DIY Hand-Driller Coil Winding Machine with Digital Counter

When I built prototypes of my invention (A No-Friction Bicycle Light Generator) before mass manufacturing, I need to test different kinds of coil to fit the product, so I made this coil maker (DIY winding machine). It is easy to be made, low cost and simple.

Link: A No-Friction Bicycle Light Generator
Link (webpage for this winding machine): DIY Hand-Driller Coil Winding Machine with Digital Counter

Full view:

Step 1 Step2

Full view. You can get the pedometer on ebay for few dollars. There are many kinds of pedometer on market, in my mind, the cheaper one is better for building this winding machine. The magnet and reed switch can be bought as door alarm switch set in hardware shop. A old hand-driller.

Hand-driller's handle turning once, the coil will turning about 3.5 turns. So if the digital counter showed 100, the coil will be 350 turns. Each hand-driller may be in different rate, just test it before use it.

A no-friction bicycle lights dynamo

Comments

[dawoj]

Good counter

[edwianni1]

Where can I find the site for your coil winder KIT? Thank You.

[agis68]

pretty smart....i have some step counters

[WolfVecho]

very good Idea

[paborralho]

Great! I think it can also be done with a bycicle speedometer, since it already as a magnet switch

[josie]

The speedometer can be made into a tachometer. See my instructable where I did it.
I like the counter!

[raelx]

Nice work, great use of the pedometer as a counter. Unfortunately your bike light is not resistance-less. It may be frictionless as there are no rubbing parts but every time that magnet swings by the generator it removes energy from the rear wheel. It's a great idea I just wouldn't advertise it as violating the first law of thermodynamics.

[Derin]

oh no,violating the law of thermodynamics!
later on,at the courtyard:
So,this person_{...son...son...son},has violated _{...ted...ted...ted} the law of thermodynamics_{...mics...mics...mics}!So,he shall_{...all...all...all},be kicked_{ked...ked...ked}!

[paborralho]

It´s simply wonderful! That must come from a briliant practical mind.

[Ohm]

you could also use a cheapy little claculator as your counter, just wire the reed switch to the plus button and punch in a 1 to start it going.

[rolan]

Great idea. You could also enter the number of windings then minus 1 to count down to zero! Soldering to those tiny zig zag button pads might be more difficult than to the large leads of the pedometer jump switch though.

[Mr. Smart Kid]

ooooooooooooowwwwwwww

[abun1991]

Brilliance Sheer Brialliance.

[andy]

Oh excellent, this is exactly what I need, time saving and incredibly practical, and cheap too. Flexible as well, because it would work with non-round coils (i need a trapeze shaped coil) just attach bobbin of desired shape. No more hand winding for me (well... in a way, but not quite so time consuming and hard on the fingers) Like it. Andy

[nah]

If you moved the magnet to the chuck and place the reed switch to match, then you wouldn't have to worry about what the ratio was between the crank and the bobbin. Other than that, it's a nice, simple rig.

[royalestel]

This is great. I see you already have online DIY kit instructions. You should post them here as well to improve traffic (and sales). Nothing wrong with that.

Check out ladyada's stuff

[dataphool]

Elegant. Deals with the problem in an efficient manner.

[gmoon]

I like! I've thought about making a coil-winder for guitar pickups--what gauge wire you using? Pickups use 42AWG (.063mm), very easy to break...