This here is a super high voltage magic wand that I’ve made.
If you’re asking why, well, months back I’ve received an email from the VSAUCE3
YouTube channel for a cooperation video on the Harry Potter episode.
But since I live in Spain and their office is on the other side of the world, our online
meetings were impossible to make during working hours, so we never made that cooperation.
Actually, ELECTROBOOM YouTube channel got to make such a project for them and I’ll
place a link for that video below.
But since I’ve already ordered all the material, the PCB, the high voltage capacitors and the
generator, well, I will make this project as well and maybe teach you something new
on the way.
What is a voltage multiplier, how to get high voltage with some transformers and what you
could do with such a magic wand project.
Have in mind this might be a dangerous project so if you’re not sure about something, don’t
make it, always use proper tools and never touch the high voltage components.
So, let’s get started.
What’s up my friends, welcome back.
A magic wand like this one has 3 main parts.
The DC supply which can be a normal battery like this one.
Then we need to elevate the voltage with some sort of ZVS circuit for high voltage generator.
This is usually made with flyback transformers and it creates high frequency high voltage.
The third part is the voltage multiplier.
For that part I’ve made my own PCB so it would look better and it would be easier to
make.
The multiplier is using a series of voltage doublers made with diodes and capacitors.
So let’s go step by step and I will explain you how each part works.
As I’ve told you, for the voltage multiplier I’ve made my own PCB and order it to PCBWAY.
If you want the same PCB download the GERBER files from below for free and go to PCBWAY.com
and here click the quote now button.
Select your settings for the thickness, amount of PCBs, color of the solder-mask and save
to cart.
On the next page upload the GERBER files and make the order.
Receive the PCBs in a few days.
Ok, so let’s make this project.
We need a battery capable of delivering enough current.
This 18650 can easily deliver 10 amps, that’s why I will use this one.
But I want more than 4 volts so I will use two of them in series.
Together with the batteries we need a charging module so for that I have this 2S BMS charger.
We need to connect 8.4V to this module and since I want to charge this with a USB connector
I will also add a boost convertor module to rise the voltage from 5V to 8.4V. So we would
have a series of the USB cable, USB connector, boost converter, the 2S BMS module and then
the battery pack of 2 cells.
Ok, so we now have the DC power source.
Let’s check the high voltage generator.
For that we can make our own using a flyback transformer.
You can see how to make one in a few of my previous videos, so check those in order to
know how it works.
I have this flyback transformer which is way too big for this project.
I also have this smaller flyback transformer that I’ve took out from some LCD screens
but these are too small and can’t give out enough power.
What I could use are these modules generators that I’ve used with my shocking game project.
The secondary is OK but the primary might have too many loops and the wire is not that
thick.
So you might want to rewind it with less loops and thicker wire for more power.
Something like 10 loops for the primary and 20 loops for the flyback coil with thin wire.
The circuit is something like this and is just an oscillator made with a transistor,
a diode and a resistor and the flyback signal from the transformer.
This would create high frequency and high voltage.
Since this is high frequency, it won’t shock us but it would burn our skin if you touch
it so be careful.
The PCB of this module already has this circuit.
The problem with this module is that is has no insulation and is made to be used with
below 5V.
But I want more power so I will use 8V and at that voltage the arcs would be forming
between the windings of the secondary and it would burn out just as you can see here.
A solution is to submerge the entire transformer in some sort of resin.
That would insulate the coils and no sparks would jump.
I’ve bought some two-component resin and we could use this to submerge the entire module
in resin.
But if you don’t want to go over this mess you can directly buy a module like this one.
This is already submerged into some kind of resin so is very well insulated and works
ok with 8 volts and it can create higher voltage.
Make sure that you buy a small one like this one because the big one already has a capacitor
multiplier at the output and we want to add that part ourselves.
This is the difference between the outputs.
The small one creates continuous high frequency plasma arcs.
The big one creates pulses of high voltage so it must have some capacitors at the output.
Ok so now we have the DC power source and the high voltage generator.
The next part is the voltage multiplier.
That is made with such configuration.
We have two capacitors and two diodes and the AC voltage at the input.
On each AC peak, one of the capacitors will charge up and then the voltage will sum up
creating double the value.
This would be ideally, is never exactly double the value.
So, if we add more stages we can double the voltage each time.
In my case I’ve made this PCB that could have 7 stages so we double the voltage 7 times.
So, let’s say that the transformer is outputting 10.000V peak to peak.
At the output of the 7-stage multiplier, we would have 140.000 volts, more or less.
I could also join two of these PCBs in series and have a 14 stages multiplier.
To make the multipliers we need high voltage capacitors and high voltage diodes.
These are 15 KV capacitors of 330pF.
And these here are 10KV diodes.
All we have to do is to follow the silk-layer on the PCB and assemble the multiplier.
We add all the capacitors and then all the diodes.
Make sure you don’t place the diodes backwards so check the cathode line on the silk layer
of the PCB.
Just to make sure I’ve made two equal PCBs and I might merge them in series in order
to get higher voltage output.
Now all 3 parts are ready.
The DC supply, the AC high voltage generator and the voltage multiplier.
Is time for some tests and then to assemble it inside some sort of enclosure.
I’ve connected the multiplier PCBs in series by soldering together the pads on the back.
I connect the high voltage generator at the input.
And look, every time I connect my supply, I can push some paper with the electron flow.
The wind is very strong and I’m only using 4V for the input.
One main problem is that the components have a lot of sharp edges so a lot of electrons
can escape so the final output is affected.
To minimize losses, we should submerge this entire circuit into the two-component resin
for insulation.
I’ve 3D printed this magic wand case.
It has spaces for the battery, the transformer and a push button.
On the rear part it has a space for the USB connector so we could recharge it.
The wand part was printed with transparent PLA so we could see a little bit inside the
wand.
I also want to add an LED inside, connected to the push button so we should know when
the wand is active.
Download the 3D files from below and print them with PLA material.
Now let's assemble it.
The plastic case of the wand is made out of 3 parts.
For the USB connector I will use the board of this old module that doesn’t work so
we solder two wires to it.
Then I glue this module inside of the 3D case.
I test if I can connect the USB cable.
Then I connect these two wires with ground and 5V to the boost converter.
Using the multimeter, with the USB cable connected and rotating the boost converter potentiometer
I set the voltage output at 8.4V. Then I connect this output to the 2S BMS module.
The BMS module is connected to the batteries.
From the BMS we have two wires output for 8.4V and this will go to the push button.
From the button it will go to the high voltage module.
And also from the push button I solder a resistor and 3 blue LEDs that will glow through the
resin.
I fit all this circuit inside the bottom part of the 3D printed case.
On top of this case, I will have two wires from the AC generator and those 3 LED.
For now this is just like a powerful arc lighter.
Now we can add the voltage multiplier.
I solder it and fix it in place more or less.
Now I can add the transparent 3D printed part on top.
This was printed in vase mode and using the POLYMAKER transparent PLA material.
This PLA will get almost transparent when sprayed with some alcohol.
Since it was printed in vase mode it is very fragile but the resin will make it stronger.
Is used just to give the shape of the wand.
Now that we have it in place, we prepare some resin.
I mix 3 parts resin and 1 part activator.
Now we fill the entire wand with the resin.
In my case there was a small leak on the bottom part so the entire resing got out and made
a mess.
The push button was damaged so I had to remove it and add some more wire.
To these weires I have to add a new push button.
Unfortunately, I’ve dropped the wand on the ground and broke it.
It still works but I think I should make a new one.
So I had to start all over again.
So just to make sure I’ve 3D printed the wand again.
I’ve made the same connections as before with a different battery, the high voltage
module and the boost converter.
Then I’ve placed them inside the new 3D printed wand and glued them in place.
I’ve made two more voltage multipliers.
This time, in order to save time, I’ve covered them in some spray varnish applying a few
layers.
The resin I have takes around 3 days to get hard, so if I fill this new one with resin
again I would never finish this video.
At the tip I’ve placed a round shaped metal.
Now let’s see some tests and once again, be careful.
Also, please, don’t use this close to any electronics, otherwise you might fry them
forever.
This thing is very powerful.
First test is directly on a metal with earth connected.
As you can see huge sparks are jumping off the tip of my wand.
Now I place a high voltage capacitor suspended in the air.
Without touching it, some arcs are forming between the pins of the capacitor.
There are so many electrons flying away that the capacitor can charge itself till the point
where it creates a voltage arc between its pins.
By the way, some electronics around my workshop such as my supply started clicking even from
meters away so be careful.
The next example is with some paper.
As you can see, we have enough electron flow that we can push the paper without touching
it.
You can make some cool science examples with this wand as for example, when I touch my
workshop table, I can then attract the paper with my hand.
Looks like magic.
And the same would happen with sand and maybe some aluminum foils.
The same with this candle flame.
The electrons flow is powerful enough to move the flame.
Or it could even put out the fire.
In this example look how it can charge my clothes so they get attracted to my skin.
As you can see the shirt is attracted to my body and I can really feel the powerful wind
on me.
You have everything you need to make this project below in the description.
My schematic, the part list, my 3D files, the GERBER files for the PCB and a step by
step guide, so check Electronoobs.com for more.
I hope that you have learned something new.
If so, give me a like or comment below.
Thanks again and see you later guys.