Hard drive Neos collected

[Jeff]

I have collected 14 Hard drive Neos, and have 1 more to take apart. With 16 of these, any general guesses as to what I could expect aperage-wise in the 14v range? All are 1/8" thick, most of you know the general trapezoid shape. Any other suggestions as to gage of wire? From the number of mags & size, I'm thinking of using 1 gallon paint can tops, and either cutting out the bottom, or bottoms of coffee cans to thicken the rotors.

I know, this sounds like a typical "newbie" question. But, I can always hope with the number of mags and the right size wire - number of wrappings, etc., I might be able to get 1.5 amps out of it. RPM won't be a problem, unless we're talking a couple thousand or more.

Also, thanks to all for all the "goodies" in the mail!

jp

[ghurd]

Not a good plan.

It's only ~$5 worth of magnets.

Paint can lids can't be a good idea.

About the only thing that can easily be done with a few thin magnets like those is a small motor conversion.

G-

[FishbonzWV]

Jeff,

I did a 1/3 HP motor with HD mags double stacked. It's 6 pole.

With 24 sets of the mags there wasn't enough iron in the rotor so the entire shaft is magnetized.

You'll have to cut them in half because they are double poled.

I stuck as many as possible on the top of my vise and used a cut off wheel on a hand grinder to quickly score each one down the middle. Then I flipped them all over and made another score line. Then you can snap them in two. Heat kills the neos so be quick with the grinder (about one second per pass).

I think you'll need at least 1/4 inch thick rotor plates to channel the flux.

Bonz

[electrondady1]

i'm building a dual rotor right now using 10" table saw blades (old ones

16 poles using two layers of hard drive mags per pole(four halves)

the other rotor has 16 ceramic mags .75" thick.

you can score them with a file or hack saw

i have a wet tile saw that works nice.

[Jerry]

Hi electrondady 1.

Are you cutting off the teeth on those saw blades? I built my first dual rotor out of 12" saw blades.

I machined off the teeth. Actuly cut the blades down to 10".  I stack them up to about 3/8" thick. I'll never do saw blades again. To hard to cut and hard steel is not as good as soft steel for a rotor, but it was a fun project and worked fairly well.

I used 12 Lowes ceramics per rotor. I wound each coil with 350 turns 24 ga. "Jerry Rigged" of cource.

Your hybred with NEOs/ceramics should be quite intresting. Hope you keep us posted and some pictures would be nice.

Have any idea on blades for this one? Its great to see through away stuff being turned into something like this.

                               JK TAS Jerry

                           

[electrondady1]

hi jerry,

this is my "public relations" mill

to get the neighbourhood used to the idea of something turning in my yard

nothing about it is ideal.

i have been following your latest very closely

[tecker]

Use Plywood blades and simply hit the faces with a grinder to flatten . On the hd  neos side by side and wave wound or over lapped with wide legs half the size of the hd mag poles and a lot of them works for small stator with the 7 1/4 blades . The coils should be as thin (or thinner) as the mags.16 mags at 1.25 inches per is 20 inches and 7.25 saw blade has a circumference around 22 so that works pretty well .you could do a single rotor that expands as you get more mags .A little low on output at first but expandable.

[hiker]

you can use saw blades[doubledup] as well--heres a little 8and6 combo..

8mags per rotor--ceramics topped off with neoes.or just use your neoes..

[electrondady1]

you don't have to have magnets on the second rotor /saw blade.

but it should rotate along with the first one with the magnets on it.

i didn't grind the saw teeth off.

that is way to much work !

the saw blade is thick enough for the ceramic mags with no flux leakage out the gack side

there is just a little bit of flux leakage from the two layers of hd mags.

[Jeff]

Don't forget! Hard drive magnets already have about a 1/8 inch backing. Putting them on a paint can lid leaves barely enough flux on the back to even FEEL a paper clip attract to it! A little perma-bond glue, then a covering of fibre-glass resin holds them in place with no worries at even 200 RPM. If you're insecure, add the inside cut-out of a paint can lid to the back with a little JB-weld. I still have friend who work in a maching shop to TIG weld a 3/4 X 3/4 round arbor to the back, with a thru hole for a 1/4" main shaft & set screw, and STILL keep less than +/- .0015" run-out! Plus, a paint can lid is large enough to have a 12/9 design!

[Jeff]

Wow! With the # of turns and gage ya'll are using, it makes me wonder if I'm under-estimating the size of the coils! I'm thinking 1/8 inch thick at most. How much smaller than the I.D.'s of the mags are you going? Also, how much larger? From the reading, 24ga. may be a good start. Also, it looks like due to donations from my sister, I may have 12 "sets" per rotor! Since the N/S are next to each other on these, would a 9-pole stator be feasable?

jjp

[ghurd]

The pole count has to be an even number.  And the N and S have to be evenly spaced.  Pretty much have to cut them in half if they are 2 poles on one face per magnet (some are 2 magnets per plate, that do not need cut).

The 200 RPMs is nothing for something that size.  Think cut-in at near 500RPM?  Maybe furl at near 2000 RPM?

Paint can lid.  Think about 12 of those magnets pulling on the other disk.  It is a lot of force.  The lid is not strong enough.

Then think about 1200 RPMs, with the weight near the OD, and a quick 45 degree yaw.

The stator, in a dual rotor with 1/8" thick magnets on each disk, needs to be less than 1/4" thick (1/8 + 1/8).  Run-out and clearance doesn't leave much space for the stator.

Until you get a lot more magnet volume than 12 HDs, I can't imagine good results except for a small motor conversion.

G-