Build a simple machine to ease the pain of winding coils. Posted here is Part 1 which shows you how to build the coil winder. Part 2 (which I don't have) is building the speed control. Just borrow your wife's sewing machine foot control instead.
Build a simple machine to ease the pain of winding coils. Posted here is Part 1 which shows you how to build the coil winder. Part 2 (which I don't have) is building the speed control. Just borrow your wife's sewing machine foot control instead.
Build a simple machine to ease the pain of winding coils. Posted here is Part 1 which shows you how to build the coil winder. Part 2 (which I don't have) is building the speed control. Just borrow your wife's sewing machine foot control instead.
Here is a coil winder that features a variable speed
control, automatic counter and can be built inexpensively By HAROLD P. STRAND
Craft Print Project No. 265
Part 1
U NLESS you have a metal-turning lathe, or
some similar machine capable of holding and turning a coil-winding form at a slow speed, winding a coil having hundreds of turns on it can be quite a chore. To answer the need for such a machine for those of you interested in making home-built electrical devices requiring coils for special size transformers, solenoids, etc., the electric-motor driven winder shown in Fig. 1 has been developed. The winder is powered with a used Hoover vacuum-cleaner motor purchased at a repair shop for $5. It is of the ac-dc or universal type which is subject to speed control with a variable resist- ance or reactor and is of a large heavy-duty type. The foot controlled reactor (Fig. 1), for which building plans will be included in Part 2 of this article, has an infinite number of speed control steps, will not heat up in use, wasting Variable speed, foot-control power, and has no wip- switch regulates speed of motor when winding coil. ing contacts of the type Photo A shows how mag- usually employed with a net wire is hand guided resistance control. from spool to coil windings. When purchasing the vacuum-cleaner motor, length of the brushes— turn it on and observe they should be at least the commutator. There 7/16 in. long. Alsb check should not be apprecia- the armature-shaft bear- ble arcing at the brushes ings for wear. Remove which could indicate a the motor from the clean- short in the a r m a t u r e er and attempt to move winding. Failure to run the fan and shaft from at its customary high side to side. Any side speed is another indica- movement indicates tion of defective arma- worn bearings. A little ture windings. However, end play, in and out worn carbon b r u s h e s movement of the shaft, is could also produce these permissible, h o w e v e r . effects, so check t h e Select a motor having a
FEBRUARY, 1957 187
Left, Cleaning disassembled motor with rag moistened in kerosene. Right, Clean commutator with fine sandpaper to inspect it ior grooves or ridges.
A 150-watt lamp is connected in series with motor to
reduce its speed when test running.
3/8 in. dia. shaft on it.
After purchasing a motor in the best possible condition, take it apart and clean with kerosene or carbon-tet. First remove the brush holders and brushes from their supports on the insulated ring. Then remove the two screws at the ring of the outside bearing cap, disassemble the motor as in Fig. 2. When cleaning, do not immerse the wound parts in cleaning fluid, merely wipe them off with a cloth dampened with the cleaning fluid or brush off the dirt if it is dry and loose. Clean the arma- ture commutator with fine sandpaper as in Fig. 3. If ridges or grooves appear on the commutator after cleaning, have it turned down in a lathe and lightly sand smooth. Then clean out any deposits between the segments, which might cause shorts, by scraping with a thin but sharp tool. A quick test for shorts or grounded wiring in the arma- sembled. Be sure to apply a drop or two of light ture can be made by having it tested on a growler machine oil on the bearings when assembling the at your local automotive generator repair shop. motor and install new brushes if the old ones are If it is found that new armature-shaft bearings worn down to under 7/16 in. in length. Since these are needed, they can best be installed at a motors operate in a clockwise direction, when vacuum-cleaner repair shop while you have the facing the shaft, change the direction of rotation motor apart. At this time also saw off the % in. by interchanging the two brush leads. Later, armature shaft so that it will project only 1 in. after testing the motor, adjust the insulated brush beyond the outside edge of the bearing when as- ring so that the brushes will be located at a point
188 SCIENCE AND MECHANICS
where the speed and torque of the motor will be at maximum. These motors were also designed to op- erate in a vertical position and have a drilled shaft and wick to supply oil to the lower bearing. To operate in a horizontal posi- tion, drill a 1/16-in. hole at the top side of the extended end of the bearing so that oil can be applied directly to this bearing. After re- assembling the motor, test run it with a 150 watt lamp connected in series as in Fig. 4 so that the mo- tor will o p e r a t e at a r e d u c e d speed. Check the commutation and let the brushes run in to a good fit. Make the motor bracket (Fig. 5A) and fasten to the motor flange with three bolts. To make the slotted holes used to fasten the bracket to the base, drill three Vi-in. holes side by side and file to a slot by hand or with the filing machine (Fig. 6) described in the Home Electrical Handbook Vol. 3. Since it is difficult to purchase a 1-1/2 in. dia. V-belt pulley with a 3/8in. bore, a 1/2 ODx3/8 ID bushing is placed in List for source of supply) make the counter sup- the 1/2 in. hole of the pulley. Drill through the port bracket (Fig. 5C). Since the counter must bushing so that the pulley setscrew can be tight- rotate at a one-to-one ratio with the polishing- ened down against the motor shaft. head shaft, a pulley having the exact same di- Make the base (Fig. 5B) next by gluing two ameter as the small pulley on the polishing-head pieces of 3/4 plywood together to form a 1-1/2 (Fig. 7) must be made for the counter shaft. If in. thick piece. Have a 1/16 in. thick piece of sheet you have a metal-turning lathe this becomes a steel cut to the exact size of the plywood base at fairly simple matter. Make the pulley for a round, your local sheet-metal shop and fasten to the base rubber vacuum cleaner belt. Drill and tap the with six #6x1 in. fh screws countersunk flush pulley for a 6-32 set-screw to fasten it to the with the steel base top. Dress the edges of the counter shaft. If you do not have a metal turn- steel top with a sanding disc and slightly round ing lathe, purchase the two 1-1/2-in. pulleys seen the top corners with a file. Then lay out and drill in Materials List. Bore one to 1/2 in. for polishing the holes for the motor bracket and spool support. head and bush the other to suit counter shaft. To finish the base, give it two coats of gray paint A chain and sprocket drive (Fig. 6) which costs on the edges and bottom of the plywood and at- about $5 for parts, would assure accuracy. tach four 3/4 in. dia. rubber headed tacks to the The winder parts can now be assembled to the underside at the corners for feet. base for testing. Loosen the set-screw in the After purchasing the counter, (see Materials small pulley of the polishing head, slide the
FEBRUARY, 1957 189
Left, Alternate drive design using chain and sprocket assures positive accuracy in counting number of turns. Right, Making accuracy check of counter by turning polishing head shaft by hand a counted number of times. of a handle in the chuck jaws as in Fig. 7. Then mark the chuck or 6 in. pulley with a spot of paint or crayon so that the number of revolutions can be counted as the crank is turned. Set the counter at zero, turn the crank exactly 10 times and note the number of turns registered on the counter. If there is much of a difference in pulley diameters it will show up on the counter as over or under 10 turns. If the error in pulley diameter is only very slight, the counter will probably register accurately over so few turns. However, since even a slight error will be cumulative, it is well to try a hundred or more turns of the crank if 10 turns show up accurate. If the figures on the counter are less than the number turned by hand, it indicates the pulley on the counter is larger than the pulley on the polishing head. If the figures are more than the number turned by hand, the pulley on the counter is smaller than the polishing head pulley. You can reduce the diameter of either pulley by putting it in a lathe and turning the bottom of the pulley groove down. It is also possible to place a turn of narrow friction tape at the bottom of the pulley grooves to make the size correction. After testing the counter and making the cor- rections if needed, make the holder for the mag- net-wire spool as detailed in Fig. 5D. Fasten the holder to the base with two bolts and using nuts A cotterpin retains spool and spring which applies as in Fig. 8. If various width spools of wire are braking action on spool to prevent spinning. to be used, make the bar longer and drill several holes spaced to suit the spools. Allow space for threaded shaft and slip the vacuum cleaner belt the washers and spring compressed enough to on the small pulley. Reassemble the shaft and supply some braking action on the spool so that place a 6 in. dia. V-belt pulley on the end of the when the winding is stopped, the spool will not shaft having the left-hand threads. Bolt the mo- spin around and tangle the wire. tor to the base first. Then, with the V-belt on the Part 2 appearing in the next issue (on sale motor and polishing head pulleys pulled taut and February 28) will describe the construction of the in line with each other, mark the base for the variable speed, foot control switch. polishing head mounting bolts, drill and fasten the head to the base. Locate and mount the counter on the base in the same way. To check the counter drive for accuracy, mount a hand-tight drill chuck on the polishing-head spindle and grip a piece of wire bent to the shape