Buying a winder

[dpm]

I don't have the time nor inclination to build my own winder at this stage so I'm wondering if there are any options other than the Schatten winder? Do you guys sell winders you no longer use? Is there another commercial option?

[dpm]

Actually, never mind. I've just pulled the trigger on one of these - http://cgi.ebay.com/Coil-audio-Outpu...QQcmdZViewItem

Hope it does the trick, or can be tweaked to do so!

[Biarnel]

Oh, well, I'm looking for a commercial winder, too.
The schatten is just TOO expensive for a electric motor and a pair of pulleys. I made a sort-of-winder, but it looks like the A.C.M.E. machinery that warner bros' Coyote uses to shoot Road Runner.

[Mystic]

great price for that one. The electronics would be worth way more than that.

[dpm]

The ebay winder arrived today, it's a solid unit. No instructions and everything is chinese but it was easy enough to figure out by pressing buttons. It has 20 programmable presets - you set the number of turns and what speed for each preset. The footswitch is a simple on/off and it slow starts and stops. I'll post detail pictures of the guts if anyone is interested. They even fitted an Australian power lead for me!

The only issue is that the minimum speed is 2000rpm (as stated clearly in the auction). I've timed it at 2200rpm but that might be because it's a 220v unit running on 240v?. Anyway, I need to reduce the speed....

[sleis]

Have you had a chance to wind a coil yet? Curious to see how it works for you.

[dpm]

Not yet, just waiting for magnets etc. to arrive

[David Schwab]

Here's a way to slow down the winder.. a countershaft.

The Lathe Countershaft

Most small electric motors in Britain spin at 1425 rpm, whilst those in the USA and Europe are usually marked a little faster at 1600 to 1700 rpm or so. If the lathe spindle was to be driven directly from one of these motors, even using a small pulley on the motor shaft, and a larger one on the lathe, it would be turning far too fast to be useful for the majority of jobs. Hence, it is necessary to introduce some way of reducing the speed - and that is the job of the countershaft. In a typical arrangement, illustrated below, the motor is fitted with a small pulley on its spindle and fastened to a vertical cast-iron angle-plate, hinged at it base. Because the 1500 rpm motor is driving a much larger pulley, in a ratio of something like 5 : 1, the speed of the upper pulley is reduced to 300 rpm (1500 divided by 5). On the same shaft as the large pulley is a set of three pulleys, usually identical to those on the lathe, but arranged in the "reverse" order. If the middle pulley on the countershaft is made to drive the identically-sized pulley on the lathe spindle that too, of course, will turn at 300 rpm. The pulleys each side of the centre are normally set to halve and double the speeds - hence the creation of speed set covering a useful 150 rpm, 300 rpm and 600 rpm.

[dpm]

thanks for that David. I'll probably that route, though if it were possible to adjust electronically that would be so much easier. I've been researching the components and it doesn't look like it can be done without reprogramming.

[Norcal_GIT_r]

Looks like a cool machine.
One question though, can it be run in reverse?

[dpm]

Afraid not.

[vortiger]

Hi All, I live in Los Angeles. Anyone out ther in my area who would be willing to teach me to wind? Willing to work as an apprentice one day a week. Best, Jeffrey.

[Norcal_GIT_r]

Originally Posted by dpm

Afraid not.

How do you plan on doing reverse winds?
Plus the fact humbuckers go one direction while strat pups goes the other direction.

[dpm]

Flip the coils. So if the top is on the left as you face the winder, flip it over so the top is on the right...that should work. Apart from that I have no intention of winding standard humbuckers or strat pickups, I'm purely doing this for multiscale extended range instruments like in my avatar. My coil flatwork is the same top and bottom btw

vortiger, you should start another thread - there's more chance of people seeing your question that way good luck

[Norcal_GIT_r]

Originally Posted by dpm

Flip the coils. So if the top is on the left as you face the winder, flip it over so the top is on the right...that should work. Apart from that I have no intention of winding standard humbuckers or strat pickups, I'm purely doing this for multiscale extended range instruments like in my avatar. My coil flatwork is the same top and bottom btw

vortiger, you should start another thread - there's more chance of people seeing your question that way good luck

In that case you're set. That looks like a great little system.

The guitar in your avatar looks very interesting. Looks like fun to play.
Do you have a site with more info on your instruments?

[dpm]

there's a few pics at myspace.com/oniguitars but it needs updating

oniguitars.com is still in the works, i need to get the content together for my web guy and I'm running late on a few projects which are more important right now

[Electricdaveyboy]

Hello ,
Bought the same winder from ebay, it runs verry fast.Did you find a way to reduce the speed of your machine.Would you let me know?

thanks david.

[dpm]

I've found that I don't mind the speed so much now. I use my right hand to guide the wire with my left hand on the pulley giving fine speed control. A little pressure slows it right down and you get a feel it pretty quickly. Hmm.... maybe a felt pad applying pressure to that pulley might be an easy workaround.

[chevalij]

As for winding the other way, get an aluminum disk made with like the one that's on there and stick it on the end of the shaft. Hold it down with a set screw (no keyway needed) and away you go. As for speed, get a cheap variac. Works great, fully adjustable speed, don't have to worry about speed steps. You want 2450, play with the variac.

[Electricdaveyboy]

Hello Jeffrey,
me thinks you have to teach your self.Learning by doing. Wind,route your own bobbins,machine self made steel parts, find Your own screws and materials,get magnets made to your special specs...This is the way you will bring out your product.

[walcen]

Originally Posted by dpm

The ebay winder arrived today, it's a solid unit. No instructions and everything is chinese but it was easy enough to figure out by pressing buttons. It has 20 programmable presets - you set the number of turns and what speed for each preset. The footswitch is a simple on/off and it slow starts and stops. I'll post detail pictures of the guts if anyone is interested. They even fitted an Australian power lead for me!

The only issue is that the minimum speed is 2000rpm (as stated clearly in the auction). I've timed it at 2200rpm but that might be because it's a 220v unit running on 240v?. Anyway, I need to reduce the speed....

Yes please I'd love to see some pic of the guts of your winder, might give me some ideas. And do you know if any one has modified it with pulley sizes to slow it down? I thought I saw a modified one on this forum but have spent a few hrs looking and cant find it.

There's a newbie on the woodwork forum, he's in Wollongong and purchased one of those machines and I've been trying to chase up some info for him.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS - Woodwork Forums

regards to all

Wal

[peskywinnets]

Originally Posted by walcen

Yes please I'd love to see some pic of the guts of your winder, might give me some ideas. And do you know if any one has modified it with pulley sizes to slow it down?
l

Alas, since over two years have elapsed since his winder arrived, he's probably not going to check this thread that often! (& it's likely he's either made his fortune winding esoteric boutique pickups, or more likely that he's moved onto learning to Hanglide, work with under privileged children etc )

[dpm]

I'm still around, just mostly lurk these days Have a lot on the 'ol plate right now and not much time for posting. I'll give some details on the woodwork forum, but yes, I have got it running at an acceptable speed using a larger pulley.