Trying to build a fusor at home.

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility and challenges of building a fusor at home, with a focus on hobbyist experimentation rather than practical power generation. Participants explore the costs, skills required, and the potential for achieving fusion.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks tips on starting a fusor project and inquires about projected costs, aiming to complete it by the end of the year.
  • Another expresses skepticism about the practicality of fusors as a solution to power problems, suggesting that if they worked effectively, they could be scaled up for power generation.
  • A participant clarifies that their goal is not to generate power but to achieve fusion as a hobby, indicating a desire for experimentation rather than practical application.
  • Some participants argue that while fusors can achieve fusion, they cannot produce more energy than they consume, highlighting the inefficiencies involved.
  • There is a discussion about the varying approaches to sourcing materials and equipment for building a fusor, with suggestions ranging from scavenging for parts to purchasing used equipment online.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the potential of fusors for power generation, with some skeptical about their viability as a power source while others emphasize their capability to achieve fusion in a hobbyist context. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the broader implications of fusor technology.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various assumptions about the efficiency of fusors and the practical challenges of scaling up for energy production, but these points remain open for further exploration.

Fusiontron
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Any tips on how to start (I've already looked at www.fusor.net) and what the projected costs would be? I'm looking to complete this by the end of the year.
 
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If this really worked it would solve all our power problems! I am very skeptical.
 
I'm not looking to generate any legitimate amount of power, lol. I just want to do this as a hobby and hopefully get it to work at least a little. Something like this:
 
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If it really worked, then it could be scaled up to be a power source. That's why I am very skeptical.
 
mathman said:
If it really worked, then it could be scaled up to be a power source. That's why I am very skeptical.

Lol, he's not trying to produce power, just to achieve fusion, which a fusor is easily capable of if done correctly. It isn't possible to scale it up to produce power , as there are far too many losses involving the grid.

Fusiontron, it really depends on your skillset and the amount of time you have. You can spend months looking for the best deals and going to places to find working "junk" that you can use and spend next to nothing, or you can spend a lot less time looking by buying used equipment that can be found online pretty easily.
 
mathman said:
If it really worked, then it could be scaled up to be a power source. That's why I am very skeptical.
The fusor does work! It's well known for that. It does fuse deuterium and a few more, produce helium and neutrons and all the expected stuff. It's also used as a neutron source.

What is doesn't do is produce more energy than it consumes.
 

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