I have decided to make a coil gun as a home project.

 

1. Do i need special wire or will any copper wire do. My dad is an electrician and has rolls of wire for wiring a house. Can i strip it and use that?

 

2. What kind of capacitors should i use. I heard microwaves have big ones in them.

 

3. If i make the coil really long instead of just short would it make the projectile go faster?

 

4. Can i do something simple to hook it up like a circuit with negative hooked to the coil and positive through a light switch and out to the coil for a switch?

 

Thanks in advance, Razer

I apologize, but i was considering sending an angry post telling you to "look it up yourself", next time you should do this before asking.

 

To your question! In the order you posted them: Enameled "magnet wire"; Several photo flash capacitors will work well, ask the guy at the photo shop nicely for used disposable cameras. make sure your Cap bank has sufficient power for your projectile (read this whole page, http://www.coilgun.info/theorycapacitors/energy.htm); Use a short multilayer coil for a small projectile (3 cm, ~12 layers, very thin wire); I'm not sure what you mean in this last question, but a light switch could be quite effective.

 

Jack Allison