Sewing Machine Coil Winder?

[tbryanh]

I have heard that members have converted sewing machines into coil winders.

If anybody has some pictures or info/comments about this, that would be nice.

Thanks

[petemoore]

Working on one.

It'll wind coils right off the bat if it has a 'flywheel' which is used to 'hand drive' the needle index...a big wheel on the right side, most all sewing machines have this I believe. All you need to do is aling the bobbin real straight on it and get the wire feeder [just a vertical pin on which to place the wire reel upright on so the wire feeds right off the top of the wire reel...through your thumb/forefinger...on to the bobbin.
A right and left traverse limiter guide...which I haven't 'hacked' on there yet, but which is also simple, nice [necessary?] feature, lets you know when you've gone all the way left or right and to reverse...
The 'tricky' part, which requires probably shopping and rigging and wiring of some sort is the turns counter, which is probably a hall effect sensor or magnetic sensor which triggers a counter. I tried a mechanical/electronic counter...a cheep calculator under the needle travel assembly..but it lost count at medium speed...you'll want a perfectly reliable turns counter system.
I have a second drive shaft on my machine, it turns once for every 25 turns of the bobbin, I'll be using that to drive a 'measuring string', which is to be color code marked [like a tape rule] so as to provide a turns count, it works fine, the only part I haven't yet got down is a non-human take up reel tensioner. For now I'm using a weighted tensioner... a long span of string, hanging a weight, which will need 'taken up' every so often so the weight doesn't hit the floor, I would rather have a motorized, tensioning take-up reel mounted right on the side of the machine...
All suggestions for how to make a tensioning take up reel assembly is welcome.

[Sock Puppet]

Here's one:

http://www.guitarattack.com/winder/winder1.htm

S.

[tbryanh]

Wow, you can use double-sided tape and mount the bobbin directly to the flywheel. Awesome. I be the foot control is outstanding as fare as speed control goes. First rate all the way I bet.

I know what you mean about the microswitch. I rigged one up to a claculator too and mounted it on the end of my drill. The lever on the switch starts floating once the RPMs increase. Also, the calculator display is hard to read.

I am going to keep the drill setup for winding inductor coils. Inductor coils use heavier wire and much fewer turns, so I probably need the tourque of the drill. The bobbin is just a hardware bolt, crude but effective, and the drill chuck works good for holding the bolt.

I definitely want to upgrade sensors and displays though. I seen some expensive packages out there, $400 or more, no way for me.

I just thought of something. I used to convert distributors that had mechanical points into electronic ignition using an aftermarket device. It has an optical sensor, and is reasonably priced. There is a little disk that goes on the camshaft. The disk has 4 cutouts for a 4 cylinder engine, 6 cutouts for a 6 cylinder engine, and 8 cutouts for an 8 cylinder engine, depending on which device you buy.

So you cover up all the cutouts except for 1 cutout, and now you have a revolution meter. The output of the sensor directly hooks to the ignition coil, so the unit will run on 12vdc. Interface that to a digital counter/display, and your done.

I am going to pursue this. I have a job and lots of projects in progress, so this has to wait in line, but I will tackle it. If anybody wants to jump in and help, that is OK too.

Wow!

[David Schwab]

Wow, you can use double-sided tape and mount the bobbin directly to the flywheel.

That's what I do.

I just thought of something. I used to convert distributors that had mechanical points into electronic ignition using an aftermarket device. It has an optical sensor, and is reasonably priced. There is a little disk that goes on the camshaft. The disk has 4 cutouts for a 4 cylinder engine, 6 cutouts for a 6 cylinder engine, and 8 cutouts for an 8 cylinder engine, depending on which device you buy.

The Schatten winder has an optical counter that works that way. The disk has one hole in it. On one side is an infrared LED and on the other a sensor.

[lexluthier72]

Sewing machine coil winder....

Hey Folks,
I am fairly new to this part of the forum, and dont post often, but I am in the process of making my own sewing machine coil winder. I will post pictures soon.
I am drilling and threading the handwheel to accept an aluminum plate that will hold the bobbin in place. I plan on using the calculator and reed switch counter. I definitely think there should be more good photos of adapted sewing machines....
-Erin

[lexluthier72]

Hey Folks,
Thought Id post some work in progress photos. The "bobbin holder" is aluminum, and is centered on the metal part of the handwheel on the end of the machine. So far....$6 sewing machine from the goodwill. $5 worth of aluminum Took a few tries to get it drilled on center (on the drillpress) $.50 cents in machine screws $4 bottle of oil (machine was hard locked when I got it) It needs a new belt (about $6) for a total of around $20 so far. I should be well under $30 for the whole thing, and a little ingenuity. See attached photos.
-Erin

[lexluthier72]

Updated photos....ditched the footswitch for a rheostat from Home Depot. On to making a wire guide and rigging up the counter....
-Erin

BTW....I gutted most of the extraneous moving parts from the machine.

[tbryanh]

Looks nice. What about a turns counter?

[lexluthier72]

I am planning on using the hacked calculator and a reed switch...I think they will keep up with about 400rpm, which is plenty fast.
-Erin

[tbryanh]

I am planning on using the hacked calculator and a reed switch...I think they will keep up with about 400rpm, which is plenty fast.
-Erin

The calculator trick is pretty neat. It should get you by for a while.

[Alabam]

This is the setup i had with an old sowing machine before moving on,(i just recently made a copy of the Schatten Winder for $25).
Where you have your holder i used two wooden coasters from Walmart, the center of each of them had cork indent, just deep enough to hide the bobbin covers, this kept the magnet wire from snagging on them.
I tried the Calculator trick, but it was inaccurate at times so i attached a mechanical counter which done the job.

Good luck with yours.

[lexluthier72]

could you post a larger picture of it...?

[Alabam]

Here you go squire, the coaster on the old winder was put on in reverse until i figured out that the cork indent could be used as an anti wire snagging device.
The other pics are my latest homemade winder, a Schatten clone.
The metal rods and collars i got from Tractor Supply, the motor is from a pitched electric fan, for the speed control i wired up an old dimmer switch, its on the top. The mechanical counter is mounted on the front.
The fan motor has two pairs of wire, next i will attach a switch to them so that i can wind in any direction.

All the best.

[lexluthier72]

Thanks much....Those are great photos...your schatten clone looks great. Although I am using a calculator for the counter, I am trying to figure out how to mount a mechanical counter....Any thoughts? See my photos...The main problem is how to mount the counter and whether it should run off the same belt or try to rig up 2 belts....?
-Erin