->  WC> Being a tad paranoid about such things I used a series high value
->  WC> resistor in series with a lower value one with a neon bulb 
->  WC> across the smaller resistor as a visual indication of discharge. 

-> do you have a schematic? 
   
Nope I worked it out with ohm's law years ago, rather simple.
No longer have it and anyway the resistors were in shrink wrap.
                                                               
-> sounds like something that would definitely work...
-> especially with an indicator that the is no more charge stored in the tube...
-> that's always been my biggest fear... and why i ground the tube even after
-> discharging it... i don't like the stuff building back up and surprising me,
-> either ;)

You should have seen me jump when I built a HV power supply
with 25KV and enough current to light cardboard afire in under a second
across a 3/4 inch gap.

It stayed in a drawer unused after that until I moved and tossed it in
the trash.

Took me 90 minutes to build on the cheap.
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