Latest progress - been a while since an update.
First, I've started working on the smaller secondary coil while I wait for the Russian Thyristors to arrive from Lithuania. Here is a 3 picture progression of building the coil, starting with a PVC core to be wrapped in copper.
A short piece of PVC pipe with a 1/4"x2 1/2" bolt down the center and washers on each end. Bolt & washers heated with blow torch to remove shiny patina.
Coil core mounted on metal component, which is bent from 1/8" steel stock.
Copper all wound on. Rather than using a single strand of thin wire, I had some old used multi strand wire that I stripped of insulation and untwisted to lay flat. Definitely a time saver over using individual strands. I used the same approach for creating the major coil. Once unwound the strands spread out to about 1/4" coverage per wrap.
The second coil I built by making a wooden "donut" core of pine that I wrapped in copper wire. Here it is resting where it will go...
Jumping ahead a bit, I've gotten the larger copper coil completed and screwed in place, and the small gas cylinder mounted temporarily under the gun. This thing is pretty massive, and already pretty heavy. I can just imagine how heavy it would be if the main body was made of actual metal rather than MDF. As it is I have quite a bit of metal on it, but not nearly all it could be.
Closeup on the new coil...
Another view. That "ear" sticking out of the base is where the small analog meter will be mounted that shows current charge level.
View from the front...
