a sign wave like guns fire once each in a set pattern. So, a wire that is connected to phase A will never be at the same frequency as Wire B or Wire C…. This only matters to the equipment used or when sharing a neutral wire between phases. ( can be done but very dangerous for others if it’s not known)
Imagine 3 base drummers hit at a 4/4 time…. Then, add a bell in between each drum beat…. The bell would be the neutral wire carrying the signal ( drum beat ) back to the ground for each phase.
@@a.thomasmurray7066 ...small correction...with 3 phase, they're all at the same frequency...they're never at the same voltage...👍
@@gmcelmurry uuuuu
wow so i am assuming you hold those electrode leads in your hand when the burner is energized? Wow amazed you are still alive. The only safe way would be to clamp the electrodes to the wood, go back 20 or so ft and power the leads using a 2 handed dead mans switch. Then maybe it is safe.
I’m still here. Thanks for watching
This is bad stuff.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshopyou're playing with fire bud
For now.@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop
Not for long if you keep this up. Dude throw it away. 1 slip and you are dead.@darkhorsecreationswoodshop
The step up transformer steps up the voltage from 120V to7-8-9000 volts . #8 wire isn’t needed for this because it’s low amperage going through the wire. #14 or #12 is more than enough. It’s the type of the insulation that dictates the voltage the wire(cable) can handle. The size of the wire dictates the amperage it can handle. Most consumer wire only has 600 volt jacket (insulation )on it. You do need a high voltage insulation on the wire if you do this type of stuff to prevent leakage.
Thanks for a better explanation.
I love idiots explaining shit to other idiots in comment threads and the first idiot is always like "Bro thank you! Everything makes so much more sense now!" Let's just ignore the fact that there are books and entire studies published on electricity. I'll just take some random dude's opinion from the internet. This dude is completely wrong in this situation. Not to mention the amperage when your body becomes the conductor. And your dumbass sits there like "omg I understand now...."
Ive used DLO for large brake resistors coming off of 100 HP VFD's. Brake voltage is up to about 875-900V, if I remember right. Also, you need a good pair of leather gloves to put outside your HV gloves. it protects the rubber glove from pin holes..
Cool, I didn't know, to be perfectly honest any of that. I accept you as accurate, meaning what I thought I knew before, from I couldn't say where was exactly wrong. Most sincerely, I appreciate it
Ignition wire used in HVAC applications.
Flexible, high temp rated for 10k volts.
Volts don't kill you, amps do.
No disrespect but sharing this with green noobies will undoubtedly kill someone. Unless you are trained on handling live circuits, you are at risk! I am speaking to you as a 44 year electrician and I’ve seen a lot of dangerous shit.
Be safe kids.
I appreciate your concern and input.
First comment I've seen with common sense lol! Also it's very clear that not only is he sharing it with the greenies but he's very green himself. Stupid people showing stupid people how to do things in the most stupid of ways. This darkhorse dude is the last person I'd ever listen to.
Videos like this were not available when I made my first burner. I built my first one 10 years ago and would have loved to have this video to help me out as a green noobie.
Sweet. Time for this noobie to ride the lightning.
BTW put a damn level on that shelf behind you , I’m losing sleep
I’m planned on it lol.
😂
😂👍 Same thoughts here 😂 Couldn't take my eyes off, it was challenging to focus on what he was talking about 😂
Finally, someone kept me from having to ask. The electrician in me is screaming to grab a level and fix it.
I actually dig the chaos of it.. as long as it's solid!
This is a good video but it makes me nervous because you don’t have a good understanding of how and why your burner works.
THIS IS SO DANGEROUS AND HAS KILLED OVER 33 PEOPLE FROM 2017 2022
It is unfortunate that people have died doing this. But it’s because they are uneducated on the process or they don’t use the proper safety precautions. But statistically that is not as bad as 1 person dies every 75 minutes from walking across the street.
Hey bro, be VERY CAREFUL ❗.A friend of mine lost her son trying wood frackin', and was electrocuted, he was only 14 yrs. I use to do it back in the early 1970's, but I KNEW EXACTLY what I was doing. I was only 10 or 11 yrs old at the time. And emphasize this, IF YOU/THEY THINK THEY KNOW, THEN THEY DON'T. Remember that a 'microwave' transformer can generate upwards of 20,000 - 30,000 volts, and the current will be DEADLY‼️. 🥺🥺🥺🤠🤠
These things are dangerous as hell . My friend built one had been using it for while this past weekend he was electrocuted by it he lost his thumb on right hand an index finger on left hand . So it's not worth it
That is unfortunate. I hope your friend is more careful in the future. I built one of these 10 years ago and have been making burnt wood and selling it. It's been worth it but I still have all 10 fingers.
Cars are dangerous as hell.
Glass is dangerous as hell.
Water is dangerous as hell.
Alcohol is dangerous as hell.
O2 is dangerous as hell.
Tablesaws are dangerous as hell .
A girlfriend finding someone else’s underwear is the most dangerous.
See a pattern? It’s just like chemistry; everything is a poison. It’s all about length of exposure(amount ) and time of exposure(type of exposure)
If you were dying of thirst in the desert, and someone handed you a bucket of ice, cold water, you would think you received, unless they held your head under the top of the water surface ; suddenly it’s more dangerous than the desert heat.
"Oh I forgot to show you the safety switch!". Sorry mate your not exactly filling me with confidence.
Do you need somebody to hold your hand through life wee girl
@@jase4270Are you offering gorgeous?
Right, this isn't exactly where confidence is found,,,,at this level one must already have a decent understanding@@jase4270
@@jase4270was just about to say this person sounds like they complain to get through life.
Soft
I would be hesitant about black polypipe, it is pigmented with carbon, so it is likely to not be as insulative as non pigmented, or colour dye pigmented pipe.
Just trying to help you out here nothing else so don’t think that. The black wire is the hot, white is neutral, ground is recommended for safety purposes. Machine looks good, keep up the good work and stay safe.
I appreciate it all input that helps. Thank you.
I appreciate it. All positive guidance is much appreciated.
Gotta love educational videos on electric chairs but the instructor has no fucking clue...
On this death trap setup that’s the least of his worries. 😂
...good info...thanks...one thing...I don't know what your footswitch is rated for, but it will likely arc between contacts when opening and closing...that's the nature of AC. There may come a time when they weld themselves together and then it won't shut off when you remove your foot...I'd make sure I could get to the wall outlet easily to yank the plug if/when that occurs, or wire in a normally closed emergency stop switch...
Stay safe, and thanks again...
Matt
I appreciate it. I did not know the foot pedal would do that. I do have the plug right next to me just in case. I appreciate the advice.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop ...by the way...this pertains to any kind of AC switch using contacts...even relays.
Matt
This is not even helpful advice and you're thanking him. The blind leading the blind. The world will be a better place if you idiots stick with this hobby.
I am an experienced engineer, and your setup and instructions are pretty safe. Engineers tend to complicate safety. But you cannot over-emphasize safety in this configuration. A microwave transformer is a death machine and can kill you. You are a good instructor.
Thank you. I am a work in progress lol
Did you catch that the secondary is connected to the transformer frame, which is screwed into the mounting board, ALSO, that the other secondary lead (red) has a junction screwed into the same board?
If you are saying "engineers tend to complicate safety", I seriously question your experience. Sorry bud.
@@TheGreenHeartofItaly-fl3wvI know that i am not very experienced. I am announced that through my videos. I do have to say that engineers do complicate safety. I just so happen to work directly with a bunch of them for the department of the army and other engineers from around the world. I appreciate your feedback back and thanks for supporting my channel.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop They are not "complicating" safety, they realize how far you have to go in terms of component reliability, safety by design, and many other aspects. "Safe" under non-real world conditions is not safe. And it takes a lot of work, what you call complications, to make MIL or medical or consumer gear safe in the real world under real world use conditions.
Not everything is as simple as we would like.
Still, decent job, you have at least made some of the really terrible hardware out there look as "rickety" as it is. But if you get more sensitive/knowledgeable about the other areas of accident probability (beyond the hardware itself) you will be doing the woodworking community a better service. Education never stops.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop Do we have an UPDATE on this BUILD
big props for the focus on safety; this is "lucky to keep two fingers, and your thumb isnt gonna be one of them" levels of voltage. Good idea with the piping.
please people do this it’s not worth the risk it will kill you and hurt the whole time value your life more than art
Thanks for your input.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop although you seem to know what your doing please be careful I don’t want to see someone get hurt
@@k9officerft434 yes sir. Safety is always my main concern.
I use 4 mot’s for mine And a blower out of an old downdraft stove to suck the smoke outside through five inch dryer vent just a hobby for me. Nice work looks great
He does it inside!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Great job Dave 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
You did a pretty safe job. I’m a licensed electrician and have done this. Even me having knowledge and always working in hot panels. I am overly cautious and safer than I usually am even working in 277/480 panels. It’s an extreme output and can also sometimes retain energy even after unplugged. Thanks for explaining safety the best you can. It’s beautiful art but very dangerous art. Everyone be safe out there! You can never be too safe and don’t get in a rush just because it looks awesome!
Thanks for the comment. It’s not to often that people leave positive feedback on fractal Burning. You stay safe as well
If you as an electrician think this is sage, then God help your clients.
@@derekiwi haha! Well first off . My clientele doesn’t request that I fractal burn for them. Secondly. I was simply saying that he was taking more proper precautions than most do. So don’t come at me questioning my professionalism as far as electrical work. You came here looking at fractal burning for a reason. Have you done it?
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop it’s the internet. You will always have smart asses telling you how you can do things better. Most of them haven’t tried or researched.
At least you post your work.
I say piss on the haters. Do you and be safe man.
You're holding both leads in both hands at the same time. Better to mount one lead to the piece and use the other lead to prod, less chance of getting something through your heart (moisture on the pipe or hands), but I understand how much faster you can work holding both leads, it is increasing risk though. Your art looked amazing. You should know that after you mounted the high voltage lead with a screw through the plastic into the wood you lost all isolation protection the plastic under the mot provided. The only isolation from the earth is the thickness of wood under the screw. One end of the high voltage winding is attached to the core of the transformer. By sitting the tranformer on plastic and and mounting the lead to the wood through the plastic, you are isolating the output high voltage by the resistance of the plastic the transformer is sitting on and the wood. Its a good idea to mount the whole thing inside some thick plastic and get a lightbulb wired parallel to the primary so it is lit up whenever there is power, incase your foot switch ever fails (mots short circuited can draw over 15 amps and its unlikely your foot switch is rated that high and could fail closed circuit and you would never know its still live.
I appreciate the advice. I’m always looking for ways to make it better and safer.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop
Robert Murray smith makes the best video ive seen on the safest way to operate one. He uses 2 momentary push buttons in series and a parrallel light on the transformer primary indicating powers on. This ensures that you will never be in contact with the output (both hands have to be on the switches to activate power), the double switch is also a nice backup incase one fails closed circuit. Although if you never get careless, what you're doing in my opinion can work somewhat safely and has high speed and efficiency. I suggestested mounting one lead but that in itself might get you shocked because you have to move it more often with power off. Your chicken stick leads are long and you are never directtly touching the output, as long as your body never brushes up against the wood or gets wet...
ruclips.net/video/EZ2CQMf1NRc/видео.html
Electricity is never safe and like guns should be treated with respect
Agree 100%
Hey man, I don't know if you haven't uploaded or if my RUclips is messing up but when I go to your homepage I only see this video and one other one and nothing in any playlists or anything. Did you decide not to do this? Your video is by far more comfortably instructive when it comes to the setup and safety and I was looking forward to following your instruction with my own device. I'm glad someone posted the name of the Creator who made the husky box so I can go check them out but I was really looking forward to seeing more videos about this from you. I understand life is hectic at times especially when you have kids like you do and sometimes you're interested just change or something falls through so if you are planning to upload videos and just haven't done it yet then I apologize for being impatient but if you're on the fence about whether or not you should upload more videos I would encourage you to do so because someone like me who has never done this before but wants to do it safely and properly could get a lot of good information that may even save a life from someone who knows what they're doing. Thanks for all your effort. I appreciate it.
Man I appreciate your words of encouragement. I do plan on getting more videos on there. And I’m not trying to make an excuse, but there has been a lot going on. I promise I will have a video up shortly and I do appreciate your comment. It puts me back on track. Everyone needs that from time to time so I do appreciate it. There will be a video shortly I promise.
nick tease87 i hope your ready. im working on a live edge coffee table. I will have the video up by Jan 1st. start to finish minus the epoxy pour
I know it’s dark but there’s a good chance he electrocuted himself with this thing. He didn’t have a good understanding of it
His name or well RUclips Channel is BruceBurns WoodShop. I was watching those before this, amazing setup and very smart man.
Yes he is. He was the safest person I could find out there to replicate the same machine.
Use marine grade heat shrink tubing. It seals out moisture much better.
Also you can buy poly pipe by the foot. I have several times.
thanks i will check it out. I cant find poly pipe any where around here by the foot.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop
Not being able to find poly pipe by the foot might be a regional difference on what's available. I've noticed hardware stores I've been to in different areas have different selections. I was surprised by the difference between home depot stores in different states I've worked in.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop look for PEX. Specifically look for (uphonor/wirsbo type A) cross-linked polyethylene tubing. If you get the type A, it can be heated to return it back to its original form after it cools. Also, for your connections, I would look into service box connectors for main panels; like the lugs that you use to connect ground, wires to grounding bars.
Forget the fire extinguisher, that’s irrelevant. A defibrillator would be top of my list, along with a paramedic on standby. As an electrical engineer please don’t do this, and take the video down before someone gets killed.
I wonder what would happen if you hooked the ground wire up then plug it in a GFI outlet
...GFI outlets will work even without the ground wire attached...in older units, the "test" button won't work without the ground, but newer units have changed the circuitry so that it will...
However, that will only protect you if you touch the input voltage side (120V)...the high voltage side is completely isolated through the transformer...👍
Yeah,,, keep playing with this Smokey
NOT a GOOD idea! I have over a decade of experience with Fractal buring using various transformers. Do not loop your "8 ga." wire out the top of your poly pipe! [it should be GTO wire actually IE Gas Tube Only], but the reason to NOT LOOP IT OUT THE TOP is when you spray your electrolyte solution [and you will eventually],, the fine mist/solution is invisible and there is a line of current that can easily jump from your nail probe to the top of the poly pipe. When that probe is constantly higher on the nail end side, the electrolyte solution will run down the poly pipe and YOU WILL GET A SHOCK! I am speaking from experience as I grabbed one gto wire several feet from the probe and got a small shock, then realized the spray solution [disolved in a salt after it dries and is invisible]. The 20kv gloves help, but lets face it, we dont wear them all the time. A "dead man" switch is good too, but when doing slabs, you must constantly keep moving the probes. IF YOU HAVE TO MOVE A PROBE when hot, do so with one arm and the other arm behind your back. That way the current is less apt to travel up your arm and across your heart to the other arm. If one arm, then the current would find "ground" more easily by travelling up the arm, then down the same side leg to ground, bypassing your heart [which is how peeps die]. A NEON LIGHT TRANSFORMER can save lives vs Microwave IMHO [30ma vs 500ma!][ BE SAFE
Lol! this is in no way good advice 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Glad you are still alive and kicking👍One other small tip is to use white pvc instead of black HDPE for your insulators. Black material contains Carbon Black and is slightly conductive. I can't remember if you are using a MOT or NST, but I would also stay away from the MOT's. You have a slim chance of survival if zapped with a MOT system, vs a better chance of survival with a NST. Also, the NST's do not create a flash burn when the two fractals connect. Kick some more ass!
MY BAD on GTO wire...I meant to say GAS TUBE OIL, not g t "only"...for all of the youtube ombudsman out there! lol
Thanks for sharing how to make fractal device. Going to make one for upcoming project. I have a question, what you use to wet the wood ??
1 teaspoon baking soda. 1 cup water.
electrical current through baking soda water also makes hydrogen, highly flammable. glad your still here and I want to try it too. I'm thinking I'll go with some kind of clamps. don't want to be anywhere near that kind of voltage.
I worked on high voltage valve equipment as a younger man and I'm telling you straight, I would NOT operate this device, the potential for self harm is outstanding. Using a wood screw into wood to clamp a connection is only the start. Please do not be insulted but be safe, this stuff will kill you and then cook your remains.
My burner has been cutting out (loosing power) after a short period of burning. The wires are all good & it doesnt seem to be getting too hot or anything i have noticed. Any suggestions as to why I am loosing power?
To be honest it could be a multitude of
Things. It could even be the mixture of water baking soda you are putting on the wood. I had issues once because there was not enough moisture on the wood.
When it comes to electricity, I am no expert. It could be the internal wiring to the outlet you are plugging it into. I have had that issue. My garage plug had really old wiring and would not push the current. It could also be the power source of the burner itself. I had one that would not burn at all. I hope this will steer you in the right direction. Good luck.
Learn more about electricity before trying to teach others.
You are absolutely right. I should lean more about electricity before I try teaching others. I also claim to not know anything about it in the video. I post videos about specific things not the broad spectrum of electricity. So as I learn more about electricity or anything else I will be posting video. You are more than welcome to subscribe to my page and we can all learn together. If not have a blessed day. .
Who's commenting from "the other side"? Wow, the state of that workshop really inspires confidence, doesn't it..
Last video was 8 months ago. Is this guy still alive?
There was a time decades ago when the result of fractal burning was discarded as unusable lumber .
Ordinary rubber gloves are not high voltage rated rubber gloves. The transformer belongs in a properly rated plastic enclosure. The ethical thing to do is discourage people from this unimportant use of dangerously high voltage because it's just for making decorations. There are plenty of ways to play with wood but burning for some reason fascinates adults who should know better than to want this dangerous foolishness. Not everything cute is wise and the woodworking world did fine for thousands of years without it.
On the setup of the nail's personally I used heavy Guage pvc pipe and ran the wire through it but drilled a hole in the pipe at the end and ran the wire out of it to connect to the screws that I use but to hold the screws tight I made a dowel out of scrap wood to fit into the end of the pipe and ran the screws through the pipe and wood it holds them in quite well and I wrapped the end of the pipe completely with electric tape to avoid contact with the power
Awesome. Thank you for this comment. I have been looking for other ways to make it safer.
The safest way to do a fractal burn is with a CNC machine. May not be pure, may not look exactly like a fractal burn, but most people buying something with this "design" don't know the F'in difference, so why risk it. I myself am allergic to electricity, could cause me to break out in dead.
Couldn't figure out how to edit my post but ruclips.net/video/NvNIVsSM33g/видео.htmlsi=lkjvVY8IRcs_mNiW there are plenty of vids showing how to do fractals with CNC without risk of death or dismemberment. I mean if you pass out on the CNC table drunk that's on you and can't be blamed on the process.
Deadliest way to make fractals
amps kill you not volts, its safe
@@DG-kr8pt hahaha. this thing is putting out amperage that can kill you. what drugs are you on?
@@DG-kr8ptThat's completely wrong. You need a certain voltage to let a lethal current flow through your body, so saying this is completely safe is pure nonsense. And it doesn't just depend on the current, it also depends on a lot of other factors, such as frequency, exposure time and what part of the body gets exposed.
I have a whole drawer of these transformers some guy at work took out of microwaves... But I wont mess with them lol...I will try my cheap stick welder though
I loved the video, brother. Have been intrigued by this method of wood burning and have been wanting to learn. Looks a bit intimidating. I subscribed to your channel, and I am looking forward to seeing more. One thing u didn't answer, tho. Where exactly did u get the 8 gauge wire? U said don't buy your run of the mill hardware store 8 gauge. Did u buy it from an electrician? Keep up the great work, brother.
Thanks for the positive comments and the follow. I got the 8 gauge wire from an electrical store. Here it’s called locks electric.
@darkhorsecreationswoodshop
Awesome, thank you!!
You don't need 8 gauge wire because the current on the high voltage side is only a couple of amps, at most. 12 or 14 is more than big enough. However, what you do need is wire with high voltage insulation. This whole thing is very dangerous. Since 2016, at least 33 people have died using such devices, and every one of them thought they knew what they were doing. Think about that!
Dude, take yourself on an electronics course, learn the basics of circuitry and electrical engineering, and don't touch this thing until you understand just how lethal that contraption is.
why cant a stick welder be used to do the same? contained unit and just sharpen the stinger rod to poke into the wood.. dont see why It would not work
Will any microwave do? I have a small OLD microwave (It has dials!) - would that be too weak? Then I have a quite big one which turns on and runs BUT it doesn't heat anything up, so would that mean that it wouldn't work for this or does it just need to be able to run? Thanks!
Usually the magnetron dies, so transformer should be OK to burn.
@@laurmartin341 Cool - Thanks - I can't wait to give it a try!
You need electrical fire extinguisher
He'll be toast before he gets that far.
I have one of those. Instead of spraying out foam, it sprays out electricity to put out fires. Very effective.
Do you do electrocutions on the side. All you need is one of your machines and a deck chair.
Wow it looks so beautiful. I need to try it too. I'm scared so I'll have to watch your video very carefully though i dont understand much of it😅
If you are REALLY set on doing this, DON'T follow this guy's instructions, other than to consult a professional electrician. His setup is very sketchy and is going to get someone killed one day.
Welding clamps like for a stick welder worked well for me. Sorry for blowing your comments up but this is one of my favorite things to to it’s my zin time lol I have a few on my tictok also but not a real big page
I see Dave will not be with us for much longer.
Ground the green wire to the transformer body, the green wire from where you plug it in.
Are your wires multi-stranded or solid core?
The wire used to connect neon tubes is 100% silicone and can withstand 15,000 volts at 50 hz 60 miliamps...called G T O wire any sign company can help you out
Halo. I like this. You can sold ? I think expensive. Thanks.
8 gauge wire is 8 gauge it’s either copper or aluminum the jacket is what’s different
Stop it! It's special. His electrician sold it to him for four times the price.
I have a 40 year old microwave which still works like a charm. I opened it up and it appears to have a small transformer and a larger one. Do I need both or will the larger one do the job?
It should be the one that is connected to the outlet plug. Probably the large one I would expect.
Black is hot in AC my friend.
Anyway, I can buy some of that piping that you said that comes in like 150 yards from you
Sorry I don’t have any more. I sold it all
So im finally burning, i just tried salt water, my question is how to get bigger deeper burns is it the solution or the denseness of wood, or should i leave it burning longer whenever the two burns contact each other?
Honesty I have never used salt water. I use baking soda and water. The type of wood does make a difference. The more dense it is
, the harder it is to burn. I will coat the wood multiple times through the burning process until I get the burn that I want. I do leave it on there longer for deep burns. I try to connect the burns through the grain of the wood. Its almost like the electricity has a better connection through the grain channels. Keep working with it and be safe.
Wow...alot of spouses might have them??? Omg.....wake up! This isn't 1999 ok😮
Thanks. I give ya good hustle now thanks. Dont tell everybody until i get going but you can do this with bones an antlers. I dont think its known.
Yes sir. I appreciate it to.
The black wire is the hot wire and the white is the neutral. It's AC, not DC where the black wire is negative.
my transformer has the the 2 red wires 1 white wire. Do i cut the whitr wire off or attach it to the base of the trsnsformer? Great video thanks for sharing
I would attach the white wire to the base. It sounds like to me that is your power wire. The little red wires. I had some of those as well and I cut those off.
Yeah take advice on what wires go where from the dude that clearly has no idea..... That's probably the smartest thing you can do -_-
The screw in the wood is not a smart connection but all it all nice set up
Im an aircraft electician, and as a professional opinion, that is one sketchy setup. Too many open contact points. The nail in the pipe that just slips in and out. That thing would scare me to death, and electricity doesnt normally scare me.
I have too much respect for it.
Can we use welding machine?
@celsoledesma362 I am not sure. I have heard of people trying it but never seen there product at the end of it.
I have a massive transformer from an old microwave and I want to make a safe wood burning tool.
at 71 and being the "dark horse" all my life I have been playing with this type of thing for awhile. But I am still having a duce of a time getting my burns to go across the grain like I want them to. I have tried graphite traces, scoring, small steps (which is hard with the transformer). I get it done but would like to have a bit more control.. Got any ideas? Just thought I would ask.. "dark horses" always know the secrets.. But hardly ever share them..
I have been doing a lot of research of the same thing. I have not tried it yet but I am going to. I have seen a lot of people only wet the wood where the want it to burn. They are designing a lot of different shapes and even faces when they do that. I have been meaning to try it. Just haven’t had the time.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop Thanks.. That it kind of what I have been doing to make just the burning around the perimeter of a block of wood so that folks can make signs inside of the borders.. Just wet the section I want to burn.. but that cross grain thing really gives me mixed results. Well, I guess I will just continue to play with it.. thanks for the help.
Mix baking powder in water. Paint your path with this let it dry a little. Repeat this a few times and it should follow the path you paint
The installation of the device must be supervised by an electrical engineer
Neon power supply would be much better than a microwave power supply. 10-30 kv wire is a must.
Hi again, it's Richard. Last week you where very kind in getting me the info off your transformer. I looked it up and found it on the internet to purchase. My dilemma is it has a few wires on the output and don't know which one to use. I want to do this right. Can you help me with this? Thanks !!!
For the output I have 2 8 gage wires that I bought from an electrician. One of them is connect to the body of the transformer. There should be 2 male prongs on one side of the transformer. That is where you have connect the plug for the outlet. On the other side there should be one male prong. The other output is connected to it with a red wire. Tied into the 8 gauge wire that runs down to the nail. There is going to be a bunch of little red wires that are useless. I cut them off and the ground wire.
Bro if you don't know how to take this out of a microwave from goodwill then you probably don't know how to do this in general. Just sayin. It literally will electrocute you to death. The only things that will stop the current when you get hit is you falling away from it because you died or got lucky and just fell. Because your body will cease up and you can't move. It will kill you if you have no clue.
That was long 2 min video , well it could of been but thanks for the life story 😂
Could HAVE been
Keep it out of reach from other family members and use some dead man switch or pedals at distance ensuring your hands are never near this voltage. Never trust your gloves as such voltage can easily jump through a microscopic damage and kill you. Professionals dealing with such lethal voltage will use certified gloves that are checked regularly with special equipment.
I appreciate all the input. I’m always looking for ways to make it better and safer.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop Yes, complacency is what kills people in this hobby. I hate to see videos of people playing Russian roulette with this hobby such as relying on some consumer gloves that some day easily can fail e.g. if some chemical touches it or even a needle or some spiky nail pricks through it. Trusting a rubber glove to keep 1000s of volts from the skin is like trusting a condom to be 100% reliable. But having an extra baby is less harmful and sort of opposite of getting killed.
You mentioned not using the green grounding wire. If I were to connect it, would the burner still work, or would it disable the burner?? Also, you could try to reduce your investment for the polypropylene tube by selling two pieces of it in 2 or 3 foot lengths.
The green wire is just a ground wire. It will work either way. Thanks for the idea on the poly pipe. Sorry it took so long to get back to you.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop No worries, I appreciate your response. 😎
Poly is not even expensive and you come here like "Hey bro. You should cut corners on this electric chair." Of course a dude named paganwizard that lives in fucking neverland would say some dumb shit like this. Welcome to reality. Dude thinks he's pagan 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 maybe stick with world of warcraft and having mommy wipe your ass there bud.
Thanks!
I do alot of wood work . I have a wood working shop . I burn alot of the things I build with a torch. I would like to chat with you so I will know how to burn with electricity. Maybe I can give you some tips on burning with torch.
Sounds good to me. I’m always interested in learning new things.
You don't want to learn from dumbass. I mean... darkhorse. If you value living.
150 foot of tubing along not including everything else like a microwave and 8 gage wire ect. Less than 100 bucks??
Just wrap the rope of those polypropylene tubes with electrical tape.
That’s cool
Thank you.
Thank you.
You clearly don't understand how electricity works, so you're definitely not the guy who should explain this to others. Some points:
Switching live and neutral wire colors (though polarity doesn't matter in this case.
Not understanding why there's a return path connected to the transformer HV side.
Choose this wire cause the electrician said so.
Screws connected to HV GND on the transformer possibly in contact with your metal workbench, which then also becomes dangerous to touch. Remember that GND will still be floating (not at 0V) and this case still lethal.
etc. etc.
You would do well to remove this video cause people in the comments are already copying this jank device, and possibly hurting themselves. Coming from an Electrical Engineer.
Good video, thanks for sharing your methods and ideas
My pleasure!
CN you build me a machine? I’ll pay you and I live 1 hr from the red river on the TEXAS side
In A C electrical circuits: Black is Hot, White is Neutral.
Man I just built my self one and I love your handles would u sell and ship me 6 foot of that pipe I’ll pay u plus shipping
Send me an email darkhorsecreations2021@gmail.com. And we can talk details
Great video very informational.
“Don’t do it in the rain”
Jesus.
You need to STOP NOW before your luck runs out.
“I’m not trying to promote this in any way”. Then he shows you how to make one.
Hi there,
if you´re still looking for the guy with the black toolcase I guess it could be BruceBurns Woodshop - he also improved the concept with a dead man switch
Thanks I appreciate it. I’m going to add a dead man’s switch to mine as well other then the foot pedal that I have.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop They literally sell foot pedals with switches. At what point do you decide you're not smart enough to be doing this?
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop Other channels have a KILL SWITCH aand a DEADMANS FOOTSWITCH andy updates to the build ? suggestions?
The guys your talking about is "Josh and Jason Destroy Everything". I found the same issues when searching for info on RUclips, great job on explaining everything.
Interesting seeing the comments. Some are educational, but the ones that say " you're playing with fire", "this is dangerous", etc are pointless. It's like- thanks for letting everyone know electricity is dangerous.....i wouldn't have guessed....
It’s not the electricity as such that is dangerous when building this type of circuit, it’s the fact that you’re upping the voltage without circuit protection. That’s what kills and has done on many times.
@@utube1818 Thanks for the informative response. I thought about building one, as I have a transformer. Then I thought I'm not an electrician and don't want to die.... Lol. I don't like the fact that one misstep could result in death, so I opted out.
@@jjkain These things are deadly, high voltage at a high current, not many get away having a mishap with it.
My stepson built one. He was electrocuted last Sunday and died. Please don’t take the chances
Black wire hot white wire neutral
New Sub. exactly what I wanted to know in this video. TYVM!!
Lots of volts..
Safety First!! ...Fire Marshall Bill
Your welcome. I hope you enjoy all my videos as I post them.
I wonder how many people this video will kill before they actually educate themselves on this. Are you still with us Doug? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
$100 hey the roll of poly pipe would have been that much😂
your super good at that, do you do anything special not generally seen? or ideas on having some sort of control over the bolts, so they are less random, maybe like to control depth by the size and speed of the bolts? possibly shape it?
How to die! Stupid -Stupid stuff here. Crazy dangerous! Too many people have died doing this!
Thank you. But you know what is amazing to me. There is a bunch of people on here. That actually waste there time to write something negative on someone page. Thinking your opinion is a concern of mine. But in all actuality you need to find a better hobby of trying to put people down. What I do on my page is to educate and motivate. Not try to belittle people because that is what strokes your ego. So to you my friend, I would hope you subscribe and if I do have questions or if there is something that would make woodworking easier on my behalf or anyone else you would be there like any other respectable woodworker. Or if you chose to not subscribe. I hope you have a blessed day. And stay classy.
@@darkhorsecreationswoodshop theirs no way you should be educating anyone
I don't do the (anti) social media thing personally. I've never had Facebook, Twitter, or tictoc which that last one I'm not really clear on exactly what that is. All that to say I did enjoy the video. I'm just in the process of making my own lichtenburg device now. I salvaged a transformer this morning, what is today Monday i guess, yesterday morning. I'm subbing to the channel. Again, most sincerely I enjoyed the video, good information, well delivered. What more could you want
Thank you. I appreciate the good feedback.
i very new to this watching at this point
TikTok... no thanks. I'm not that stupid.
Thanks for the good instructions
You are more then welcome. I’m hoping to get a lost more how to videos posted on here soon.
Your welcome. I’m going to be posting more another video of me making a coffee table by the end of the year.
Good instructions he said 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Surprised you are still alive.