ive heard from a couple of my viewers that i should not use steel as a conductor on my tesla coil, that i should use copper or brass instead. i would like some input on this from more experienced people. please elaborate! i am using steel strapping for my cap bank as well as steel 'L' brackets and screws in my spark gap. im also using steel screws in my richard quick spark gap. any input is welcome!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh3vilo6OL4&feature=plcp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVsZIFiDD0o&feature=plcp
Steel brackets and strapping for parts shouldn't be a problem, provided it's well-insulated and won't conduct. Steel in the spark gaps isn't a huge problem, but you'll need to watch the surface of the contacts for damage. Sharp edges around "craters" caused by the sparks could prove to be a problem. Just keep it clean and smooth and you'll avoid energy loss.
another thing you might consider doing is cutting the primary in half and configuring the capacitors for double the capacitance/half the voltage.
I would NOT recommend that for several reasons. First, depending on the voltage of your capacitors, halving the voltage tolerance would be a bad idea. It's a good way to damage them. It would also reduce the efficiency of the coil. Even if the tank circuit is in perfect tune with the secondary, the coil won't work correctly unless the capacitor is properly matched to the transformer. In an AC Tesla coil setup, the spark cap discharges every half cycle. If the capacitor and transformer aren't properly matched, the capacitor might not have enough time to fully charge before being discharged into the primary. This will make the coil much less efficient and it will not work properly.
From prior discussions, I know that lokey's transformer is a 15Kv 30mA. According to the formula, , where C is the matching capacitance, Z is the impedance (transformer voltage/transformer current), and Fl is the line frequency (60 Hz), the tank capacitor value he needs is about 5.3nF. Removing too much will make the coil operate incorrectly. Overall, I would get a capacitance as close to the calculated one as possible and go from there.
Tesla coils are very touchy--one thing even slightly off can make the entire thing not work. Patience is key