Make - Nuclear-Fusor-MAKE PDF

MAKE: PROJECTS
Nuclear Fusor
By Dan Spangler Category: Science Difficulty: Difficult 11 Comments
Nuclear fusion is the process of squeezing two atoms together so tightly that their nuclei fuse, creating a heavier atom
and releasing a blast of energy. Fusion creates the inferno inside the sun and the hydrogen bomb but no one has
yet harnessed its enormous power for peaceful uses.
Theyve tried, however, often with skepticism. In 1989, physicists Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons announced
theyd achieved cold fusion of hydrogen into helium at room temperature, only to face withering scorn when others
failed to replicate their results.
Luckily, DIY nuclear engineers can achieve honest-to-goodness hot fusion right at home by making a FarnsworthHirsch fusion reactor, or fusor for short.
This mini fusor is a demonstration version while it generates only insignificant quantities of fusion products, it does
show how inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) reactors use kinetic energy to cause fusion. Its also a good introduction
to high-voltage power supplies and vacuum systems. The skills the project imparts will help you tackle bigger fusors and
other projects involving plasma and high-energy physics.
Plus, the fusor just looks totally cool. An eerie purple-blue glow emanates from the reactor, and a really well-made fusor
can produce a mesmerizing phenomenon called a star in a jar.
Curious? Read on
WARNING
This project uses high voltages at potentially lethal currents. A high-vacuum apparatus may implode if improperly
handled. This device may produce ultraviolet and x-ray radiation. Do not attempt to build or operate it unless you are
capable of safely using high voltage and vacuum equipment.
How It Works
The typical Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor has
two concentric electrical grids inside a vacuum chamber: an inner grid charged to a high negative potential, and an
outer grid held at ground potential. Our benchtop version has a stainless steel wire inner grid, and uses the aluminum
chamber walls as the outer grid.
A variac controls the AC mains voltage input to a neon sign transformer, which steps up standard 110V AC to the 10kV
range. A homemade rectifier converts AC to DC power to charge the grid.
A vacuum pump evacuates the chamber to a pressure of about 0.025mm of mercury, clearing the playing field so the
few remaining gas molecules can accelerate without premature low-energy collisions. A vacuum gauge indicates the
pressure inside.
High voltage across the grids causes gas molecules to ionize; that is, they lose an electron and become positively
charged. Electrostatic forces then accelerate the ions mainly O2+, N2+, Ar+, and H2O+ toward the high negative
charge at the center. Some ions collide; those that miss the first time are arrested by the electric field and re-accelerated
toward the center for another go.
Low-power fusors produce a beautiful purple ion plasma glow discharge similar to plasma globes and neon signs. In
high-power fusors, the inertia of the ion collisions squeezes hydrogen atoms tight enough to fuse, hence the term
inertial confinement.
High-power fusors typically fuse deuterium (D or 2H) into helium and tritium. Deuterium is a hydrogen isotope whose
nucleus contains a neutron in addition to the usual single proton. It occurs naturally in very low concentrations, primarily
as hydrogen deuteride (HD) but also as heavy water (D2O), semiheavy water (HDO), and deuterium gas (D2). Only 1 in
6,000 hydrogen atoms is deuterium. Tritium (a hydrogen atom with two neutrons and one proton) is even rarer.
When two deuterium atoms fuse they create a high-energy helium-4 atom, which stabilizes itself by releasing a proton, a
neutron, or a gamma ray. This release leaves behind a tritium atom, helium-3 atom, or helium-4 atom, respectively.
Fusor Nation
The fusor was developed in the 1960s by Philo T. Farnsworth, who also invented television. Its popular with DIY experimenters because its easy to build and can reliably produce fusion reactions.
Fusors have yet to produce useful power, but they can be dangerous. They require high voltages and can produce
harmful ultraviolet, x-ray, gamma, and free neutron radiation.
IEC reactors are currently being studied at MIT, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Illinois, Los Alamos
National Laboratory, and EMC Corporation, among other labs.
PARTS
Nylon spacers, unthreaded, 1/2" OD, 2" long, for 1/4" screws (4) McMaster-Carr #94638A29 or 94639A089
Threaded rods, plain steel, 1/4-20 7" (4) McMaster-Carr #91565A566
Barbed hose fittings, brass, 3/8" hose ID 1/4" NPTF male pipe thread (2)
Oil cup cylinder, borosilicate glass, 3" OD 2-19/32" ID 3" high McMaster-Carr #1176K27, mcmaster.com
Spade terminals, 1/4" wide, for 1614 AWG wire (8-11)
PVC pipe fittings, 1/2" nominal, slip fit: end caps (3) and tee (1)
Variable transformer, 110V140V, 5A aka Variac
PVC tubing, flexible braided, 3/8" ID, 2' length Braided reinforcement keeps it from collapsing under high
vacuum.
Hose clamps, for 3/8" tubing (2)
AC power cord, 3-wire, 4' (optional)
Mineral oil, 16 fl oz
Diodes, high voltage, 0.1A 20kV (2) Search hvstuff.com and buy extra in case you accidentally fry your rectifier.
Male plug with ground prong, (optional)
Insulated wire, stranded, 16 AWG
Standoff, round, aluminum, female threaded, 1/4" OD, 2" long, for #10-32 screws McMaster-Carr #93330A493
Additional brass pipe fittings, (optional) if needed to connect your vacuum pump to the barbed hose fittings
Vacuum pump, 2 stage, 0.025mm Hg (25 micron) minimum vacuum rating The higher the cubic-feet-per-minute
(CFM) rating, the better.
Hex nuts, #10-32 (3)
PVC pipe, 1/2" nominal, 6" length
Dow Corning High-Vacuum Grease McMaster-Carr #2966K52
T-nuts, 1/4-20 (4)
Rubber, 1/16"-thick sheet
Self-adhesive rubber feet (4)
Rubbing alcohol
Print Project screws, stainless steel, #10-32 1/2" (5)
Machine
High-voltage wire, 302F, 20 AWG, 0.138" OD, 20,000VDC, 6' McMaster-Carr #8296K15
Ceramic tube, nonporous, high-alumina, 0.375" OD, 1/4" ID, 12" long McMaster-Carr #8746K18
Vacuum gauge, with 1/4" NPT male fitting such as Amazon #B0087UD1GA
Plywood, 1/2" nominal, 8"8"
Wire, stainless steel (type 302/304), soft temper, 0.032" diameter, 4' McMaster-Carr #8860K14
PROJECT
STEPS
Hex
nuts, 1/4-20
(4)
Neon
1. Cut the
signchamber
transformer,
parts. 12,000V (12kV), without ground fault protection Check eBay or your local neon shop.
Aluminum
bar
stock,
6061, 1/2"5"12" McMaster-Carr #8975K436
2. Cut the chamber partsalloy
(cont'd).
Ring terminals, 1/4" wide, for 1614 AWG wire (3)
STEPS
3. Cut the chamber parts (cont'd).
TOOLS
4. Cut the chamber parts (cont'd).
5. Cut
the chamber
parts
(cont'd).
Drill
press
and drill
bits
Hole
saw,
bimetal,
4-1/4"
6. Install the feed-through. diameter, 1-1/2" depth, 7/16" arbor shank McMaster-Carr #4008A581
Pilot
drill bit, 1/4", high speed for the hole saw, McMaster-Carr #4066A89
7. Add the vacuum ports.
WD-40 for use as cutting oil
8. Fabricate the grid.
High-speed
rotary tool and miniature cutoff wheel, diamond grit, 1-1/4" diameter x 0.032" thick McMaster-Carr
9. Fabricate the grid (cont'd).
#1257A89
Pipe
tap,the
1/4-18
10. Make
base.NPT, and handle
Bolt,
1/4-20,the
1-1/2"
11. Assemble
fusor chamber.
Blowtorch, MAPP gas
12. Assemble the fusor chamber (cont'd).
Silver solder and silver solder flux with the highest melting point you can find at your local hardware store
13. Assemble
thetool
fusor chamber (cont'd).
Helping
hands
14. Plumb your fusor.
Screwdrivers
Wrench
open end rectifier.
15. Make set,
the high-voltage
Wire
strippers
16. Make the high-voltage rectifier (cont'd).
Wire crimps
17. Make the high-voltage rectifier (cont'd).
Wood
saw
18. Make the high-voltage
rectifier
(cont'd).
Thread-locking
compound,
high
strength
Sandpaper,
fine grit
19. Wire the transformer.
Metal
filethe fusor.
20. Wire
Hobby knife
21. Test the vacuum.
Two-part epoxy, 24 hour It should outgas less than faster-curing epoxies during fusor operation.
22. Working
with high voltage.
Center
punch
Vise
Masking tape
Step
#1: Cut the chamber parts.
Teflon tape
PVC pipe glue
Prev
Next
PVC pipe, 1" nominal, about a 12" length
Gloves, latex (2 pairs)
Safety goggles
Use the hole saw to cut two 4"-diameter blanks from the aluminum bar stock. Use the slowest speed on your drill press and use WD40 as cutting fluid. Its still going to make a lot of horrible noise. Clean up rough edges with a file, taking care not to scratch the
surface of the blanks.
Step #2: Cut the chamber parts (cont'd).

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Prev
Print and cut out the flange templates. Stack the 2 aluminum blanks with the template on top and bolt them together concentrically
with a 1-1/2"-long 1/4-20 bolt. Use masking tape on the contacting surface to prevent scratches, and to hold the template in place.
Center-punch all holes and remove the template.

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Drill out the 4 bolt holes (leave the offset hole for later), first with a 1/8" bit and then again with a 1/4" bit. This is called step drilling
and it makes drilling large, accurate holes much easier.
Make sure the blanks dont shift when drilling. Before you separate the flanges, use a center punch or marker to make witness
marks on their edges so you can line up the 2 hole patterns correctly every time you assemble the fusor chamber.

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Prev
Drill out the center bottom flange hole to 3/8" (first image) and test-fit the ceramic tubing. It should be a close fit.
If its too tight, tape a strip of sandpaper to a nail, wrap the sandpaper tightly around the nail, chuck it in a power drill, and use it to
expand the hole just enough that the ceramic tube fits snugly.
On the top flange, drill the center hole and the offset hole to 7/16" using the step drill method (second image).
Clamp the flange in a vise, using tape or shims to prevent marring, and carefully tap the two 7/16" holes you just drilled to 1/4-18 NPT
(third image). Note that this is a tapered thread.

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Prev
Next
Prev
Following the templates, use a hobby knife to cut 2 gasket rings (2-1/2" ID 3-1/8" OD) from sheet rubber (first image).
Use a rotary tool and diamond cutoff wheel to cut a 2" length of ceramic tubing. Sand the rough edges smooth
Step #6: Install the feed-through.
Using 24-hour epoxy, glue the aluminum standoff into the ceramic tubing, taking care not to get any glue in the threads. You may
need to file or sand down the outside of the standoff to make it fit. Let the epoxy dry 24 hours. This is your high voltage feedthrough.
Using a healthy amount of epoxy, glue the feed-through into the center hole in the bottom flange, making sure it protrudes 1/2" into
the chamber. Again, keep glue out of the threads.
Step #7: Add the vacuum ports.

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Prev
Apply Teflon tape to the threads and then thread the vacuum gauge into the center hole in the top flange and the barbed hose
fitting onto the offset hole. Tighten securely with a wrench.
Step #8: Fabricate the grid.

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Prev
Cut a 12" length of 1" PVC pipe and then drill a 1/16" hole in the middle.
Cut 48" of stainless steel wire and anchor one end securely in a vise or clamp. Thread the other end into the hole in the PVC pipe
and neatly roll the wire around the pipe while applying constant firm tension.
Release the wire from the anchor point and clip it off the pipe, being careful to keep the wire from springing back. Youll be left with
a small coil of wire with 1012 turns, about 1-5/8" in diameter.
Step #9: Fabricate the grid (cont'd).

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Clip 3 rings off the coil. Solder one ring closed using silver solder and a MAPP gas blowtorch.
Link a second ring through the first, solder it closed, and carefully solder the 2 rings together so theyre at right angles.
Stretch the third ring over the first 2 to form a spherical cage with 8 equal openings. Trim it to size and solder it in place.
Finally, solder a #10-32 stainless steel machine screw to the outer ring, midway between two of the existing solder joints.
Step #10: Make the base.

Next
Cut an 8"8" square of 1/2" plywood. Use one of the flanges as a guide to lay out the 4 bolt holes.
Drill 1/4" holes and hammer in the 4 T-nuts. Adhere a rubber foot in each corner, on the same side as the T-nuts.
Prev
Step #11: Assemble the fusor chamber.

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Prev
Apply thread-lock to the threaded steel rods and screw them into the T-nuts until theyre flush with the T-nut flanges, as seen in the
first image.
Slip a nylon spacer over each rod, then stack the bottom flange on top of the spacers; make sure the longer end of the high-voltage
feedthrough protrudes downward.
Step #12: Assemble the fusor chamber (cont'd).

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Prev
Wearing latex gloves, wipe the surface of the flange with alcohol and wait for it to dry.
Apply vacuum grease to both sides of a rubber gasket, carefully center the gasket on the bottom flange, and thread the spherical
inner grid cage onto the end of the high-voltage feedthrough.
Step #13: Assemble the fusor chamber (cont'd).

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Prev
Wearing a fresh pair of gloves, clean the glass cylinder with alcohol and carefully place it on top of the gasket. Apply vacuum grease
to both sides of the second gasket and lay it on top of the glass cylinder. Try to avoid getting any grease on the sides of the glass.
Now clean the top flange with alcohol and stack it on top of the second gasket, making sure the flange witness marks line up. Finish
it off with four 1/4-20 nuts. The nuts should be just finger-tight, only slightly deforming the rubber gasket. Overtightening them may
crack the glass!
Step #14: Plumb your fusor.

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Cut a 2' length of 3/8" ID reinforced vinyl tubing, slide the 2 hose clamps onto it, and fit the hose over the barbs on your vacuum
pump and fusor chamber. Tighten the clamps over the hose and barbs.
Follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer of your vacuum pump to get it operating correctly (vacuum oil, power,
venting, etc.). Vacuum pumps vary, and you may have to install additional plumbing to fit a male barbed adapter sized for 3/8" ID
tubing.
Step #15: Make the high-voltage rectifier.

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Prev
Solder the 2 high-voltage diodes together, making sure the ends with the white bands are facing away from each other.
Cut three 2" lengths of 16 AWG stranded wire, strip 1/4" of insulation off the ends, and bend each wire into an S shape. Solder one
wire to each free end of the diodes and the third wire to the joint between the two.
Crimp a ring terminal to the free end of each of the 3 wires.
Step #16: Make the high-voltage rectifier (cont'd).

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Prev
Drill a #21 (or 4mm or 5/32") hole into the top center of three 1/2" PVC pipe caps and tap the holes with a #10-32 screw
Feed the diode assembly through a 1/2" PVC tee union so that the middle wire goes out the side junction and the other 2 wires go
out the ends.

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Cut three 1-1/2" lengths of 1/2" PVC pipe and glue them into the ends of the tee, around the wire leads.
Pass a #10-32 machine screw through each ring terminal and screw it into the threaded hole in each cap.
Glue the 2 side caps on, but not the top one yet.

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Place the tee in a vise with the opening facing up, and carefully pour in mineral oil until its full to the bottom of the branch.
Loosen the vise, rock the tee gently side to side to make sure there arent any trapped air bubbles, and then fill it all the way up.
Screw the remaining ring terminal to the inside of the top cap and glue the cap in place, sealing the tee permanently.
Step #19: Wire the transformer.

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Prev
If youre lucky, your neon sign transformer has a power cord attached. If not, open up a male plug with a ground prong and wire one
end of a 3-wire AC power cord into it. The green wire goes to the ground prong. The black and white wires go to the hot and
neutral prongs it doesnt matter which is which.
On your NST there should be 2 large ceramic standoffs; these are your high-voltage outputs. Ignore them for now. Were interested
in the 2 smaller input terminals and the single ground screw.
Separate the 3 cord wires so the black and white wires reach the input terminals and the green wire reaches the ground screw. Strip
" of insulation off the wire ends and crimp a spade terminal to each, then affix the wires to the corresponding terminals. Again, the
orientation of the black and white wires doesnt matter it will work either way.
Step #20: Wire the fusor.

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Cut three 12" lengths and one 24" length of high-voltage wire, strip 1/4" of insulation off the ends, and crimp a spade connector onto
both sides of each one.
Attach a 12" wire between each of the 2 high-voltage terminals on the NST and one of the 2 side terminals on the rectifier. Connect
the third 12" wire between the top of the rectifier and the fusors high-voltage feed-through using a 1/2"-long #10-32 screw.
Finally, connect the 24" wire to one of the top studs holding the fusor together, using the nut to hold it on the threaded rod. Attach
the other end to the ground screw on your NST.
Step #21: Test the vacuum.

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Prev
When working with glass vacuum chambers, always test the chamber from behind a safety barrier first. I used a door with a window
and just ran the power cord under the door.
Plug in the vacuum pump and watch from safety as the needle on the vacuum gauge goes to 0. Leave the pump running for 5
minutes. If it doesnt implode during that time, it should be OK for normal use if treated gently.
Turn off the vacuum pump and allow the system to return to ambient pressure before handling or storing the fusor.
Step #22: Working with high voltage.

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Prev
Our fusor is a relatively low-power version, with its components grounded to minimize the danger of shock. Still, accidents happen.
Heres what you need to know to stay safe.
Electricians have a saying: Volts hurt, amps kill. Current is more dangerous than voltage just 1020 milliamps (mA) of alternating
current (AC) can cause muscle contractions that prevent you letting go of the electrified object, and 70mA100mA can cause heart
fibrillation and death.
Household AC wall power is typically 120 volts at a lethal 15 amps of current. And it alternates at 60Hz frequency, which can also
cause fibrillation. Its very hazardous.
The variable transformer modulates wall power up to 140V AC at 5A current lower, but still a real electrocution hazard.
Next, the neon sign transformer steps up the voltage to a high 12,000V AC and slashes the current to 30mA unlikely to cause
fibrillation but still above the let-go threshold.
Finally, the rectifier converts AC to DC direct current at 6,000V, 30mA. Thats half the voltage of the NST output, and falls
below the let-go threshold for DC current (about 75mA). But it can still be deadly, as DC causes worse contractions and tissue burns
than AC.
So be sure to wire your fusor correctly, and avoid touching any part of it during operation except the variable transformer knob. And
when in doubt, ask an expert before proceeding.
CONCLUSION
Running Your Fusor
Plug the transformers power cord into the outlet on your variac, then plug the variac into the wall outlet. Dont switch
the variac on yet.
Turn on the vacuum pump, wait for the gauge to reach 0, then wait another 25 minutes to reach deeper vacuum.
Leave the pump running. Now switch on the power for the variac and slowly turn the knob, increasing the voltage fed
through the transformer.
If everything works, you should see a bright purple discharge inside the chamber, and as you turn up the voltage a
defined plasma ball will form inside the grid, with the occasional plasma beam leaching out through one of the grid
openings. If youve built carefully, you may achieve the coveted star in a jar: a glowing plasma ball with fine plasma
lines radiating out in all directions through the grid openings.
Congratulations, you have successfully built a demonstration fusion reactor based on the principle of inertial electrostatic
confinement!
Never run your fusor for extended periods of time. A minute or two is plenty. Plasma beams escaping from the core may
spot-heat the glass and cause it to implode. Make sure that you and everyone nearby wears ANSI-approved safety
goggles whenever the cylinder is under vacuum.
WARNINGS
Glass vacuum chambers can implode. Do not operate the vacuum system without safety goggles. Reminder: High
voltage and current can injure or kill. Fusors may generate harmful radiation. Do not attempt to build or operate this
fusor unless you understand the risks and are capable of safely using high voltage and vacuum equipment. Do not run
this device at more than 12kV rectifier input.
Troubleshooting
When you first ignite your reactor, you may see sparks and arcs on the inner grid. As long as these dont persist in one
spot, its fine just bits of dust and debris burning off, and after a while the sparks will stop. But if arcing persists, youve
probably got carbon deposits, which will continue to arc. This can be dangerous, so stop and clean the chamber
thoroughly before proceeding.
If the glow discharge is deep purple, the seals are probably leaky; check the gaskets and reapply vacuum grease. With a
good vacuum, you should see a bright, almost-blue purple glow.
This project first appeared in MAKE Volume 36, page 90.
BY DAN SPANGLER
Comments
Andrew says:
November 1st, 2013 at 11:05 am
OK. who also invented television.

Better. who also invented the worlds first working all-electronic television system
Brent Hannah says:

November 1st, 2013 at 11:36 am
This looks scary as hell.
Adans says:
November 1st, 2013 at 12:59 pm
Nice weekend-project!
This is slightly bigger and self-sustained fusion reactor:
http://www.iter.org/
Ian Lee says:

Wow! Super cool project, Daniel. Im adding this one to my to-do list!
Howard Wu says:
While not yet useful as a net energy source, it makes a handy vacuum cleaner size neutron source for hospital
isotopes or airport bomb detection.
bcook65 says:
November 2nd, 2013 at 1:14 pm
So, how would one theoretically harness the energy from a device such as this provided it actually was able to
produce it on a usable scale? (as heat to generate steam?) (induced electrical?) ??????
Jon Trauntvein says:
Unfortunately, this system would fail to produce more energy than it takes to initiate and maintain the reaction. I
believe that doing so requires much higher energy levels and much trickier containment.
Nick Marshall says:
November 6th, 2013 at 11:58 am
Currently the best reactor that I am aware of is called the Tokamak reactor. IIRC it has only just broken even with
energy output. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokamak
cthorm says:
November 7th, 2013 at 2:55 pm
IEC fusion devices have very different problems from magnetic confinement fusion devices like ITER and
tokamaks.
Magnetic confinement fusion devices have problems of scale; these devices create a magnetic bottle to trap
and condense a hot plasma, but hot plasmas have poorly understood scaling properties.
IEC devices do not have problems of scale, they have problems of optimization. An IEC uses static electromagnetic fields to collide a beam of high-energy particles. The geometry of the fields and precision of the beams
are the current (and long-standing) hurdles to net energy from IEC fusion. If these problems can be adequately
solved, then almost certainly Deuterium-Deuterium and Deuterium-Tritium will NOT be the fuels used, because
those reactions produce a very high neutron flux (which will damage the device over time); instead the device
would use proton-Boron or He3-He3 reactions, which only produce charged particles and are directly converted
to electricity (much like PV solar).
John says:
Marty McFly: [looks through a camcorder] This is heavy-duty, Doc. This is great. Uh, does it run, like, on regular
unleaded gasoline?
Dr. Emmett Brown: Unfortunately, no. It requires something with a little more kick. Plutonium.
Marty McFly: Um, plutonium. Wait a minute. Are
[lowers the camcorder]
Marty McFly: Are you telling me that this sucker is NUCLEAR?
Dr. Emmett Brown: Hey, hey, hey! Keep rolling. Keep rolling there.
[Marty raises the camcorder]
Dr. Emmett Brown: No, no, no, no, no, this suckers electrical, but I need a nuclear reaction to generate the 1.21
gigawatts of electricity I need.
Marty McFly: Doc, you dont just walk into a store and-and buy plutonium!
Mark Harder says:
December 15th, 2013 at 12:09 am
Actually, its uncomfortably feasible to walk in a store and buy some Pu. In Russia, and I hope this has changed,
employees of factories and institutions that used Pu could easily break a lock on a wood shack and walk away with
some. In one case, this guy simply asked a friend if he knew anyone who would pay for some Pu. His friend
contacted a friend of his who recycled car batteries and did some miscellaneous business on the side, as it were.
Sure, the friend-of-a-friend said he could unload some. So the guy and his friend walked into the battery guys
office with the goods. While negotiating the transaction, the place was raided by the cops and they were caught
with the goods. Were the cops tipped off about the Pu? Heavens, no! They were there making a bust of one of the
battery guys side businesses. The stolen Plutonium was just a lucky break for them. A study of the cases where Pu
theft was discovered shows that all but a few of these were accidental. In other words, like the battery guy, the
perps were discovered not by police detectives who were pursuing reported Pu thefts, but by border guards and
others who were inspecting for contraband in general or related black-market crimes. Its safe to say that we know
there is a significant quantity of Pu floating around the worlds black markets, and that we have no idea how much
or in whose hands.
BTW. Just to show where the worlds priorities lie, in the entire history of Fort Knox no gold in any quantity has ever
gone missing
Joey says:
November 3rd, 2013 at 8:15 am
What kind of transformer do I need and where can I get he transformer at.
Dan Spangler says:
November 3rd, 2013 at 5:54 pm
Its called a Neon Sign Transformer or NST. I used a 12,000v or 12Kv transformer it can either be 30mA or 60mA
both will work. I purchased the transformer from ebay, but you should also look for local sign shops that do neon
signs they sometimes have some old transformers lying around. You need to choose carefully, modern NST wont
work. You need to find a transformer that dose NOT have a Ground Fault Interrupter Circuit or GFI.
Jordan Page says:

November 3rd, 2013 at 5:31 pm
Where might one be able to find the variac you speak of I have already checked variac.com and amazon to no avail.
How much can the specs of the variac very?
Thank You
Chris says:
Really? I just typed Variac into Ebay and had 547 results you know the adage if you dont know what something
is, you probably shouldnt play with it
Bob Spline says:

Despite decades of research, fusion has yet to be demonstrated in a continuous process. Its all based on theories
about how our sun works, which are being modified as we speak so the underlying basis for the idea may not be
kosher (yes, I am oversimplifying hundreds of academic papers in one sentence ) We would probably be better off
thinking about other ways of doing fusion that are based on things which we know can work, such as plasma focus
fusion, but unfortunately the pipe dream is still alive. Hopefully, well get more money into PFF and other
experimental methods and move forward soon.
Beautiful toy though
Dax says:
The F-H fusor is a continuous process. Its just not self-sustaining.
Joey says:
Someone make a video on how to make it. I bet the video would get a lot of view and it would be really helpful.
BotherSaidPooh says:
Re. transformers, an alternative to NSTs is old bug zappers.

Ive got just such a beast here and the transformer outputs 7KVAC.
A worthwhile check is to measure its output inductance and this will show if the problem is a shorted secondary (junk)
or just an open primary thermal protector.
Ive also experimented with connecting multiple B/W TV flybacks in parallel via diodes, this can increase output
current but is very dangerous so please be careful!
Dan Spangler says:
Other good alternatives are Microwave Oven Transformers. You can daisy chain them together to get high
voltages but they are not current limited so they can be more dangerous to handle. you could also try oil burning
furnaces ignition transformers.
Paco says:
Your build is pretty neat and the result impressive, but have you tested that the system is producing neutrons. I will try
to prove this statement later but from memory I think 12kv is not enough (not even near) to achieve fusion.
Paco
Dan Spangler says:
Hey Paco, you are actually correct, 12kv is not enough to achieve fusion. this is only a Demo Fusor a working
reactor giving off detectable neutrons would be much more involved, and prohibitively expensive.
Paco says:
Demo Fusor as is clearly stated, my fault, went directly to the project steps section.
Tom Mc says:
So is this thing safe to use, or to have around children? UV is one thing..gamma radiation and x-rays are another. I
think this would look absolutely cool as a conversation piece on a coffee table.
Dan Spangler says:
yup its safe to use. It wont generate any more radiation then the normal background reading. although I would
recommend only running it for a few minutes at a time, ion beams generated by the plasma can spot heat the glass
and increase the risk of implosion. Other then that it would totally make an awesome conversation piece to have
on your coffee table.
Chris Brewer (@CBrewer) says:
Safe? Not even remotely.

Did you read the disclaimers? Dangerous high voltages, possible implosion of a glass cylinder, run only for short
periods with adequate safety gear, possibility of x-rays
tapsa says:
did you measure also how much this produce UV B and C?
ops says:
The rectifier construction had me stumped for a second. At first it appeared as though the diodes were backwards
and I was like: Ewww, your anodes are touching!
Then I realized, youre probably shooting for a negative full wave rectifier. Correct me if Im wrong; Ive been known to
be wrong on occasion. Of course, I think this would only work with a center-tapped transformer.
This makes oodles more sense than the other way round. In this configuration the more positively charged ions from
the relatively high-voltage ground would fall across the voltage drop to the negative voltage ring at the core and
*hopefully* collide.
Though, as others have stated previously, theres probably not a high enough potential for this to occur at any
meaningful or measurable level.
Fun though! Perhaps Ill give it a go and start making tweaks until I get delicious neutrons. Mmmm.
Richard Hull says:
No deuterium gas in this system means not one single fusion will take place. It is a demo system only. In the Intro
the comment related to saying there would only be limited fusion is wrong. Zero fusion is correct. With deuterium
in the system, fusion is possible but not detectable until you supply -30kv or more. Far beyond this small systems
capability.
Real amateur fusors that do real fusion are commonly made with spherical stainless steel chambers. More info on
real fusion at Fusor.net. No fusor will ever break even, but will do a decent and usable amount of fusion for
amateur research.
Richard
Matt Wachter says:

I dont understand where the fuel for the reaction is coming from. Theres essentially no hydrogen or duterium in the
atmosphere. It seems like the glow could be due to the ionization of the oxygen and nitrogen not removed by the
vacuum instead of being due to a fusion reaction.
Max Nager says:

Could you use a high voltage power supply, such as an induction coil, instead of a neon sign transformer and
rectifier?
R. Scott Coppersmith says:

Take Richards advice before attempting to build a Fusor, demo or real. There are several ways of hurting/killing
yourself and/or your spectators with this equipment. Fusor.net is the best source of information.
Scott
sudheer says:
Wow! It is amazing. The way that you explained about the process of doing this project is very interesting. Keep
updating these kind of projects.
Anthony Robbins says:

Hi, and thank you for posting this build! Im adding it to my must do list.
Im a little worried, though about your advise regarding high voltage. Unfortunately, the adage, Volts hurt, amps kill
is dangerously misleading. Without getting into deeper technical details, the most important thing to keep in mind is
that the voltage that shocks you depends on the source, but the current (current=amperage) _depends_ _on_ _the_
_Voltage!_ So a 240v shock delivers twice as much shock current as a 120v shock. The current rating on a supply is
the _max_ _continuous_ current it can provide, not the current you will be shocked with.
So, if you are shocked with 120v, and your bodys resistance is 500000ohms (typical) you will receive
120/500000=0.00024 amps or 0.24mA. If you are shocked with 150000v you will receive 15000/500000=30mA in
the deadly range. As the voltage goes up, so does the danger!
Also, the power supply current rating does not imply a current _limit_ so if you create a low resistance path, your
30mA NST can deliver a brief pulse of much more current, until its internal resistance builds up. If an arc pierces your
skin, it will produce just such a low resistance path!
Please, everyone, keep a healthy respect for these high voltages. These projects are fun and enlightening, but the
danger is usually invisible, and misunderstanding can kill.
Happy star building!
art says:
Hi guys just wondering does anyone have a list of everything that is needed for this fusor, including tools?
art says:
Hi guys just wondering does anyone have a list of everything that is needed to make this fusor, including tools?
Dan Spangler says:
the parts and tool lists are at the top of this page to the right of the picture
Don says:
Just a note that McMaster-Carr are not able to ship outside of the US, any ideas on other suppliers who can help?
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James says:
December 2nd, 2013 at 8:21 pm
Does anyone know where to find a vacuum pump that meets the requirements for this? I have been looking for a 25
micron one to no avail and just realized it says minimum, so does that mean a 75 micron one could work, or as long
as its 25 or lower you are good. In desperate need of an answer soon, Christmas is coming.
Dan Spangler says:
December 2nd, 2013 at 10:42 pm
here ya go James, Harbor Freight Special http://www.harborfreight.com/3-cfm-two-stage-vacuum-pump60805.html . Also the maximum vacuum rating listed on vacuum pumps is a best case scenario kind of thing,
due to outgassing and micro leaks your chamber will probably not reach the low of a vacuum. So while i know we
recommend 25 micron, Im pretty confident you can make it work with a 75 micron pump. hope this helps
Zach Cloud says:

December 3rd, 2013 at 4:25 pm
Alright. This looks cool and all, but my one question is this: Where does the fuel needed to supply the reaction come
from?
Max Nager says:

You can subscribe to the comments feed for this article and be notified by email every time a new a comment is
posted.
Awesomeness43427 says:
December 17th, 2013 at 4:52 pm
Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
jake says:
Before I build this I want to know if it will release any harmful amounts of radiation. I dont see where the uv, x-rays,
and gamma rays would come from as there is really nothing to be fused. I read all of the comments and I understand
this is a demo, but comments on the youtube video and some here make me feel like I need a lead lined body suit
and something to put this in to stop damage from radiation. Im not worried about the electric components because
Ive worked on other high voltage projects like Tesla coils. Could I please have a solid reply? thanks
Dan Spangler says:
Hey Jake, so we put a Geiger counter right next to the chamber when it was on and we didnt get a single click out
of it. that being said it does produce soft x-rays from bremsstrahlung collisions. But these soft x rays wouldnt
expose you to anything more then standing in front of a CRT monitor. so no you dont need a lead lined suit, and
the only shielding I might consider around the chamber would be some polycarbonate sheets to capture derbies in
case of implosion. hope this helps, we would love to see pictures of your finished reactor.
jake says:
Thanks
Felix K says:
You just made a big neon bulb with air instead of neon.
I can do same with a microwave oven and a glass chamber under vacuum. It is called Pashen discharge. I suppose
someone could build this to graduate to one at 35kV. Tesla anyone?
Max Nager says:

January 6th, 2014 at 5:41 pm
I would still like to no if you can use a high-voltage power supply, like an induction coil, instead of a rectifier.
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MAKE: PROJECTS

The typical Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor has

3. Cut the chamber parts (cont'd).

Step #2: Cut the chamber parts (cont'd).

Step #3: Cut the chamber parts (cont'd).

Step #4: Cut the chamber parts (cont'd).

Step #5: Cut the chamber parts (cont'd).

Step #6: Install the feed-through.

Step #7: Add the vacuum ports.

Step #8: Fabricate the grid.

Step #9: Fabricate the grid (cont'd).

Step #10: Make the base.

Step #11: Assemble the fusor chamber.

Step #12: Assemble the fusor chamber (cont'd).

Step #13: Assemble the fusor chamber (cont'd).

Step #14: Plumb your fusor.

Step #15: Make the high-voltage rectifier.

Crimp a ring terminal to the free end of each of the 3 wires.

Step #16: Make the high-voltage rectifier (cont'd).

Step #17: Make the high-voltage rectifier (cont'd).

Step #18: Make the high-voltage rectifier (cont'd).

Step #19: Wire the transformer.

Step #20: Wire the fusor.

the other end to the ground screw on your NST.

Step #21: Test the vacuum.

Step #22: Working with high voltage.

OK. who also invented television.

Brent Hannah says:

This looks scary as hell.

Ian Lee says:

Jordan Page says:

Bob Spline says:

The F-H fusor is a continuous process. Its just not self-sustaining.

Re. transformers, an alternative to NSTs is old bug zappers.

Safe? Not even remotely.

did you measure also how much this produce UV B and C?

Matt Wachter says:

Max Nager says:

R. Scott Coppersmith says:

Anthony Robbins says:

Zach Cloud says:

Max Nager says:

Max Nager says:

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