SparKIT - Mini Electrostatic Generator

Name: SparKIT - Mini Electrostatic Generator
SKU: 9188
Price: 29.95 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.59 (70 reviews)

(70 Reviews)

A miniature Wimshurst machine kit set that is fun, reliable, and easy to make.

Designed by SparKIT in New Zealand

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$29.95

Quantity*

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Corona Spinner

A Corona Spinner is a very fun edition to the SparKIT Electrostatic generator. It is also the worlds simplest electric motor!

Fully Assembled

will be assembled with lead-free solder, ready for attachment of stands. This will be tested before shipping, but due to the rigours of international shipping please accept that some adjustment may be required on arrival.

Gold Plate editions

Immersion gold plated PCB with matt or gloss black solder mask- ideal as a presentation piece

Include paper instructions

PDF instructions are always available to view and download through the datasheet link, but sometimes hard copy is needed.

Mini screwdriver

a mini crosshead screwdriver suitable for the tiny motor screws. Not required if you have a jewellers screwdriver set. Not required if you are ordering fully assembled.

Different Disk Colour

Choose different colour disks to standard black.

Buy with confidence.

Our Tindie Guarantee protects your purchase from fraud. Learn More

A miniature Wimshurst machine kit set that is fun, reliable, and easy to make.

This is a modern version of the much loved Wimshurst Electrostatic generator Stunning Matt Black/Gold Plate option now back in stock! It is capable of generating over 20,000 Volts, yet the low curren…

This is a modern version of the much loved Wimshurst Electrostatic generator

Stunning Matt Black/Gold Plate option now back in stock!

It is capable of generating over 20,000 Volts, yet the low current and energy make it safe for use without special precautions. But do keep your electronic devices away!

--See a build on The Plasma Channel !

Cool experiments on The Plasma Channel

Article in DIYODE magazine

Required for assembly: Soldering iron and solder, a jeweller's crosshead screwdriver and pliers. There is NO cutting, shaping or gluing required. Most people complete it in around an hour, build instructions download here, paper instructions are available as an option.

runs on 2x AA batteries (not included)
capable of 2cm spark
capable of many electrostatic experiments
120mm discs (exactly CD size)
safe low current and low energy
suitable for 12 years and up, soldering is required
further specifications and instructions here

Contra-rotating discs with metallic sectors transfer electric charge within the machine that is stored in capacitors until a spark or charge leakage occurs.

This machine is a modern take on the much loved classic, using quality printed circuit boards for the functional parts.

Makes for a stunning conversation piece!

The History of the Wimshurst machine:

The Wimshurst machine was developed by James Wimshurst between 1880 and 1883. It was developed for electrostatic demonstrations. There were many other electrostatic machines that had been previously made such as:

The Holtz Electrostatic Influence Machine (1865~1867)
The Toepler Electrostatic Generator (1865)
The Voss Electrostatic Generator (1880)

The problem with these machines is that the polarities can suddenly change and are therefore not as reliable, But the Wimshurst machine's polarity does not change, making it a more reliable machine.

This machine is smaller than a regular Wimshurst machine and therefore will also output a smaller, and safer voltage which will mean that more people can explore this machine.

Specs

Height: Approx 140mm
Width: Approx 125mm
Terminals: Approx 80 mm
Disk Diameter: 120mm
Powered by two AA batteries

Parts

2 PCB Frame Boards,
2 PCB Disks,
2 Motors,
1 Battery Holder,
2 PCB Stands,
2 Spindles,
2 Terminal Rods,
4 Nylon Spacers,
2 25mm Screws,
2 20mm Screws,
4 Dome Nuts,
7 Small Screws (1 spare),
4 Plain Washers,
1 Switch,
4 Charge Collectors,
4 Brushes,

INSTRUCTIONS HERE

-Please ensure your address is formatted correctly for your local postal service when buying. If the address fields do not allow this, fill in anyway, then contact us with the correct formatting. We want your order to get to you safely, not have a tour around the world! German customers: Deustche Post requires the receivers name to be on your mailbox, otherwise they will return the parcel.

keywords: electrostatic, high voltage, teaching, physics, stem, spark, battery, classroom, kitset, educational, wimshurst, influence machine, induction machine

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Change Destination Country:

SparKIT Shipping Policy:

Please be aware of any customs charges and other duties your country may require to be paid. This is especially so with the UK which will charge VAT and an 8 £ collection fee.

Quantity	Price
1-4	$29.95
5+	$26.95

Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Product: (4.81)

Documentation: (4.56)

Shipping: (4.41)

Communication: (4.59)

Daniel | June 25, 2024

Best Static Generator In its Class!

Good luck finding a high voltage static generator for this price anywhere else!

It was easy to assemble with basic soldering equipment and skills and worked right away.

Documentation for where to put washers could be clearer, but it still works great.

PS: Shipping time to PA, USA (from NZ) was 15 days from placement of order, 14 days from package collection by courier.

Response from SparKIT | June 25, 2024

Thanks for the great review! We will update the instructions with clearer washer placement at next publishing.

François | Nov. 28, 2023

Nice spark generator!

It was delivered sooner that expected (to France).
The assembly needs some focus and precision but it was well documented and it worked on the first try.

Hans Jørgen | Sept. 6, 2023

Charming and brilliant little kit

I have scratch built bigger Wimshurst machines in the past and also refurbished an older one, but I still could not resist buying this charming little kit. The design is really elegant and well thought out. The build process took maybe 30 minutes. Considering the size of the machine, it is producing rather impressive arcs. It's the perfect little desktop toy :)

Shipping from New Zealand to Norway took 17 days including local delays for customs clearance.

Response from SparKIT | Sept. 6, 2023

Thanks for the great review, we hope the machine gives many years of pleasure!

Thank you also for providing information on shipping times, this is always helpful for other customers.

Aaron | Dec. 7, 2022

Amazing and Highly Recommend!

As an engineering student, I became interested in electrostatics and the modern applications that could be developed. The SPARKIT is worth it’s price and more, since it’s safe to handle (other high voltage DC power supplies I have in the lab are 30,000 volts at 300 watts, another 300,000 volts at 15,000 watts), and needless to say I prefer using the kit with 2 AA batteries for small experiments like Taylor Cones and so forth. Mostly to get ideas and try small things safely but with a beautifully engineered Wimshurst machine. Can’t go wrong, and it’s an excellent generator.

Mike | Aug. 6, 2022

Great kit! Fun to build and fun to watch.

It took a while for it to arrived in the US, but it was worth the wait. The brushes were a bit difficult to solder as they kept falling through the hole, but easy to work around. The instructions indicated that there should be a flat washer between the spacers and one of the frame boards. I didn't have enough washers to do this so I left them out. I realized that the feet wouldn't go on the frame with the spacers in place anyway.

Thank you for making this kit.

Response from SparKIT | Aug. 8, 2022

Thank you for taking the time to review the product, and place such a positive review. All the little tips are useful for other customers.

Yes, it takes things a while to get from New Zealand- even when shipping times are almost back to normal. We'll check the instructions to make sure they are clear about washer positioning- you did get them all in the right place, as the washers should be on the outside of the boards. Wishing you many years of enjoyment!

Michael | July 27, 2022

Absoultely Amazing!

Wow! 10 Stars! Perfectly packaged! Very well constructed. Perfect after minor adjustments as described in the manual. Arc achieved over 1.5 cm. Spinner is perfect, especially in the dark! Great Documentation! Thank You so very much!

Response from SparKIT | Aug. 8, 2022

Thanks for the great review, we hope you will get many years of pleasure from the machine!

Tamer | June 18, 2021

Fantastic little kit!

This is a very clever little Wimshust machine kit! It's a very smart design, which goes together very easily and works great.

I will be buying a few more as Christmas presents for sure.

Jerry | May 15, 2021

Highly Recommended!

This review is for the fully assembled option; I did not purchase the kit.

I was very satisfied with this product and the service. The device worked as promised right out of the box!

And, I highly recommend this mini Wimshurst machine for anyone who is interested in the subject of electrostatic generators.

-- JS

Shane | April 24, 2021

Quickest delivery I've ever received. Great price. Fun produ

Quickest delivery I've ever received. Ordered one night, arrived the next morning. Great price. Fun product

Response from SparKIT | April 26, 2021

It's helpful when you live in the neighborhood!

Simon | Feb. 2, 2021

Well made, good instructions, works well.

I first saw this kit reviewed on You tube (Plasma channel). They raved over it, I saw that it was made in NZ and was very reasonably priced. This generator is a Wimshurst machine and I had made one many years ago using old records and Leyden Jars for capacitors, It worked but was very cumbersome. The SparKit is very well constructed and the capacitors were well hidden. When first tried the Sparkit did not charge due to a slightly damp atmosphere but worked as soon as a charged piece of plastic water pipe was placed near the Sparkit.
This kit is highly transportable and at a safe voltage and as such is ideal for use in schools, there are many experiments which can be done with this kit to demonstrate electrical properties.
I highly recommend this kit to anyone interested in a modern take of a classical machine which was once used to supply high DC voltages to early hospital X-ray machines.

Thomas | Jan. 15, 2021

Really satisfied

I bought the machine already built. It has come from the other side of the world and yet needed only a few adjustments to work perfectly.

I have had a bit of trouble with shipment (mainly because of Covid-related restrictions) but Luka has been really supportive.

Response from SparKIT | Jan. 16, 2021

Thanks for the positive review! Yes, Covid has affected shipping to many countries, and we're hearing of shipping times stretching out to many weeks from customers. Glad to hear everything worked out in the end.

Evette | Nov. 19, 2020

Travelled far but worth the wait

My 12 year old grandson built (unsuccessfully) this and then needed new parts. I ordered it pre-built and hoped he would be happy. He was overjoyed! He's bending water and testing everything. This is a great idea and worth the time waiting for arrival.

Response from SparKIT | Nov. 19, 2020

Thanks for the review, and glad to know it arrived safely. We look forward to hearing about the reconstruction of the first one with the replacement parts!

Chris | Sept. 23, 2020

Brilliant machine!

I’m the worst at soldering! It still works, so good!! Good sparks, easy to build,.........................................................

Michael | Aug. 20, 2020

Fun kit

This is a great little kit, easy to put together and well built components. Shipping to the US took a little while, but well worth the wait.

David | Aug. 14, 2020

Waste of money!

I bought two of this Kits but non made any spark! It's too small in design and is not practical so If you are looking for real Wimshurst machine which can produce some decent electrostatic spark don't buy this product.

Response from SparKIT | Aug. 14, 2020

Sorry to hear you had problems.
We are always happy to work through any issues customers have, and so far have 100% success working with them to get their machines running.
Sparks should be 17 to 20mm long, as described.
We suggest you get in touch, and we'll help out.

Paul | July 30, 2020

Great kit, nice to make, well explained

This is a really good way of understanding a Wimshurst electrostatic generator. Not difficult to build with great instructions and an ideal demonstrator unit. A real thrill when it come to life. I would recommend this kit to anyone . I love the electric motor drive idea, nice touch and enables you to focus on what's actually happening. I would love to see a larger version now. Thank you and we'll done.
Regards Paul

Jh | July 15, 2020

Nice machine

It took about a month for delivery from New Zealand to Holland, but it was worth the waiting. A very nice machine that works well. I found it easy to build though some solder experience is required. It took me about an hour to build it and was very happy that it worked well right from the start.
I'm very happy with my first electrostatic generator and I will recommend it to my friends for sure!

Response from SparKIT | July 15, 2020

Great to see your success with it! thanks for the great review.

David | July 3, 2020

Innovative gizmo for the science student & curious minds.

Received my SparKIT in a timely manner and at a very reasonable cost. Read instructions first and then proceeded to build kit. Took me about 1 1/2 hours to complete. Worked perfectly the first time. Very well engineered & a pleasant challenge to construct. Brought back memories of my father showing me various experiments with electricity many decades ago. The sight & crackle of the spark leaping from one terminal to the other is quite mystifying as well as didactic.

Tindie is to be congratulated on the many useful and entertaining products it has developed.

Dave Pettrow

John | June 25, 2020

Fantastic and fun!

Was quick to assemble and worked great the first time. Have had fun showing it off and kids have a blast playing with it. Had to e-mail the link to several folks who want them for school projects. Does take quite a while to arrive in Alaska, but was well packaged and arrived safe. Highly recommended!

Csaba | June 15, 2020

It is a very well done kit.

Every part is very well designed and done.
The documentation is also very good.
It takes about 45 minutes max for a beginner to compete the kit, which worked from first time I have started it.
The sparks length are 1.5-2 cm, definitely more than 1 cm ( and of course occur more often if the gap is smaller like 1 cm)
I recommend the kit.

Response from SparKIT | June 15, 2020

Thanks for the great review, we're pleased to see you had a good result and hope you continue to use it for a very long time.

James | June 10, 2020

Havent got any good to say about SparKIT so far

No doubt I shall enjoy my Mini Electrostatic Generator..................... WHEN IT ARRIVES.

Been waiting for it to turn up since the 20th5th2020, hard to get the message back to the people who ship MY kit to me, WHERE IS IT.
New Zealand is just over the ditch from Australia, only takes me 3 hours to fly between NZ and Aus, should not take so long to post it.

Product (the item has not arrived to review it) I'm very sure it will be excellent.
Shipping (IS DREADFUL 0 stars) shipping needs to be vastly improved
Documentation (What documentation) so far no documentation arrived
Communication (No tracking Number provided) carn't talk by phone or contact by email.

Well you lot asked me to provide feedback, so don't blame me if it is very negative.

When my SparKIT finally arrives, then I can give an update to this review, hopefully that will be OK.

Response from SparKIT | June 10, 2020

Hello James,

Your order was shipped within 2 days of being placed. We (SparKIT) are a small family business, we literally pack the orders and take them to the local post office to ship.

There are severe delays wordwide on the postal service because international airflights are down to a small fraction of pre-covid levels, and this is mentioned on the product page, as well as a link to the postal service information describing particular requirements for various countries (there are many still not processing any incoming mail). We've done our best to make this clear to customers before they place an order.

No tracking number is provided as you selected the non-tracked option. Tracking is only available on international courier, and is provided as an option at cost price to customers. We would love to be able to track all our orders, but it is simply not available at any reasonable cost by any carrier in New Zealand.

The best indication we have on likely delay is by looking at the orders that were placed by tracked international courier around the time of your order, and that indicates a 2 to 3 week delay from when we ship before leaving New Zealand. We would expect Australia Post to have a similar delay at your end.

Lastly, we are not sure why you were unable to contact us, we have checked all our folders for correspondence.

When your kit arrives, if there are any problems whatsoever please don't hesitate to contact us at the email on the back page of the instruction booklet or through the contact page at www.sparkitelectrostatics.com.

Paul | June 9, 2020

Good experience for a second time.

This is the second unit I have ordered. Even though the COVID had created a difficult lockdown situation worldwide my troublesome request was catered for. I needed some spares for the first unit and these were thrown in. All of this was done within a time frame much less than I expected. All I can say is thank you.

Response from SparKIT | June 10, 2020

Thanks for the positive review, and the repeat custom. It really was no trouble to cater for your request as we hand pack all the parts anyway. We hope you enjoy the kits.

Seth | March 24, 2020

Good

There was a bit of difficulty getting the motorized wimshurst to work. It works great under the proper conditions.

Mark | March 18, 2020

Awesome product!

I’m a “lab guy” in a university physics department (for 38 years), and I’m very happy with this kit. It’s a great design, easy to assemble, and it works great. I have several hand-cranked Wimshurst electrostatic generators, but this little, battery powered and motor driven unit is a shining star! It doesn’t produce as high a voltage or as fat a spark as a typical, much larger unit, but for its size, it does an amazing job! I might order a second unit...

Bill | Feb. 9, 2020

SparKIT - Mini Electrostatic Generator

Great kit to build !!!
It works Great !!!
Easy & fun to build !!!
Highly recommended. Requires supervision when children are present.

Bill

Adam | Feb. 1, 2020

A great piece of kit!

The kit arrived on time, well protected and complete. Assembling took about two hours (including wheel adjustments) and worked from the first go :)
Lots of fun and experiments done already - the generator triggered a lot of sparks and even more memories.

Thanks from the whole scientifically-biased family! :)

Stuart | Dec. 29, 2019

Awesome Fun!

I received my kit yesterday. Put it together in less then an hour taking my time. Instructions are great. It fired right up and is fascinating. Thank you SparKIT! Very well made kit.

Merritt | Dec. 22, 2019

Wonderful project. Super quality

What a nice idea and quality project. Only disappointment was that I was putting it together for my grandson and ran into a snag. The double sticky tape for the Motor wheels was old or defective and the backing would not separate from the glue. Sent me running off to the store to find a replacement to fabricate. By then the grandson was off to other toys, but that’s just a problem with the impatient American Culture, not this device. Even still, what a magnificent piece of Spark Generating artwork!!

Response from SparKIT | Feb. 4, 2020

Thanks for the great review, and thanks for alerting us to the problem with the tape- doing so allowed us to find a couple more

Garry | Dec. 13, 2019

A wonderful Wimshurst Machine

First class service , a well constructed machine .
Built it up and it worked first go ( 2 cm sparks ) .Shocked everyone in the house ( not painful but a laugh ) , i reckon its good for 50 Kv at least
Tried to be an idiot and cranked the motors up to 12V and burnt both out , no real improvement in spark length , just way noisier.
Got replacement motors ( thanks for the info Luka ) , fitted and back working .
On the rare occasion when it wont work i have found it is caused by dust etc, dismantle and wipe down with IPA , so what the say about keeping it clean is VITAL .
All in all a great design , great service and a great fun Wimshurst Machine
Thanks SparKIT
p.s. the Corona spinner kit works very well

Response from SparKIT | Dec. 14, 2019

Thanks for the great review, interesting to hear your journey with overpowering it. Faster rotation will provide more current and more frequent sparks, up to a limit, but the voltage is ultimately limited by the breakdown of the total distance of the gaps between the sectors.

John | Dec. 7, 2019

Shipping Very Poor

I had to pay an additional £11.98 before UK Royal Mail (Customs Charge) released the parcel from Sparkit, so I’m not happy with the shipping service and will be taking advice. Apart from that I’m happy with this product.

Response from SparKIT | Dec. 9, 2019

Thanks for making us aware of the UK Royal Mail service's draconian charges(!) We have posted a note on our shipping policy to make future buyers aware of potential duty charges.

Harley | Nov. 27, 2019

This generator was great

I love this, it has done all that it said it would do and it is perfect for playing with. The video instructions were ok, but I think that having them in writing would be better. All things considered, this was... AWESOME.

Knox | Oct. 22, 2019

Works Great !!

Mine did not work at first, but after some quick adjustments it now works perfectly!
Be sure to check that the rotating wheels are not touching and that they are evenly spaced. Use something like a wooden Popsicle stick or a small plastic knife to
re-align the wheels, if needed.
Also, the 2 brushes should lightly be in contact with each wheel. If it still does not work, try touching 1 of the metal electrodes at the top with your finger to transfer an initial charge. Adjust the spacing between top electrodes for the desired arc length (mine works well at ~ 3/4 inch separation).
Shipping may have moved the wheels to the wrong position.

Have fun !!!
Knox

Bryan | Sept. 27, 2019

Good product and fun toy

I have not had the best of luck with mine but I do enjoy it and I do recommend for getting children into science. I purchased mine fully assembled..... (Any mishaps of shipping fully assembled is not a problem with the product or the company).... It arrived within 2-3 weeks, as I live in the midwest of the USA that is very good time. When the package arrived I put the batteries in and tested it out. It worked well for about a minute and a half with a 20 mm spark gap (60,000 volts). After a short time one of the disks fell off and got stuck. This damaged one of the collector combs and part of the disk. At this point I was very disappointed. As a mechanic I decided to try and fix it at home (useing super glue) I reattached the disk and reassembled. After this I was only able to get at max a 3 mm spark if any. Took it to work and resoldered the combes, this restored the spark gap. I posted a video of it working on my YouTube channel. Shut it off and turned it back on and it doesn't work. This time I am assuming it is due to moisture in the air, as that will keep and whimsurst machine from working. I may purchase another in the future not assembled to see if I get better results.

Response from SparKIT | Sept. 28, 2019

Thanks for the positive review Bryan, although we're disappointed you had those problems. We are always happy to work through any problems people have, and machines like this can have issues.
Start-up reliability can be due to moisture adsorbed in contaminants on the disk surface, so a blast with a hairdryer can help with that. Having disks a little too far apart is another cause for start-up issues- you can try giving the machine a squeeze to temporarily bring the disks closer.

James | Sept. 8, 2019

Very nice kit

Works really well - started spinning the first time I switched it on and I was rewarded with blue sparks and the smell of ozone.

An easy(ish) build. The only difficult part was fitting the brushes. They're quite hard to get into their holes and tend to 'moult' in the process. An extra one in the kit might have been useful. Also the stands will fall off without a blob of solder to hold them in place. The kit has been designed for this but it's not mentioned in the instructions.

Nick | Aug. 10, 2019

Brilliantly simple

Great bit of kit, easily assembled even with my fat fingers dodgy eyesight and massive soldering iron. Get a finer soldering iron if you can. Instructions easy to follow, and online support fantastic. Watch out for customs charge in the UK though, should have bought two to get the average price down.

Philip | June 24, 2019

Great kit works very well

I watched a video of the assembly on Youtube before starting. The assembly was easy, but I already had a fine tipped soldering iron (If you don't have one get one before starting). I recommend using an extra hands station if you have one https://shop.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_22585.jpg

to make the assembly process super easy. The kit worked very well, I made my own larger acrylic base to which I added a home made leyden jar/capacitor so I had a choice of regular or much fatter sparks.

I didn't need to communicate with the SparKIT people so my rating of that is based solely on their included instruction sheet.

Fabio | June 19, 2019

Great device and good seller!

I'm an Italian physicist.
The item took only two weeks to arrive in Italy from the other side of the world.
I love all electrostatic machines and this is perhaps my favorite.
It works perfectly, it's easy to assemble, it has a beautiful design and it's easily transportable!
Beautiful as an object to keep on your desk and excellent as an educational device for school.
In addition the Corona Spinner is a truly fanciful object.
Thanks!

Tyler | April 21, 2019

Well done

Shipping was faster than expected, as was the build quality. Creative use of pcbs! It's a little louder than I expected, but that's probably because I didn't know what to expect. Well done!

Denis | April 20, 2019

Nice easy-to-build working generator, some issues with parts

I've recently built the generator, so now I can write a review. The kit is nicely packed, small parts are in separate bags, silica gel added to the bags with humidity-sensitive parts. You also get a printed in color building manual with pictures (which also describes some cool experiments with static electricity). As far as I know, the kit included a mini-screwdriver earlier, but currently this is not the case, so you might need your own small screwdriver to screw motors onto boards.

The building is quite easy if you're accustomed to soldering (which is not hard for this kit anyway if you are a beginner). I've spent around 1.5 hours to build it.

One of the difficulties was to solder motor wires, as they are not prepared to be soldered easily (not tinned etc), so you would need to apply heat for quite a long time. Also be careful when soldering charge collectors, as it's easy to solder several of collector contact pads to the conductive tracks, which are very close to these pads.

One problem I had with the kit was wrong small screws (which are used to screw motors onto boards) I've got in my kit. They put seven of these (one is spare). I had five of them perfectly fit the screw holes in the motors. However, two of other screws were slightly thinner (and they in fact had different heads), which made it impossible to use them to screw the motor! These screws just fall out of the screw holes! So, I have one motor fully screwed, and another one is screwed only with two screws. Fortunately, it's enough to keep it in place.

I've also bought the corona spinner, which works well. The alligator clip is a little bit rusty in my kit, which does not actually affect it's operation at all.

All in all, the kit is great and really works without any hard-to-solve problems. I strongly recommend buying it if you are interested in high voltage or static electricity.

Matt | April 4, 2019

A great kit for high voltage experimentation

I saw this on twitter and had to buy it. I have built a tesla coil but hadn't thought to try a Wimhurst generator. The kit was put together very nicely with clear and easy to follow instructions. I assembled it in about 30 minutes, and it made nice 10mm long sparks as soon as I powered it up.

I also bought the corona spinner and had never seen this demonstration before. Very nice!

Some things I've discovered after playing with the kit over the weekend:

- It's great it's portable and battery powered, easy to transport and show people
- The power isn't high enough to hurt (but still surprising if unexpected)
- The sound of the motors gives an indication of how hard it's working. So for example when the terminals are shorted, you can hear the motors speed up.

Phil | April 1, 2019

It's super fun!

I am a high school physics teacher, and it was a lot of fun to use with my students! The suggested demos were fun, my upper level students asked a lot of questions about how it worked and how to modify it, all of my students loved watching it!

Response from SparKIT | April 1, 2019

Thanks Phil ! we love to read about them being used in schools and inspiring students.

Marcio | March 28, 2019

Outstanding Kit!

A lot of thought has gone into this kit, as evidenced by the small custom parts and the well written assembly instructions. This was fun to put together and generates a really nice spark when operating. Hands down a fantastic kit!

Hank | March 18, 2019

SparKit

I purchased the SparKit and Rotor, assembled, and arrived in about a week. After I put put in the batteries, it started right up. Spark gap, Spark, charging speed, rotor all seemed to work fine. It is a superb next-step introduction to electrostatics, and the best price for a Wimshurst Machine that I've seen. Good quality, well-made, simple and clean design. It is a handsome desktop device.

One problem that I had initially was that it was making a whining, rubbing noise, because the disks were a few millimeters off-center, probably knocked during shipping. Julian and Luka Phillips answered my email request for help, promptly, providing a little more detail beyond the trouble-shooting information in the instructions:

Disk separation should be 1.5 - 2.5 mm, centered within the frame. To adjust the disks without dis-assembly use the handle of a cutlery fork or spoon to gently move the disk away from the frame by applying pressure at the spindle (not too much or the spindle will end up with a wobble). Pressing on the backs of the motors can be used to push the disks together thus sliding them back on the shaft and increasing disk separation when released. Using the two techniques together should allow you to move the disks into a better position. But don't be too afraid to dis-assemble, the tricky part is the soldering which is all done.

My grandson was able to make these adjustments, with a little guidance, and everything is working just fine. This device is well-made, and a little jostling due to overseas shipping was not unexpected.

For experiments, the adjustable spark gaps show different arcs and discharge frequencies, the rotor works fine, the expected shocks are minor, we were able to move a small stream of water, as well as a flame, to charge an electroscope, a Leyden Jar, and an electrophoresis - directly and by induction, and to move bits of tissue paper and foil. In a darkened room, we could see the various discharges, and also lit an old neon test bulb, florescent tube, incandescent tube, and vacuum tube. And, we solved a maze scratched out of aluminum foil. There are many simple experiments scattered throughout Youtube, as well as old books in the library. The main point is that my grandson is encouraged to explore and experiment.

Dale | March 6, 2019

Very pleased with the device.

The wimshurst kit was everything I had hoped it would be. It was fun to put together and worked the first time I turned it on.

F.Artemis | Feb. 19, 2019

Do not buy the assembled units

I purchased two assembled units. Both showed up damaged due to shipping. No biggie, bit I will need to take them back apart. I might as we have bought the kit. Otherwise I love this product and recommend it. There are very few options for motorized Wimshurst out there, and this is unbeatable for the price and cleverness of the design.

Response from SparKIT | Feb. 19, 2019

Thanks for the positive comments, but we're sorry they arrived damaged. Could you please let us know how they were damaged so we might address how we package assembled kits in the future.

Nole | Jan. 21, 2019

Product is awesome, but they forgot to send the feet!

After seeing a video on YouTube, I ordered the SparKIT Wimshurst generator which arrived approximately 3 weeks later - as advertised (NZ - USA). I was happy they offered to ship the kit assembled for only $15 more, as some of the small components looked like they might be difficult to solder. The kit arrived assembled, undamaged and after a couple AA batteries (and some hair static off my comb) it worked perfectly the 1st time! Can't wait to use it in experiments and/or bring it to work as an 'executive' desk toy. Will need to fashion a base for it though, as it's feet are apparently still hanging with the Kiwis.
Edits - I received brief assembly instructions, but didn't expect anything. - Could not find an email address to communicate with the seller re: feet

Response from SparKIT | Jan. 21, 2019

Thanks for the review, Nole. Sorry about the stands- we will get them to you ASAP. We include instructions as they have troubleshooting tips as well as experiments.

David | Jan. 17, 2019

Maxed out Cool Factor!

I saw this reviewed on youtube and was instantly hooked, I had to have one.

I am trying to find a "safe" way to generate lightning style electrical sparks. Well, "safer" at any rate. My reason? Here's the abridged version of this story: I roast coffee. No big deal there, lots of roasteries in the Universe, but mine has a gimmick. All my roasts are performed by hand over an open fire that has been ignited using primitive methods. That means either foraged "natural" fire, or bow drill friction fire, or concentrated solar, or the fire piston, no modern butane lighters or matches. Of course the coffee doesn't care how it's roasted, and in essence it's no better or different, it's just a gimmick that has made itself obvious to me over dozens of camping trips and roasting coffee in the bush. The secret ingredient to Secret Ingredient Soup is.... nothing! See Kung Fu Panda for this obscure movie reference. Anyway, moving on..

Our ancestors had to gather fire as they found it occurring naturally in the wild. So meteor strikes, volcanic activity, lightning strikes, etc. And they were forced to do this because no one knew how to make it on demand. It is believed to be one of the most important biological pressures on our species, learning how to make fire. This learning process evolved over hundreds of thousands of years, no one knows precisely how long, but a wicked long time.

Back to the here&now, I have a rating system for such fire from Most Epic Sacredness, to not sacred at all, when it comes to igniting a "primitive" fire. I am not bold (or stupid) enough to chase actual lightning, or go rummaging along lava flows, but if I'm ever "fortunate" enough to be near some, and there are a few embers with little or no risk to my physical self, oh yes, I am definitely going to collect some of that! Then the idea as I watched that initial youtube video: hey! this little Wimhurst Machine may be an excellent "safe" way to simulate the mechanics of natural lightning without becoming human toast.

The shipping took about 10-ish days and was totally worth the wait. It was an exercise of patience anticipating my little experiment, and upon arrival I set everything up and immediately offered a small piece of charcloth into the spark gap. But it is too small to ignite even char. Bummer.

Even though my initial purpose for this little Wimhurst Machine was not met, I don't see this as a failure or a waste of money and time because, like I mentioned in the title, this thing is maxed out on the Cool Factor scale! I love it! My wife however, who is a college professor, is afraid of it (smile). Which is actually funny. She refuses to get any closer than a dozen feet when it's on. The effect of sight and sound and smell go a long way to impress and it's just fascinating to watch. Currently the humidity in our home is 27%. It's winter here in Rhode Island so the air is very dry right now. This one produces 11 mm sparks and will happily use your skin as a conductor if you touch the gap. It's no worse than any other spark one may get on a dry day when reaching for a door knob or whatever. Definitely heed the warning about sensitive electronic equipment, what seems harmless to you&me will eagerly destroy microchips or SD cards. I brought it into a humid bathroom after a long hot shower and it still pumps out the same size sparks, but at a slower rate.

In conclusion, this little Wimhurst Machine stands to inspire me to build a larger version that can ignite char, that way so I can legitimately lay claim to the marketing gimmick of using a primitive fire to roast my coffee. Thank you and Ignis Prim!

Jose Luis | Jan. 12, 2019

Es un buen producto didactico para hacer experimentos.

Buen producto, con suficiente documentación para su montaje sencillo. Es un buen producto didáctico para hacer experimentos con electricidad estática.

Todo correcto y claro, muy bueno.

Robert | Jan. 6, 2019

Sparkling Unit

Excellent unit. Was able to get approx 1" sparks almost instantly when the unit was spun up.
One minor fault, if fault it be, is that if the spark gap is set too wide, the electrostatic forces tend to pull the discs together, slipping them down the shafts of the motors. A tiny touch of glue may be useful, once the spacing is set correctly

Otherwise, a very minor hitch in the order meant a fully assembled kit arrived rather than a kit of parts, but, when contacted, the firm immediately offered to send a kit of parts, as the order had been mixed up with one for the US.

The firm also suggested the made up unit be passed to a friend/school; a nice gesture.

Rod | Dec. 3, 2018

Simply brilliant little Wimshurst, a must buy!

I own a large vintage Wimshurt and have also made small one using CDR blanks, that you find either end of a pancake of blank disks. The main problem home constructors find is not making the disks, but adding all the neutralizer bars, Layden jars, combs and other metalwork. This kit is so well thought-out, that the designer put everything on flat PCBs. There are 4 Leyden jars (2 per terminal wired in parallel) plus all the connections. It is simply so elegant, and makes you wonder why nobody did it this way before?
It also works first time, but you do need the disks close together to get it to self start - the smaller the machine the closer they have to be. The building instructions are clear and the video very good. One comment is, if I was building one again, to start with the combs, then the switch, battery box and brushes. The reason is that the combs are easier to put on a completely flat PCB, without a battery box in the way.
The designer should make a larger one (20cm disks or more) - I would buy it in an instant! Great if you could source transparent parts as well.
This one is so inviting to switch on every time I am in the room - great stuff. There is simply no other gadget that can do this so well.

Sverre | Nov. 2, 2018

Good priced, well working product.

What others have already said - I can highly recommend this kit. It works really well and produces sparks close to 2cm. Instructions are clear and logical and the build quality is really good. It is quite clear to me that there has been put much time and effort in making this kit.

What also impressed me was the shipping time. From the day of order to the day of arrival in Denmark it only took 10 days, from what is literally from the other side of the globe (within a few 100 km's)

Nancy | Sept. 15, 2018

Fun product, promptly shipped, well-packed, no probs

I got this for my own education & amusement. Instructions were clear, Item is just as described. A happy price for a cool thing. No problems with transaction. These folks accomplished what their "mission" stated. Will recommend to friends & family

Stephen | Aug. 27, 2018

Very nice kit. Well put together and works as advertised.

This kit was very cleverly designed and went together very easily. You can trust designs by this vendor.

Jakub | July 31, 2018

A quality product for fair price

The asembly was easy (except for soldering of the charge collectors) and the instructions were clear. I took me about an hour. The device worked perfectly from the begginig and I saw some HUGE sparks. Producer claims that this device can make 10mm sparks so I was very happy when I measured spark length of 17mm. I use this mainly for static electricity experiments (lifting hair, attracing water/salt/sand) and it also works flawlessly. I think that this device is just awesome for its price tag. I highly reccomend it.

Salvatore | July 9, 2018

A wonderful, reliable, compact, and educational device!

I purchased one for myself and two more as gifts. Assembly is easy with basic soldering skills. All parts are well packaged in separate clear plastic bags.

The design and manufacturing of the all the parts is outstanding. Very high quality printed circuit boards with a formally elegant black soldermask top layer.

The steps of assembly are all simple enough to accomplish full assembly in less than an hour. The only thing that could be improved is the size of the photos in the tiny instruction sheets. All photos are too small and of very low resolution. Not enough clarity to identify the small parts orientation, especially the charge collectors and the brushes. After a few minutes of test fitting it is possible to guess the correct alignment for soldering in place.

The completed generator works immediately, with a very simple and reliable mechanism. The two motors turn the disks silently, quickly coming up to speed and creating a series of surprisingly long arcs between the terminals. The corona motor works beautifully!

Thank you so much for your skillful design of a fun and easy kit.

Chris | May 27, 2018

Awesome modern version of a classic invention

This little unit is a great new interpretation of the classic machine invented by James Wimshurst, using thoroughly new techniques & materials.
Assembly was straight forward enough, but needed a moderated degree of skill with a soldering iron, and the machine worked perfectly first time.
Like most electrostatic generators, it is sensitive to humidity, so be sure to operate it in dry surroundings, or use a hairdryer to warm it up if performance is lacking or fading away.
I had the privilege of getting the first one in Tasmania, and am delighted to add it to my other high voltage paraphernalia.
An awesome unit, highly recommended!

Timo | April 23, 2018

Amazing product!

This mini Wimshurst generator is really cool once assembled, and is of very good quality and finishing. It creates electrical spaks up to 2 cm long, which is around 50 000 volts. It’s a nice educational tool but also a cool curious object for your desk or at home.

The kit is easy to assemble (you only need a soldering iron and a screwdriver) and there is little place for errors.

However, the supplied documentation has some low/bad quality printed photos that could have been more helpfull if they were printed in better quality. I had to use a video (provided on their website) to fully understand how to assemble some parts.
Besides this detail, I hightly recommend this kit.

William | April 11, 2018

This is a lovely kit!

This kit is really nicely engineered, well put together, well documented, and quite reasonably priced.
I've been toying with the idea of an electrostatic machine made from PCBs for years, but the pricing of "somewhat large" PCBs was annoying, at least until recently. So I was looking into it again, and low and behold, someone had already done pretty much exactly what I was thinking. And did it well!
I guess one of the best things I can say is that my unit did NOT work the first time I turned it on. So I continued to follow the "troubleshooting" part of the instructions, and ... they solved my problem! (I didn't have the spinning disks spaced correctly.)
Delivery (to the US) was about 10days after ordering.

Ruud | Feb. 25, 2018

Mini Electrostatic Generator

Realy my compliments about the Sparkit delevery and instructions. Within a week recieved and the instructions were very good detailed. It works perfect. Thank you very much.

Ruud The Netherlands

Ian | Feb. 23, 2018

Really good Wimshurst

Easy to build and it works very well, especially considering the size, I have several larger ones and this little machine is very effective, Good delivery too.

Craig | Feb. 11, 2018

Delightful

Honestly I've always wanted a Wimshurst machine but I never found one that seemed affordable. This little guy is perfectly affordable, fun to build, works better than I expected, makes up to 12mm length sparks even in humid Oregon USA, and the gold plate on gloss black PCB version looks really cool even turned off. I am totally impressed with this and highly recommend it to any hobbyist.

If soldering is not one of your skills then order it pre-built.

Delivery to the USA from New Zealand was just a bit over one week.

Ben | Feb. 11, 2018

Elegant and fun Wimshurst generator kit

Includes printed instructions with photos, so no need to hunt around online to build this. My generator worked perfectly the first time, and makes 1cm sparks easily. I chose the gold-on-flat-black PCB color option and it looks very nice. I love it!

David | Dec. 18, 2017

Cool product. Some slight issues with construction.

This is a very cool product. My son absolutely loved playing with it, shocking himself, lighting up lightbulbs etc. Mine did have a small issue. One of the plates is bent so the product doesn't work as reliably as I'd like and tends to vibrate a bit when in use. Otherwise, a really excellent design.

Trevor | Dec. 17, 2017

Lord Wimshurst would have loved this.

The parts are beautifully made and with a bit of attention to detail the assembly is straightforward. If you buy this for a schoolie it might be as well to be on hand during the assembly as some parts are easily overlooked and delicate ( as they have to be to do what they must ).

Top marks for this item. Sparkit have done a fine job. The land of the long white cloud has shown we Aussies how it's done.

Michaël | Sept. 17, 2017

Vraiment un exelent kit.

Vraiment un exelent kit diy. Reçu en 1semaime~ (NewZeland-Suisse) reçu avec note explicative tres complete. He regrette juste que la note soit imprimer sur un papier simple avec une imprimante laser bas de gamme (pour le prix (mais la qualité est irréprochable (frais de port un peut cher) et surtout que le reste du produit est vraiment très pro) ça fait gajure.
Il manquais les 4 écrous m3 heureusement facile a trouver. Il a fallu faire quelque ajustement au niveau des balais carbone mais au deuxième essai ça a fonctionné parfaitement. Vraiment un kit très agréable à construire à facile à monter avec la notice bien faite (à part l'impression) merci.

Really an exelent kit diy. Received in 1 week ~ (NewZeland-Switzerland) received with very complete explanatory note. He just regrets that the note is printed on a standard paper with a low-end laser printer (for the price (but the quality of product is really good (shipping costs a little expensive) and especially that the rest of the product is very pro) made gajure to regard of product.

It was missing the 4xM3 nuts fortunately easy to find. We had to make some adjustments to the carbon brushes but on the second try it worked perfectly. Really a very nice kit to build. to easy to mount with the notice well done (except printing) thank you.

John | Aug. 28, 2017

Fun Wimshurst generator with surprisingly large sparks.

I got this Wimshurst generator because it looked like a fun afternoon project to do with my son. It was pretty easy to solder. The mechanical assembly was a little fidgety getting the spacing just right, but not too bad. In the end it worked like a champ producing sparks around 0.75 inches. Biggest complaint is the shipping from the other side of the world (NZ) takes time.
I would definitely buy this again.

Vicky | Aug. 8, 2017

SparKIT fun galore...

My SparKIT arrived within the stated arrival time however the instructions were not included. A little searching on line and I found them so got stuck in and built the kit.

The instructions are clear and straightforward. I did however have difficulty encouraging a spark out of the unit but a quick email to Luka and a slight technical adjustment on my part and I now have my very own Whimshurst machine.

I would highly recommend the SparKIT for any budding enthusiast.

Vicky

David | Aug. 7, 2017

Very well made and well thought out little kit

Arrived quickly, easy to assemble and looks good on my shelf, would be happy to recommend this to anyone. Top marks !

Ben | June 13, 2017

A beautifuly crafted Electrostatic Generator Kit

A really nice demonstration electrostatic generator. Well designed, well made, easy to assemble and the price is right!
Highly recommend. It really is a work of art!

John | May 30, 2017

An interesting construction of a Wimshurst machine

The kit arrived as expected and was complete in all parts. Assembly was not difficult, the sequence suggested in the instructions was logical and resulted in a neat machine. Generation started as soon as it was switched on giving sparks just as the description led me to expect.

My intention was to have a demonstration Wimshurst to show people particularly children some of the tricks possible with electrostatics without any of construction problems involved in a do-it-yourself arrangement. The design is novel and shows some lateral thinking resulting in a must have device.

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$29.95

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Corona Spinner

A Corona Spinner is a very fun edition to the SparKIT Electrostatic generator. It is also the worlds simplest electric motor!

Fully Assembled

Gold Plate editions

Immersion gold plated PCB with matt or gloss black solder mask- ideal as a presentation piece

Include paper instructions

PDF instructions are always available to view and download through the datasheet link, but sometimes hard copy is needed.

Mini screwdriver

a mini crosshead screwdriver suitable for the tiny motor screws. Not required if you have a jewellers screwdriver set. Not required if you are ordering fully assembled.

Different Disk Colour

Choose different colour disks to standard black.

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SparKIT

Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand

Ships from New Zealand.

74 Reviews | 1,289 Orders

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SparKIT - Mini Electrostatic Generator

A miniature Wimshurst machine kit set that is fun, reliable, and easy to make.

This is a modern version of the much loved Wimshurst Electrostatic generator

The History of the Wimshurst machine:

Rates to

SparKIT Shipping Policy:

Review Breakdown

Average Ratings

Best Static Generator In its Class!

Response from SparKIT | June 25, 2024

Nice spark generator!

Charming and brilliant little kit

Response from SparKIT | Sept. 6, 2023

Amazing and Highly Recommend!

Great kit! Fun to build and fun to watch.

Response from SparKIT | Aug. 8, 2022

Absoultely Amazing!

Response from SparKIT | Aug. 8, 2022

Fantastic little kit!

Highly Recommended!

Quickest delivery I've ever received. Great price. Fun produ

Response from SparKIT | April 26, 2021

Well made, good instructions, works well.

Really satisfied

Response from SparKIT | Jan. 16, 2021

Travelled far but worth the wait

Response from SparKIT | Nov. 19, 2020

Brilliant machine!

Fun kit

Waste of money!

Response from SparKIT | Aug. 14, 2020

Great kit, nice to make, well explained

Nice machine

Response from SparKIT | July 15, 2020

Innovative gizmo for the science student & curious minds.

Fantastic and fun!

It is a very well done kit.

Response from SparKIT | June 15, 2020

Havent got any good to say about SparKIT so far

Response from SparKIT | June 10, 2020

Good experience for a second time.

Response from SparKIT | June 10, 2020

Good

Awesome product!

SparKIT - Mini Electrostatic Generator

A great piece of kit!

Awesome Fun!

Wonderful project. Super quality

Response from SparKIT | Feb. 4, 2020

A wonderful Wimshurst Machine

Response from SparKIT | Dec. 14, 2019

Shipping Very Poor

Response from SparKIT | Dec. 9, 2019

This generator was great

Works Great !!

Good product and fun toy

Response from SparKIT | Sept. 28, 2019

Very nice kit

Brilliantly simple

Great kit works very well

Great device and good seller!

Well done

Nice easy-to-build working generator, some issues with parts

A great kit for high voltage experimentation

It's super fun!

Response from SparKIT | April 1, 2019

Outstanding Kit!

SparKit

Very pleased with the device.

Do not buy the assembled units

Response from SparKIT | Feb. 19, 2019

Product is awesome, but they forgot to send the feet!

Response from SparKIT | Jan. 21, 2019

Maxed out Cool Factor!

Es un buen producto didactico para hacer experimentos.

Sparkling Unit

Simply brilliant little Wimshurst, a must buy!

Good priced, well working product.

Fun product, promptly shipped, well-packed, no probs