Thread: Origami Lightning boxes

Very nice collection of boxes. Fit and finish looks spot on and the McJing hinges also look the part. Your splines look very fine and just wondering how the grooves were cut for them?
Do you have your own fractal burner?
I look forward to getting to the Maleny show one day.

Hello TTIT.
The timber you have used in the mitred corners is very thin.
Mind telling me what it is.
And can you point me to how you did the burnt style on the top of the box.
I have seen it before and can't find it on the forum.
Very nice work by the way.

Regards,

Hello Vern, Lovely batch of boxes , Dorothy took a liken to a couple of them. cheers John.

Originally Posted by Treecycle

Very nice collection of boxes. Fit and finish looks spot on and the McJing hinges also look the part. Your splines look very fine and just wondering how the grooves were cut for them?
Do you have your own fractal burner?
I look forward to getting to the Maleny show one day.

Originally Posted by Wimmera Jack

Hello TTIT.
The timber you have used in the mitred corners is very thin.
Mind telling me what it is.
And can you point me to how you did the burnt style on the top of the box.
I have seen it before and can't find it on the forum.
Very nice work by the way.

Regards,

The mitre splines are cut on the bandsaw and then run through the drum sander to get them down to 0.75mm. The dark ones are Desert Oak and the white ones are Norfolk Island Hibiscus. I cut the slots by hand using the jig pictured in this thread - quicker than setting up a jig on the router or tablesaw. A bit embarrassing though - I didn't have the jig down square on the box for one cut but didn't actually notice the key was angled until I was applying the finish - gluing, trimming, sanding! - didn't see it! - one of the downsides of batch production I think is that you don't pay quite as much attention to detail

The burner I made using a standard microwave oven transformer but I rigged it up in a box as safely as I could - 16 years working in high voltage distribution gives you a healthy respect for the stuff and I've seen some very scary rigs 'made' by people experimenting with the Lichtenburg fractals . Not advisable unless you really know your way around high voltage behaviour.

Nice boxes there TTIT, very nice. And I know what you mean about the dangers of that microwave oven transformer. My second son used to be a high voltage electrician and when I told him about them, he warned against making me one.

There is a bloke over in Europe or somewhere, I come across his site. He has sold thousands of these type of boxes, dunno how he makes so many. Well I do actually, the quality of his boxes is,.....well,..very very ordinary. Stained pine timber. I was reading his reviews and one said his 11yo son could have done a better finish. BUT, he is selling heaps of them, amazing.

Paul

I was watching this Carl Jacobson video this morning and this guy is releasing a 240v machine. Apparently no one has ever been hurt using it.
Would be $500+ I'd imagine to get one delivered.

Beautiful boxes by the way!

Originally Posted by CgT

I was watching this Carl Jacobson video this morning and this guy is releasing a 240v machine. Apparently no one has ever been hurt using it.
Would be $500+ I'd imagine to get one delivered.

Beautiful boxes by the way!

Saw the same video - higher voltage and lower current which makes it slightly safer but I'm damned if I know how anything with exposed high voltage probes can pass any safety standards and be sold on the open market. Says a lot for their standards . . . . but then look at what they chose to lead their country!!!! They don't seem to value human lives much

Originally Posted by TTIT

I'm damned if I know how anything with exposed high voltage probes can pass any safety standards and be sold on the open market.

Vern, very nice boxes. The lichtenberg figures look good as you have shown restraint in the extent and placement of them on the box tops. I will leave the "fractal burning" to those with the electrical knowledge and training to be able to construct and use such units in relative safety. In skilled knowledgeable hands I do believe they have a place as a "tool." Unfortunately, there are not many persons about with the electrical background, HV training, and hazard management skills to use them "safely."

Stay safe mate, as you are one person who probably does have the skills and knowledge to employ these techniques.

I agree with your assessment on the units. I actually asked our Australian Electrical Safety Office if "Lichtenberg Burners" could ever achieve "certification" in Australia. The response was not a direct "No" but inferred that it was most unlikely that they would.

I also made enquiries at Underwriters Laboratories (UL) RTP, NC (the UL certification) about the inferred certification of the Conestoga unit in its original advertising - /

'At least one small manufacturer is commercially marketing such a device and uses the words "Tested IAW UL Standard # 814, UL Standard for Safety Gas-Tube-Sign cable" in the units technical specification. I believe this is misleading at best.'

The response from UL was

"We have reviewed the literature with the reference to UL Standard 814 and this reference does not infer or suggest that the product has been tested and or certified by UL.
We cannot comment on if this unit would be capable of meeting UL Class 3 requirements as the unit has not been evaluated by UL. Further we cannot confirm if this unit meets the requirements and codes of the countries identified."

I believe that the UL reference (for the leads only) has now been removed from Conestoga's advertising materials and now only says "36" insulated leads."

Conestoga, to their credit, include the following safety warning in their manual

Safety notice: The output voltage and current (12,000 volts @ 35 mA) from this burner can cause serious burn, injury, or death if these instructions and safety precautions are not followed. The safe use of this burner is entirely the responsibility of the purchaser. If you have any electronic implant, consult your doctor before using. If you do not agree with this, do not use it and immediately return the unused burner for a full refund.*

I was just browsing through facebook, one of the woodwork groups in there and noticed this recent post. I immediately thought of this thread on here.

Death of Milton man prompts awareness of dangers of fractal burning | Milton Courier | hngnews.com

Paul

Originally Posted by Pauls321

I was just browsing through facebook, one of the woodwork groups in there and noticed this recent post. I immediately thought of this thread on here.

Death of Milton man prompts awareness of dangers of fractal burning | Milton Courier | hngnews.com

Paul

"we didn't know it was dangerous" she said you seriously have to wonder about some people.

These ones? Strap Hinge (Solid Brass)

Need some decent hinges that don't cost a kidney.

Originally Posted by TTIT

The burner I made using a standard microwave oven transformer but I rigged it up in a box as safely as I could - 16 years working in high voltage distribution gives you a healthy respect for the stuff and I've seen some very scary rigs 'made' by people experimenting with the Lichtenburg fractals . Not advisable unless you really know your way around high voltage behaviour.

Do you have any videos of this process? I am fascinated by the effect but I'll be damned if I am going to try it

Originally Posted by double.d

"we didn't know it was dangerous" she said you seriously have to wonder about some people.

He should be nominated for a Darwin Award!

That is in the "I have to think which to do next: breathe out/in" category!!!

There is a link in post 7.
They may not have realised quite how dangerous it was but the article did say that it was an equipment failure that got him. We had a demonstration at our wood club on fractal burning and the operator couldn't express it often enough how dangerous it could be. He never went near the probes while the power was on but switched it off and then unplugged the power supply before touching the clips. He used the small nails in the timber method so there was no need to touch anything while burning was happening.