Before you begin
Read the tutorials
All of our tutorials can be found at onetesla.com/tutorials
Observe good workspace practices
- Keep your workspace neat and orderly.
- Always obey common sense.
- Do not continue work if at any point you feel uncomfortable with the hazards a challenging electronics project poses.
- Use caution when soldering. Lead is hazardous, and the iron is extremely hot.
Have the right equipment
Having the proper tools for electronic assembly, particularly a powerful enough soldering iron, will make your life much easier! Here are the tools you need to assemble your Tesla coil:
- temperature-controlled soldering iron, 40W minimum
- rosin-core solder of an appropriate thickness
- safety glasses
- small pliers
- flush cutters
- wire strippers
- small screwdriver
- hot glue gun
- multimeter
- spray-on or paint-on varnish
Optional but useful:
- packing tape
- masking tape
- solder wick or other desoldering tools
- oscilloscope and power supply
Safely work with electrical hazards
- Always be in control of the power source. Have the plug within your reach at all times.
- Wait 5 minutes after unplugging the driver board for capacitors to discharge before servicing the board.
- When debugging, don’t wear jewelry that could accidentally come into contact with circuitry and cause short-circuits.
- Never work on something dangerous when you’re alone. If you feel tired or uncomfortable at any point, take a break and come back to your work later.
- If you have any hesitation about the nature of the high voltage circuits you are probing, work with one hand in your pocket. This prevents you from inadvertently touching a grounded object with your other hand when probing something that is potentially high voltage, which could cause a short-circuit across your chest.
- Ask for help when you need it! Better to ask a question in advance than do something damaging or dangerous. We’re here to help on onetesla.com/forum.