10 ft axial finally started

[dbcollen]

After a year of accumulating parts and generally procrastinating I have started my 10 ft axial flux. So far I have done the magnet rotors and I have a stator and metal parts kit from Danb. My blades have 5 coats of PreservaWood on them and they look beautiful.

My magnets are 1x2x.5 inch with .125 inch hole in them. I set the magnets in the template and then drilled through the hole in the magnets. I then cut 24 pieces of .125" music wire .75 inch long and inserted it through the holes in the magnets and the rotors, I then stuck a washer to the front of the magnets to hold the music wire pins flush with the front of the magnets. I then put the rotors face down in the snow to keep the magnets cold and welded the pins to the back of the rotors. the magnets then got a few drops of locktite green penetrating, and a few coats of engine enamel.

I am not going to cast my magnet rotors, they are only getting painted. I think leaving the spaces open between the magnets will help move air past the stator and help cool the stator

[dlenox]

dbcollen,

I did a similar thing - pinning my magnets, but used 1/8" round bar stock cut to length and then TIG welded from backside without the magnets attached using a jig to keep the pins straight:

I would be very hesitant to weld on the rotor with the magnets attached, perhaps hopefully you did them no damage.

You did not state if you were using a dual rotor system or not? If so I hope that you drilled out the other rotor at the same time so that the magnets between the rotors have a good alignment.

Dan Lenox

[dlenox]

dbcollen,

I forgot to mention that the magnets can still rotate around the pins so you might want to reconsider not using resin to cast the magnets.  Even 1/4" of resin would help to keep the magnets in their proper alignment.

Just my $.02

Dan Lenox

[dbcollen]

The magnet rotors were chilled and laying in snow when welded, mags never even got slighly warm.

The magnets are held in place with loctite green, so they will not rotate.

As to your welding first, then placing mags. How do you intend to get the mags on the pins without chipping them, it will be difficult to not have them slam into the rotor plates. It is easy to slide them in from the side, but putting them straight down will be a challenge, Good luck

Dbcollen

[dlenox]

dbcollen,

My rotors are done, I used 2 simple wood wedges with slots in them (for the pins) to safely and slowly lower them onto the rotor surface.

First place the wedges:

Put the magnet on so that it just barely catches the top of the pin:

And slowly pull out the wedges, the magnet will slowly lower down onto the rotor:

If you don't use wedges and fingers only - they will really get pinched badly!

Worked out well for me.

Dan

[dlenox]

dbcollen,

I shouls also note that I used 2" x 3" x 3/4" N32 magnets on my rotors, very strong!

Dan

[dlenox]

dbcollen,

Oh yea, also forgot that those lines are on the rotor so that once the magnets are on that you can 'eye' down them to ensure that the magnet is aligned properly, if not the magnets are easily rotated by hand so that the magnet spans the line evenly on both sides.

It's a quick double check for alignment before casting.

Dan