Plasma Rotor

[type 83]

Has anyone seen these?

I think that would be amazing with the right design of TARDIS!

[mordrogyn]

That "column" design would be awesome in a rising and falling time rotor!

[wayne venomous]

I remember in The Secret Life Of Machines on Channel 4 years ago Rex Garrod (who would later be more famous for building "Cassius" in Robot Wars) built a Plasma lamp out of old TV parts.

Don't you just love Youtube?! Just found the very clip!

It's made from the flyback transformer which is found in all old-style CRT television sets. You need a metal "yoke" (the thing in the centre) and a vacuum chamber. Here's a very interesting home made plasma lamp made from a light bulb:

And you thought I did scary stuff with light bulbs?!  

[wayne venomous]

Have a look at this too. Those xenon flash tubes as seen in alarm strobes etc with a bit of modification:

Here: http://www.electricstuff.co.uk/plasmafun.html