T
esla coils, being high voltage, are particularly
dangerous; that’s part of their charm.
Along with excitement comes responsibility: it’s
important to pay close attention to safety when
dealing with any electrical devices, and especially
these. The standard electronic safety precautions
all apply here, like “Do not work on it while
powered on,” but you also have to consider the
safety of the crowd watching — and if anyone else
is nearby, you know there will be a crowd.
We asked ArcAttack about their best practices
for putting on a spectacular show while making
safety a priority for onlookers, and we’d like to
share a few of those tips with you. For a more
detailed breakdown, including DMX interfacing
and radio interference, check out their page on
performance safety with coils at arcattack.com/
resources/tesla-coil-safety.
Protect your audience
While there isn’t an exact distance you need
to leave between your audience and the coil, it
is important to create a firm safety perimeter
around your coil. Everyone wants to be close, and
they’ll push as close as possible, even reaching
out toward the coils despite the fact that doing so
is terrifyingly dangerous.
ArcAttack recommends you set up a hard
perimeter at a distance of at least 10 feet beyond
the longest possible arc your coil can produce.
Protect your crew
The audience isn’t the only concern. The people
operating the coil, or just existing in the vicinity
of the stage for other reasons, need to be fully
aware of the dangers at all times. To pull this
off, ArcAttack recommends a minimum of two
operators who are prepared to hit a kill switch
at any moment, their hand literally held over the
button during the performance.
Be vocal...
Have a crew member announce loudly the
moment the coils are powered on, as well as
powered off, and include some kind of visual
indicator that the coil has power and could
therefore be dangerous.
John DiPrima
...and use hand signals too
You need to remember that these coils are
extremely loud and chaotic. Use hand signs to
communicate basic instructions and information.
This will reduce the possibility of mishearing or
simply not hearing commands at all.
Watch your ears
On the topic of being loud (and we mean LOUD),
it’s imperative that the crowd and crew alike all
use hearing protection.
High voltage is no joke
Once again, there is serious juice running through
these machines, which makes them dangerous
even when not sparking, and this should always
be kept in mind.
Now have some fun! Safely.
19
makezine.com
Topload
Control and
power circuits
Primary coil
Strike ring
TESLA COIL ANATOMY
Secondary coil
M77_018-19_TeslaCoilSafty_F1.indd 19M77_018-19_TeslaCoilSafty_F1.indd 19 4/11/21 4:39 PM4/11/21 4:39 PM
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