Rainy Saturday.
Sat down and rolled eight inductors from .06 - .37mh using some ~18 gauge wire salvaged from an old motor. Wire size is a bit smaller than I would like but should be ok for the tweeter section and all it cost was time. That used maybe 20% of the repurposed wire.
Oops, rolled one 1.3mh with 15gauge and ran short of wire for the second inductor. Tempted to finish it off with 15 gauge.
I was listening, measuring, tweaking (LMT) my Radiusaurus speakers and needed a 0.18mH inductor. Didn't want to place a small order for two inductors, so I made my own from info in this thread and parts in my junk box. Now I can keep on listening, measuring, and tweaking without waiting for parts. I had enough 18 and 20ga magnet wire laying around to do both inductors. And I made a couple extra bobbins for future use. The end caps are 1/8" masonite slugs cut from scrap using a 1.5" diameter hole saw. The hubs are 1/2" diameter by 1 inch long nylon spacers (junk box). The bolts are nylon #10 x 1.5" long with nylon nuts (also junk box). DCR measures .25 ohm on each. My hand winding is not the best, so now I will have to construct one of Kornbread's DIY winding machines.
@jhollander said:
I use a longer plastic bolt and chuck it up in a battery operated VS drill
Thanks, John. This makes alot of sense. I have a question. Do you put a big C-clamp on the drill to hold it in place on your bench so that it does not slide around during the wind? And do you also have the source roll of wire clamped in place somehow as well? Or is this a total free hand type operation for you?
I did mine all free hand. The first layer looked good, but then the 2nd, 3rd, etc., layers started to get a little "wonky" looking. A total of about 7 or 8 layers were needed to reach my goal of 0.18mH. I covered up my messing looking windings with masking tape, which also serves to hold the wire in place.
I've heard of guys using a sewing machine motor with the pedal controlling the speed. I'm personally too lazy to wind my own I just replace my stock as I use them up.
@ugly_woofer said:
I've heard of guys using a sewing machine motor with the pedal controlling the speed. I'm personally too lazy to wind my own I just replace my stock as I use them up.
Now that is an excellent suggestion! The Habitat Restores in my area have tons of old, antique Singer Sewing Machine tables for sale and many of them are beat up and dirt cheap. The sewing machine flips up when needed and is controlled by a foot petal on the floor. I could pick up one of these antique tables and convert it into an inductor winding station! When I am not winding inductors, I could flip the winder down and use the table for another project. Cool!
My drill method is to measure out the wire and mark with a piece of tape. Clamp the drill in my bench vice. Attach the wire to the bobbin. Trigger the drill with one hand and hold the wire a leather glove. I can get some really good wraps and stacks by holding the wire about 18 inches from the bobbin.
@ugly_woofer said:
I've heard of guys using a sewing machine motor with the pedal controlling the speed. I'm personally too lazy to wind my own I just replace my stock as I use them up.
Now that is an excellent suggestion! The Habitat Restores in my area have tons of old, antique Singer Sewing Machine tables for sale and many of them are beat up and dirt cheap. The sewing machine flips up when needed and is controlled by a foot petal on the floor. I could pick up one of these antique tables and convert it into an inductor winding station! When I am not winding inductors, I could flip the winder down and use the table for another project. Cool!
... except, said project would negate coil winding until said project is complete. For me that means back to ordering coils from "insert vendor here".😬
Comments
Rainy Saturday.
Sat down and rolled eight inductors from .06 - .37mh using some ~18 gauge wire salvaged from an old motor. Wire size is a bit smaller than I would like but should be ok for the tweeter section and all it cost was time. That used maybe 20% of the repurposed wire.
Oops, rolled one 1.3mh with 15gauge and ran short of wire for the second inductor. Tempted to finish it off with 15 gauge.
I was listening, measuring, tweaking (LMT) my Radiusaurus speakers and needed a 0.18mH inductor. Didn't want to place a small order for two inductors, so I made my own from info in this thread and parts in my junk box. Now I can keep on listening, measuring, and tweaking without waiting for parts. I had enough 18 and 20ga magnet wire laying around to do both inductors. And I made a couple extra bobbins for future use. The end caps are 1/8" masonite slugs cut from scrap using a 1.5" diameter hole saw. The hubs are 1/2" diameter by 1 inch long nylon spacers (junk box). The bolts are nylon #10 x 1.5" long with nylon nuts (also junk box). DCR measures .25 ohm on each. My hand winding is not the best, so now I will have to construct one of Kornbread's DIY winding machines.
I use a longer plastic bolt and chuck it up in a battery operated VS drill
Thanks, John. This makes alot of sense. I have a question. Do you put a big C-clamp on the drill to hold it in place on your bench so that it does not slide around during the wind? And do you also have the source roll of wire clamped in place somehow as well? Or is this a total free hand type operation for you?
I did mine all free hand. The first layer looked good, but then the 2nd, 3rd, etc., layers started to get a little "wonky" looking. A total of about 7 or 8 layers were needed to reach my goal of 0.18mH. I covered up my messing looking windings with masking tape, which also serves to hold the wire in place.
I've heard of guys using a sewing machine motor with the pedal controlling the speed. I'm personally too lazy to wind my own I just replace my stock as I use them up.
Now that is an excellent suggestion! The Habitat Restores in my area have tons of old, antique Singer Sewing Machine tables for sale and many of them are beat up and dirt cheap. The sewing machine flips up when needed and is controlled by a foot petal on the floor. I could pick up one of these antique tables and convert it into an inductor winding station! When I am not winding inductors, I could flip the winder down and use the table for another project. Cool!
A hand wood lathe will work nicely
https://www.jfcomponents.com/
My drill method is to measure out the wire and mark with a piece of tape. Clamp the drill in my bench vice. Attach the wire to the bobbin. Trigger the drill with one hand and hold the wire a leather glove. I can get some really good wraps and stacks by holding the wire about 18 inches from the bobbin.
... except, said project would negate coil winding until said project is complete. For me that means back to ordering coils from "insert vendor here".😬