View Single Post
  #30  
Old 11-07-2017, 08:42 AM
blackshire's Avatar
blackshire blackshire is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Posts: 6,507
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by hcmbanjo
I did a search and this came up:
fishpaper An insulating paper, often fiber- or oilcloth-like, used in the construction of transformers and coils. [Historical Note: Alvin G. Sydor writes: "In 1729 Stephen Gray made the discovery of the conducting and non-conducting power of different substances. Gray found that by using woven silk served as an excellent insulator. Some years later it was found that the paper industry could provide what was equivalent to woven silk. Later it was discovered that if the paper was saturated with fish oil its ability as an insulator was much improved particularly when used in harsh environments and high voltages."
Take *THAT*, "greenie-weenies!!!" :-) (I couldn't resist; some years ago, the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre [a draft horse sanctuary in England that I support] launched several "Sky Lantern" balloons that I'd supplied them with--with free Visitors Day passes that they attached to them--to get local media attention for fund-raising. They were criticized by a few local newspaper readers for "littering the land," and the Centre folks were concerned that flying model rockets there as a visitor-attracting activity might draw similar criticism, even though the flameproofed tissue wadding is biodegradable.) BUT:

Thanks to Chris, we now know that model rockets (most if not all of whose parts are biodegradable, sunlight-degradable, or 'oxidation-degradable,' especially those having balsa or hardwood nose cones and balsa--or fiber--fins) have even *more* sourced-directly-from-nature materials than we had previously known. I would never have guessed that the "Stone-ized" stage coupler paper is called fishpaper because it contains actual fish oil (but it does make perfect sense from an electrical properties perspective, as oil--not fish oil--is also used in large transformers). I wouldn't be surprised if some small, low-powered transformers (and perhaps even paper condensers [capacitors]) use fishpaper as an insulating material, and:

The "loopstick" antenna coils (ferrite rods inside paper sleeves, with the coils wound around the sleeves) that are utilized in radios might use fishpaper sleeves. Plus, for winding "air core"--having no ferrite rod--antenna coils (these larger coils are often used in crystal radios, antique and old-style AM and Short Wave radios, ham radio transmitters and receivers, wave traps, and ATUs [antenna tuning units]), fishpaper stage couplers would make excellent coil forms to wind the wire (usually enameled wire ["magnet wire"]) around, and they are probably cheaper than bakelite plastic and phenolic-impregnated paper coil forms.
__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR
Reply With Quote