Re: Coil winders

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "John Crain by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <darkstar7-at-earthlink-dot-net>

Thank you all !  For the help you have given me for building a coil winder 
!  I have already started to build one !  Thanks !  Jon Crain - 
Ohio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>----- Original Message -----
>From: <mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>Tesla list
>To: <mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Sent: 4/20/03 7:18:35 PM
>Subject: Re: Coil winders
>
>Original poster: "Ed Phillips by way of Terry Fritz 
><<mailto:teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" 
><<mailto:evp-at-pacbell-dot-net>evp-at-pacbell-dot-net>
>
>Tesla list wrote:
> >
> > Original poster: "Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz by way of Terry Fritz
><<mailto:teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" 
><<mailto:acmq-at-compuland-dot-com.br>acmq-at-compuland-dot-com.br>
> >
> > Tesla list wrote:
> >  >
> >  > Original poster: "Ed Phillips by way of Terry Fritz
> > <<mailto:teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" 
> <<mailto:evp-at-pacbell-dot-net>evp-at-pacbell-dot-net>
> >
> >  >         Don't forget that you can wind a coil entirely by hand and do
>a good
> >  > job if you're careful and patient.  Lots of cut pieces of masking tape,
> >  > wire spool on floor with wire fed over the end, and coil form in your
> >  > lab.  Try it - it isn't hard at all and you will be spending your time
> >  > making your coil, not making a winder.  Winders are handy and I have a
> >  > good one I've made, but that's by no means the only way to go.
> >
> > I would certainly recommend at least a firm support where you can
> > support the coil and rotate it by hand, with an horizontal axle. Just
> > this cuts the time in 10 x or more. Fix the wire with
> > tape at each few cm of winding. And don't take the wire from
> > a spool from the end!. It comes out twisted, and it's too easy to
> > get a terrible tangle as result (I tried...). Unroll it from the
> > spool in small amounts as you proceed.
> >
> > Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz
>
>I have found that putting the coil in my lap is firm enough support;
>I've wound a couple of coils on a 3" diameter form that way, about 1000
>turns of #30, and the time wasn't excessive.  As for feeding the wire
>over the end of the spool, that depends on the size.  If it's big enough
>to resist breaking (say #28 or larger), having the spool on an axle
>works fine.  If it's much smaller breakage is a problem and the "over
>the end" method works well.  That's what high-speed commercial winders
>do, usually feeding the wire through the center of a plastic funnel to
>keep it under control.  The advtage of feeding over the end is that
>there is really no inertia except that due to the wire, and breakage is
>much less of a problem, particularly for very small sizes.  I've never
>had any trouble this way, even for fairly big (#24) wire, but for #22 or
>larger I always use the spool on an axle.
>
>Having said all of that, I always use the hand-cranked winder now, with
>wire fed against the windings by letting it slide under my thumb.  It's
>easy to put on a thousand turns in an hour or so, and you can stop
>instantly and think if something goes wrong.  Lots of pre-cut tape on
>hand, both for the wire on the form and the wire on the spool.
>
>My experience with unwinding the wire is different from yours.  I just
>let the wire feed from the spool as it wishes, keeping it fairly tight.
>Friction with the end of the spool seems OK for small wire, or friction
>of spool on the axle for larger sizes.
>
>For what it's worth, I have also turned the winder by extending the
>shaft and chucking it in a tied-down electric drill, with speed
>controlled with a variac.  Worked fine too, but takes a little longer to
>stop it if you get a kind or something.  Guess a foot switch would
>control that.
>
>The point I meant to make was to spend your time on the coil and not on
>the winder, at least first time around.  Of course, making the winder is
>fun too..............
>
>Ed
>
>

--- John Crain
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