A Mean Coil Winder

[wil]

Here are some photos of the coil winder my Dad built for our wind turbine.

He used the peddal assembly from a kids bike and spring tension for the spools.

On the left you should see the DC motor and 34:1 gear box. The variable speed controler is in the center.

I'm still waiting for the counter that I ordered to arrive before we start making the coils. When it arrives all we should really have to worry about is strait windings.

[nanotech]

Looks like a really cool setup, there.  Funny thing is that those wire spools look EXACTLY like the spools for the wire feed welders at work!!

* wanders off wondering if the wirefeed wire is actually insulated on the outside and how to get one of the 44 pound spools out of the shop without getting caught if it is!! *

:evilgrin:

[commanda]

Mig welders use metal wire, not copper; and it's NOT insulated.

Hate to burst your bubble.

Amanda

[electrondady1]

it looks super strong and torquey. i'm not shure what the pedal/ crank is for ?(power outage) that would be a good area for the counter.you will need a wire guide to help keep the wires (dual wire capable thats cool)runing parallel as you lay it on the spool. the wire tensioners are slick!

[KEG]

Will

That is a cool set up, Take a look at my file at the coil counter and see if some thing like that will work for you as well.

Kevin

[kitno455]

because we all know that copper is not a metal

allan

[kurt]

you guys need to resize your pics before you upload them here 450 pixels wide works well.

[Nando]

Amanda:

MIG & TIG WELDERS can use many or almost all metals for welding.

COPPER is metal.

I have designed and built TIG & MIG welders capable of welding 0.001 inch thick metals, like for metallic bellows.

Capability of using pure silver for welding, same thing for copper.

Welders to repair medical instruments.

Guess what they are: Small PWM power supplies with precision and fast current control to keep the "small" diameter plasma going.

Including some "secret" techniques to attain "perfect" welds.

Nando

[dinges]

Ah...

The wonders of MicroTIG... I can't help but drool when looking at the process.

BTW, from the rest of your post I think you are talking about micro PLASMA instead of micro TIG? And brazing, if using silver wire?

Been pondering for a while about building my own micro-TIG power supply. But, no schematic and no idea to design. Besides, I don't really need it, it just would be so nice to be able to practice with. Just such a beautiful proces.

The knowledge you find available on this board, LOL.

Peter.

[jimpep]

Nando

One of the only flexible metal bellows operations, supposedly in the world,  is in Newport, Vermont. Did you happen to work on their welding setup ? I've seen it and it is slick. Another example of a small world if so.

Jim

[commanda]

I was trying to avoid specifying that ordinary MIG welding wire was steel. I'm pretty sure some perfectionist would pull me up on that too.

Amanda

[commanda]

In the context of Nanotech's post, since by far the majority of regular metalworking shops are going to be using ordinary mig wire.........

Yes, you can get copper wire for welding. Are they enamelled wire just right for winding coils for alternators??

Amanda

[oztules]

I put it down to a slow news day........

..........oztules

[wil]

Yes, I was wondering about the calculator setup. I read somewhere about wind speed indicators made from old calculators.

We also thought (after it was built) that we probably should have used round disks for the die instead of square to help reduce snagging the wire.

[wil]

I'm not sure how to resize the pictures?  I agree they are a bit large.

[kurt]

you can resize your pictures using the program paint that comes with every copy of windows. just use stretch/skew under image to change the size then do save as and rename so you still have the original. most digital cameras come with some kind of photo editing software you could use. you could also download a photo editing program there are some good freeware ones available.

[wil]

Thanks - I will give that a try..

[rotornuts]

As a matter of fact (curiosity really) my wifes father is a welder in the chemistry department at the University of Alberta (that's in Canada) and amongst the interesting projects he's shown me was a mettalic bellows made from thin sheet steel likely about 4-7 thou thick. He welded them up with you quessed it, a tig welder (which is basicly brazing anyway).

You find all kinds of quirky stuff in research.

Mike

[Nando]

TIG welding = tungsten inert gas

The electrode is made of Tungsten and the arc is in an inert atmosphere, also the arc melts the metal to be working with to do the welding, in other words no other metal is added to the welding process.

Any one cares to define MIG ?.

I have made, as well, high current MIG & TIG welders.

Nando

[wil]

MIG - Metal Inert Gas - blah blah much the same as the above.  Never made a welder but I have run one for about 17 years or so... Now I play with Computers..

I dont miss the smoke, noise or the burns.

Wil

[rotornuts]

You have defined fusion welding Nando. TIG's are by no means limited to fusion welding. You are correct though that it's not brazing. when I thought about it some I realized that brazing doesn't really melt the material being joined but rather introduces a material that binds the materials being joined.

Tig's usually use a rod (like in brazing) to introduce filler in the weld to intentionally  manipulate the characteristics of the weld for strength or some other reason, to build up a surface or fill an area in. They are an extreamely handy toy.

The bellows I've refered to are pressed and rolled then ERW joined at the seam. Later sleaves are slide into the ends and fusion welded using a TIG to provide for a flange etc.

We must be refering to a different kind of bellows. I'm not sure where you got the idea that TIG welders strictly fusion weld especially if you have designed them!

Mike

P.S. I've used TIG welders and have never fusion welded with one and I'm sure a quick search of the net will define what MIG stands for.

[elvin1949]

Kurt

 Explain to them the difference between phycical

size and electronic size.I am on a slow dialup.

SLOW     A 1 in square pic that is high resolution

IE 1 meg takes me 10 minutes to download.

sorry

later

elvin

[Nando]

Mike:

I am not going to have a contest with you.

TIG = Tungsten Inert Gas

MIG = Metal In Gas = Metal Inert Gas

TIG has a Tungsten Electrode that is not consumed or feed into the area being welded.

MIG has a consumable wire fed to FILL the area being welded.

There is Gasless MIG now with covered wire.

In my case the TIG was in a complete inert gas to the extreme that the operator has to use a oxygen mask for safety since he was in an inert gas chamber, very delicate job.

By changing head and electrode a MIG set up was implemented if necessary.

Nando

[KEG]

Will

If you open the calculater and carefully soilder a small wire to each side of the equell, then you can put a micro switch or reed switch or any switch, 1 + and it will keep track for you. it's great.

Kevin

[wil]

I'm very sorry about the size. I had no idea they would be so slow.

If there is a way to resize the pictures I have already posted I will do that, but someone will have to point me in the right direction.

tnx,

Wil

[ghurd]

Write down the name of the photo and which is which.

Delete the photo from 'your photo uploads'

Resize the photo. Both pixels and dimentions.

Upload it with the exact same file name, and the new photo will show up where the old one was.

At least I think!

G-

[wil]

Ok - Tried this but it doesnt seem to make a difference.

Maybe Admin can replace them with the pic's I have recently uploaded.

Tnx,

Wil

P.S. Pictures of the coils are on there way..

[kurt]

all fixed