Plastic pipe for coil?

[raykos]

Hi all,

   If I wanted to experiment with different lengths, turns, gauge,etc. for coils, could I cut off pieces of 1/2" PVC pipe, glue cardboard circles to each end to make a spool, and then use this for the spool to wind the coil on?

Thanks,
Ray

[z.monkey]

Hey Ray,

Cardboard is pretty feeble compared to the copper windings.  Take a 2 inch long machine bolt, say 1/4 inch thread.  Get a couple of 1/4 inch fender washers, and 1/4 inch nuts.  Then find a piece of iron pipe which is 1/4 inch inside diameter.  Cut a length of pipe 1 inch long.  Now take the bolt, slip on a fender washer, then the 1 inch piece of pipe, then the next fender washer and finally a nut.  Tighten that down.  Now you have a ferrous metal spool, or an electromagnetic core.  Take your core and chuck it up in the electric drill using the leftover bolt threads.  Use some electrical tape to hold one end of the wire on the outside of the core.  Then press the trigger on the drill and watch your electromagnet wind itself.  When you think you have enough windings stop the drill, and use electrical tape to secure the windings.  Cut the wire from the supply spool, strip the ends of the electromagnet.  Remember, a sloppy electromagnet is an inefficient electromagnet.

Have fun playing with your new toy.

[raykos]

Hi Z. Monkey,

    Thanks for responding, do appreciate it.  I think I probably didn't phrase my question well enough.  I'm not thinking of using cardboard for the 'tube'  of the spool, that would be the plastic pipe(PVC used for water pipes in plumbing), and I'm pretty sure it would be strong enough to handle the coil wire.  The cardboard I was referring to would be your washers, glued on each end of the plastic pipe to prevent the coil from coming off.   What I was thinking on doing was using different dia. pipe 1/2", 3/4", 1", at different lengths to experiment with.  I was just wondering if the thickness of the plastic, approx. 1/16", between the metal core and the coil would have any affect on the magnetic flux?  In other words if you were looking down on the coil, there would be a gap of 1/16" or more between the iron core and the inside of the coil.

Thanks,
Ray

[z.monkey]

Yeah, it will make a difference.  Manufacturers who are not worried about efficiency will use a plastic bobbin to wind the coil on, then slip the bobbin onto the core.  They don't care how much energy you are waisting, they are not paying for it.  Those of us who are striving to achieve overunity know that we need every efficiency advantage possible.  My coils are wound directly on the iron.  Some people even add iron filings between the iron core and the windings to make sure every possible space is filled with iron.  Anything you can do to maximize the efficiency will help.  If you can get access to a gauss meter you can test this hypothesis.  Build the coil with a bobbin, and one with out then test them.  The coil with no bobbin will produce more flux.

The premise of all science is the question why.  We verify that premise with evidence produced from testing our hypothesis.  A theory becomes a law when it passes the test.

Have fun...

[raykos]

Hi Z. Monkey,

   Darn!!  Another good idea gone down in flames!!  Oh, well.

   Again, thanks for taking the time to respond. 

Ray