how to switch circuit on and off

to start off this is my 2nd thread on this forum. i would like to restate that i am very experienced with high voltage, you can check my site in my profile. i came across a cool project that i would like to duplicate but also make a little better. here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0MbY0w8F3o is a video of a guy that charged up a couple microwave oven caps and discharged them through an ignition coil. i have all the parts. what im wondering is if there is a way to make it free running, similar to a marx generator. im thinking about using a spark gap that fires at a certain voltage, recharges the cap and fires again. i would like some input from other more experienced high voltage enthusiasts if they have any input or ideas on this. thank you.

Microwave oven caps are designed for high voltage DC rectification buffering, for full charge/discharge I fail to see how they could function. they'd last a fraction of their rated life.

actually, there's a fair amount of AC current through microwave caps. the arrangement they are used in is a pseudo voltage doubler arrangement requiring only one diode and cap in series with the transformer secondary. that puts the mag cathode at a -2500V baseline potential, that alternates at 60hz between -2500V and -5000V.

The cap is in series? Man I must have NOT been paying attention when I took the last one apart =\

here's the secondary circuit of an oven. all of the AC current in the secondary circuit passes through the cap. every microwave oven is the same except for Panasonics that use a flyback transformer.

Man I must have NOT been paying attention when I took the last one apart =\

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that could be hazardous to your health if the cap is still charged

this is what i was thinking. let me know what you think

i have a Marconi book from 1917, and the traditional "ignition coil transmitter" (in the chapter on "emergency transmitters" looks like this:

for the spark gap you can use a gas tube device like what is used in some equipment for surge protection. they fire at 350 volts or so.