Hello N1BUG,

Personally I would machine or cut a piece of brass tube so the bolt
head, nut and washers, plus the connectors are tightened against the
brass tube, not the plastic. The tube can then just be a loose or push
fit into the plastic former.

Thursday, January 17, 2019, 12:01:19 PM, you wrote:

> Hi Marco,

> It's always interesting to see pics from other collections if you
> want to share. :-)

> After careful study of the ruined coil, I made a guess:

> SS hardware was a poor choice. Using the machine screw to carry RF
> from inside to outside of the coil form was not the best way. I
> think the hardware became slightly loose. We have all seen this
> happen when hardware is installed in "soft" plastics. Loose hardware
> caused higher resistance in the connection and more heat. More heat
> softened the plastic, which made the hardware more loose, more
> resistance, more heat. Eventually the connection became so loose
> there was an arc, too much heat and everything burned.

> Well, it's just a guess, but it's not too hard to imagine this can
> happen.

> Every nut and screw on that unit was a bit loose, even the ones that
> did not yet show any sign of overheating.

> I cut and drilled already a new coil form but I wait now for brass
> hardware to arrive before winding.

> 73,
> Paul






-- 
Best regards,
 Chris                            mailto:[email protected]