My humble winder

[Chris Turner]

Just finished up half of a Wal bass-type pickup tonight using my newly assembled, humble little winder:






Needs some tidying up with the wires and such, but so far, so good...

Thanks again to Bruce Johnson for the faceplates!

[David King]

Where did you find that cast iron tower that holds the bearings? Very cool and nice symmetry.

[Chris Turner]

Where did you find that cast iron tower that holds the bearings? Very cool and nice symmetry.

I found that on eBay... did a search for vintage benchtop grinders. I think it's from the 50s or 60s. I replaced the original shaft with one I bought from McMaster-Carr.

[Jason Rodgers]

Dude, that's cool as hell! I have one of those little arbor tower things that I got at a yard sale years ago, but have never figured out what to use it for. And your felt tensioner is just like mine: I dig.

(Hey, David, got anything to swap for my arbor tower thingy?)

[Chris Turner]

Dude, that's cool as hell! I have one of those little arbor tower things that I got at a yard sale years ago, but have never figured out what to use it for. And your felt tensioner is just like mine: I dig.

(Hey, David, got anything to swap for my arbor tower thingy?)

Oh yeah! Sorry I didn't give you thanks in the OP. Quite the clever idea, Jason... I had to steal it.

[Jason Rodgers]

Then you're an accomplice to the theft of someone else's idea, 'cause I'm robbing folks blind left and right!

[big_teee]

Nice!
With the winder at the back, and the tensioner on the front?
Trying to visulize where you rest your hand when guiding the wire?
In the middle somewhere, or do you do that with the tensioner?
T

[Jason Rodgers]

As well as the tensioner-to-guide setup works on my winder, that's exactly the challenge I'm experiencing. It only takes a light touch with the fingertips, but you get fatigued quickly if you don't have a rest. I'm scheming some sort of traverser that can be manually operated with a simple lever or dial that takes my hands off the wire.

[Chris Turner]

Nice!
With the winder at the back, and the tensioner on the front?
Trying to visulize where you rest your hand when guiding the wire?
In the middle somewhere, or do you do that with the tensioner?
T

Yeah, for now I kinda just have to rest in the middle somewhere. The plan is to get some sort of traverse hooked up. I can either go simple and do something like Jason's thinking of, or I might even hook up a stepper with a threaded nylon piece and rest the wire in the threads. Should be able to set the start and stop positions and the speed, and be good to go... just have it go back and forth between those two points.

[big_teee]

Yeah, for now I kinda just have to rest in the middle somewhere. The plan is to get some sort of traverse hooked up. I can either go simple and do something like Jason's thinking of, or I might even hook up a stepper with a threaded nylon piece and rest the wire in the threads. Should be able to set the start and stop positions and the speed, and be good to go... just have it go back and forth between those two points.

That makes sense!
I strictly hand wind, and I want the guide stop bar to be right on the edge of my desk.
I rest my hand on my arm rest of my chair which I make as low as possible.
Putting my hand over in the middle at my age, wouldn't work, or hold up for long.
Nice clean looking winder.
GL,
T

[spichael]

Very cool!!! has any one thought of a manually controlled winder with a foot pedal as a driver? I'm very curious about this, as I want to complete a contraption like this

[Jason Rodgers]

Very cool!!! has any one thought of a manually controlled winder with a foot pedal as a driver? I'm very curious about this, as I want to complete a contraption like this

You mean like converting a treadle sewing machine? I'm sure it could be done. Any system will require practice to get good results, though.

[rjb]

How about something like this?

[David King]

You could watch this 1/2 hour video about pedal powered machinery of all kinds for inspiration. All early lathes were human powered and lathes go back to the invention of the wheel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzqJS_EJV94
It's a bit didactic but you'll get the idea in a hurry.

[Chris Turner]

Very cool!!! has any one thought of a manually controlled winder with a foot pedal as a driver? I'm very curious about this, as I want to complete a contraption like this

I've thought about it, but then quickly dismissed the idea once I remembered I had electricity.