Bifilar Winding Jig

[dmonarch]

Does anyone know of a design for a good bifilar winding jig. Something that twists the wires and winds them onto a new spool at the same time.

[Inquorate]

Bifiliar winding jig

I know of one with only two moving parts... ;-)

Otherwise, you'd have to make something like this, so that middle wheel was free spinning, run by motor with potentiometer to limit current and thus speed, it would need high edges, so a pulley wheel would be best. The wires go through two washers on the wheel then thru another washer together, where they twist together, then to the spool which is on another motor run by a another potentiometer to control speed. You could make one switch for both motors, and use string first to get both motors at speeds that work together, before trying wire....

For the up and down of final coil spool, it would be easier to do by hand than to set it up to work by machine.. Too many levers working off wheels and motors, unless you've got a workshop at your disposal.

Bifiliar+coil+winder.jpg (image)

[dmonarch]

Wow

Wow thats quite an ingenius way of doing it. Thanks heaps. I know just where i can get the parts to.

[Inquorate]

Design flaw - amendment

The single washer would have to be in exact centre of free standing pulley, the belt could be a car fanbelt, the pulley wheel on the right could be on a bolt or tied down lever to keep fanbelt tight... But the major change is the source wire spool would have to be on the free wheeling centre pulley, else you'd end up with giant knots.. And the twisting washer should be a plastic ring so as to not strip the wire enamel......

I might even build one. 'necessity is the mother of invention' - glad to help

[Inquorate]

And the source spools...

And the source spools would have to be under tension, maybe rubber bands over plastic (icecream container lid type stuff) which rubs on spools. That would keep them on the L bar on the free spinning centre pulley too, when it turns upside down..

[cody]

I made a trifilar winding jig a while ago, it could be used to wind just 2 or 1 wire as well. Ill post some pics and info when i get home from work.

[chemelec]

Does anyone know of a design for a good bifilar winding jig. Something that twists the wires and winds them onto a new spool at the same time.

Why would you want to Twist the wires?

Bifular winding is just 2 (Or More) wires wound at the same time, Side by side.

[Electrotek]

Hi Chemelec,

You're right. And there are other winding patterns as well. Complete layers in the coil can alternate from one source spool to the other. And several of Tesla's pancake coils can be wound side by side. It all depends on how much capacitance you want the coil to have, to provide a given resonance.

Some people even use a regular transformer, with a diode across the secondary.

[dmonarch]

A way of ensuring regularity

I am no expert but it would seem to me to be a good way of ensuring always paralleled wires and so ensuring a uniform field. I just like it because it seems tidy

Why would you want to Twist the wires?

Bifular winding is just 2 (Or More) wires wound at the same time, Side by side.

[dmonarch]

Small Question

Whne the two wires feed into the first wheel with the two holes in it. So one wire in each. How do you stop the wire from twisting on the side that the wire spools are on.

[hh1341]

How do you stop the wire from twisting on the side that the wire spools are on.

You have to rotate the source spools with the twister
Mount them to the large belt driven pulley.
Mount the source spools on axles with a means to maintain tension on the wire.
By using 2 variable speed motors you can adjust the number of twists per inch.

Carl

[dmonarch]

Mount them on spool

Ahh that makes sense. Thanks

[chemelec]

Hi Chemelec,

You're right. And there are other winding patterns as well. Complete layers in the coil can alternate from one source spool to the other. And several of Tesla's pancake coils can be wound side by side. It all depends on how much capacitance you want the coil to have, to provide a given resonance.

Some people even use a regular transformer, with a diode across the secondary.

If you want to Reduce Capacitance, Use a "Pi" Winding.

Twisting wires will probably increase Capacitance between the twisted wires.

I wind a lot of Tesla type "Flat Radial wound coils", Some with as many as 4 seperate wires. I use them for my Metal detectors.

[hh1341]

I wind a lot of Tesla type "Flat Radial wound coils", Some with as many as 4 seperate wires. I use them for my Metal detectors.

chemelec

Start a thread ........Metal detectors sound like a great project!

Carl

[ren]

If you want to Reduce Capacitance, Use a "Pi" Winding.

Twisting wires will probably increase Capacitance between the twisted wires.

I wind a lot of Tesla type "Flat Radial wound coils", Some with as many as 4 seperate wires. I use them for my Metal detectors.

Twisting wires gives miminum winding to winding capacitance. There is a pont and purpose for it, and it is not always appliable to the design. It shouldnt be done if ones purpose is simply to keep it neat.

If you wish to twist I have done it in the past with a battery drill and "Y" shaped bracket, the top of the "Y" big enough to hold a spool. Clamp the other end or even better get someone to help you keep the wires taunt. Spin the spool so that the wires twist together, and then wind by hand onto the spool. Repeat until your arms are ready to drop off