Winder Spindle Shaft Assembly

[RedHouse]

The grizzly stuff looks way over kill.
I'm wanting to use small dc motors.
I was wanting to keep it small but sturdy.
Here's more the size I had in mind.
8mm Linear Motion Systems:Ceramic,Miniature Ball Bearings
You'll notice the pillow blocks, the hardened shaft.
You can buy in other sizes, but 8mm had more options, and best cost factor.
I can get collars from other sources.
I liked davids idea of the lexan pulleys, or adapt something from McMasters.
Terry

Yeah, I tried the plexi pulley thing in the beginning thinking it was good because it was fairly easily machinable.

I soon went to aluminum pulleys and called it a day.

See what Bruce can do for you before you take the plunge, I'm sure you'll be happier with a made-for-use piece in the long run.

[big_teee]

Yeah, I tried the plexi pulley thing in the beginning thinking it was good because it was fairly easily machinable.

I soon went to aluminum pulleys and called it a day.

See what Bruce can do for you before you take the plunge, I'm sure you'll be happier with a made-for-use piece in the long run.

I'm more of a DIY type guy, but I left him a PM.
No response yet.
Snowed in here so no hurry anyhow!
I think I'll move on to next project.
Converting an old solid state amp to a 5e3 tube amp.
Later,
T

[RedHouse]

I'm more of a DIY type guy, but I left him a PM.
No response yet.
Snowed in here so no hurry anyhow!
I think I'll move on to next project.
Converting an old solid state amp to a 5e3 tube amp.
Later,
T

Good project, 5E3 is a great tone.

[David King]

Terry, Just to be sure, the linear motion bearings you linked too above won't allow the rod to spin. They're for moving the rod back and forth... Those rods are nice and straight but the only reason to go 8 mm is to use skate bearings like 608s. Go bigger and you'll be happier.

Bruce's cogged link belts and pulleys are going to be the cheapest to work with by far. Check Amazon, the prices start at $.49 for the smaller pulleys.
McMaster has everything as well... for a price.

[Bruce Johnson]

Terry;

I got your message. I'm here, just busy as always and limited in time to spend online.

First, here's that thread from last summer, discussing face plates for winders, shaft kits, etc. It shows examples of how face plates can be made with slots for magnet clearance. It's no big deal to mill clearance slots and put in tapped hole patterns for mounting the bobbins.
http://music-electronics-forum.com/t19662/

It's up to you to decide how you want to configure your winder, and then I'll help you with machining any parts that you can't easily buy.

My recommendation is to keep it simple with a single aluminum faceplate on the right end. The diameter of the faceplate will depend on the longest bobbins you intend to wind on it. A 4" diameter faceplate is usually big enough for most guitar projects. The pulley drive to the motor can be either in between the bearings or at the left end. You'll probably want a 1:2 drive ratio, assuming a 0-3450 rpm motor, which will give you 0-1725 rpm spindle speed. At the outboard left end of the shaft, mount your counter. This can be a mechanical counter, direct coupled to the end of the shaft, or a disk for an optical/magnetic counter. Or, use both.

For the spindle shaft, I recommend making it from 1/2" or 3/8" stock. To me, an 8mm shaft (which is about 5/16") is a little wimpy to be spinning 1725 rpm with a 4" face plate. I'm not saying that it would explode or anything, but it's getting into the range where you could get some vibration issues. Also, there are lots of cheap choices in pulleys and bearings available in 1/2" and 3/8" shaft sizes.

There are different ways to do the bearings. You can buy a pair of all-in-one pillow blocks in 1/2" shaft size. There are lots of them on ebay for cheap. Search for Pillow Blocks in Business & Industrial. Here's some 1/2" ones for $16 per pair:
1/2" ~UCP201-8~ PREMIUM Pillow Block Bearings-Qty 2 - eBay (item 370448528742 end time Jan-20-11 06:12:04 PST)
Pillow blocks like this are self-aligning and clamp to the shaft with setscrews. Very simple to install and set up.

Or, you can go with plain electric motor-style sealed ball bearings. It's a little more work building the frame and shaft, but can make a neater installation overall. Typically, I would turn shoulders on the shaft for a light press fit of the bearings. The end plates of the wooden box frame would be bored to hold the bearing outer race, with a saw slit and a clamping screw.

There are many ways you can build a machine like this. It's your choice.