Winding inductor coils.

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   I bought a manual coil winder. It seems to work fine, other than the coils don't turn out particularly neat.
The first few layers are fine but it tends to get untidy toward the end of the process.

a). Anyone have any tips for improvements?

b). Does it actually matter if the coil is untidy?

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markie Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Old Croc Joined: 31 October 2005 Location: Sunny Liskeard. Status: Offline Points: 4570	Post Options Post Reply Quote markie Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Winding inductor coils. Posted: 14 August 2020 at 12:38am
	I bought a manual coil winder. It seems to work fine, other than the coils don't turn out particularly neat. The first few layers are fine but it tends to get untidy toward the end of the process. a). Anyone have any tips for improvements? b). Does it actually matter if the coil is untidy?
	If it's got wheels or tits it's gonna cost a fortune

kedwardsleisure Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Old Croc Joined: 20 January 2009 Location: Staffordshire Status: Offline Points: 4946	Post Options Post Reply Quote kedwardsleisure Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 14 August 2020 at 8:34am
	If it's for crossover inductors, it's not going to worry the accuracy of the crossover frequencies too much, but in a speaker I'd be worried about the windings lapping over one another in case vibration causes them to chomp through the enamel in time and go short
	Kevin North Staffordshire

studio45 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Old Croc Joined: 16 October 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 3864	Post Options Post Reply Quote studio45 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 14 August 2020 at 3:29pm
	I have one too. Getting the tension of the wire just right is the key. Really that means buying or building a good tensioner, if there isn't one on your machine. I messed around with various MacGuyver inventions but they weren't really doing the thing. It needs to be capable of fine adjustments and consistency. When the tension is right, the layers should go on nice and even. Too much and the current layer will sink into the previous one because it's being pulled too hard, too little and the same thing will happen because the previous layer isn't tight enough. Using the proper varnish is also a good idea - thin it a little with alcohol, and brush some onto each layer as you go. Then you're supposed to bake it out in a low oven (90 deg C) till totally cured, although if you just leave it under tension overnight at room temp it should set up nicely. Then, even if the coil is slightly uneven you won't have problems with vibration. Even a totally randomly wound coil will work OK in a crossover, but at the expense of higher DCR and lower Q than a neatly wound coil.
	Studio45 - Repairs & Building Commotion Soundsystem -Mobile PA