These are some of the electric motors
I have made from scrap. Most of the bits came from old door
bells, old computers, scrap wood and metal, along with watch
springs and other bits and pieces.
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School Motor |
Yoyo Motor |
Disk Drive |
Small Beam |
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Large Beam |
High Tec |
10 Minute |
Film Can |
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Double Wound |
Three Pole |
Bobbin |
Small bobbin |
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Hard Drive |
Reciprocating Motor |
Scotch Yoke |
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School Motor Movie
WMV Format 1.5MB
I made this little motor when I was at school. They came as
kits and it was just a mater of assembling them. The one here
hadn't run for many years, and as you can see it could do with
a good clean up, but with a little light oil, it soon
came to life.
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Yoyo Motor Movie
WMV Format 1.4MB
This motor used half of a yoyo for the
flywheel. The twin electromagnets came from a door bell that was at
least fifty year old, and the switching gear came from as old
tape recorded. The switching gear is operated by a nylon cam
that is fixed to the flywheel shaft.
When the two bolts on the flywheel are at
top and bottom dead centre, the cam turns the power on and the
electromagnets pull the bolts, thus turning the flywheel. When
the bolts are almost leave with the electromagnets the cam
turns off the power and the flywheel continues to spin due
to inertia until the bolts are at top and bottom dead centre
again. This process continues until the power is switched off.
The motor turns on 4.5 to 6
volts.
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Disk Drive Motor Movie
WMV Format 1.2MB
A five and a half inch floppy disk
drive provided the flywheel for this motor. The solenoid
came from a door bell. A cut down steal wall plug was used
for the piston and the connecting rod came from an old
computer. The connecting brushes are cut down pocket watch
springs, which are set in a wooden block.
When the piston is at top dead centre,
the crank arm touches the two brushed completing the circuit
turning the power on and the solenoid pulls the piston in, thus
turning the flywheel. When the piston is at bottom dead
centre the crank arm leaves the brushes and the power is
turned off. The flywheel continues to spin due to inertia
until the piston is at top dead centre again. This process
continues until the power is switched off. This motor runs
well on 6 volts
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Small Beam Motor Movie
WMV Format 2.8MB
This motor is made from scrap wood and
various other bits and pieces. The twin electromagnets came from a
door bell and are turned on and off with a micro switch.
Before I installed the micro switch I had made my own
switching gear with clock springs and other bits, and to
be honest that worked better than the micro switch.
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Large Beam Motor Movie
WMV Format 4.75MB
This motor is quit large at 44cm (17
inches) x 29Ccm (11 inches) x 31cm (12 inches). It is
made mostly of wood including the 20cm (8 inch)
flywheel. I made the two solenoids with copper pipe and
wooden washer for the top and bottom. The wire for the
solenoids came from a burned out carpet cleaner
motor. The solenoids rods came from an old printer.
A micro switch turns on and off each
solenoid. The only time they is no power in one or the
other solenoid is at top and bottom dead centre. This
means that, with just three volts, the motor can run
really slow, or with a bit more juice it will run fast.
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High Tec Motor Movie
WMV Format 3.8MB
I thought I'd make a more high tec motor
and used a reed switch, four
magnets which are fixed to the flywheel and a electromagnet from a door bell. Rees
switches can be found in widow alarms. I got three for a
pound at a local pound shop. I disabled the alarm so
that I could use the read switch, and the on and off
switch. This motor has it's own batteries fitted in the
base. It will run clockwise or anticlockwise and if a
weight is put across the flywheel the motor will rock
like a pendulum. See the movie.
When a magnet gets
close to the reed switch the two contacts inside the
read switch get magnetized and touch each other. This
causes the electromagnet to push it's magnet away.
When the magnets spin away, the reed
switch demagnetizes and gets disconnected. This creates
an open circuit disabling the electromagnet.
The flywheel continue to spin due to
inertia until the next magnet gets in working range of
the reed switch. It becomes magnetized again and its
contacts making the electromagnet
push it's magnet away.
This process continues until the power is switched off.
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Posted 13th June 2007
Ten Minute Motor Movie
WMV Format 2.3MB
The armature for this little motor was made
from 22SWG copper wire, which came from
Maplin along with
an AA battery holder. I wound a length of the wire
around an AA battery and tied the ends off, (fig 1).
With a sharp knife, I remove the top half of the
insulation from one end of the armature. Being careful to
leave the bottom half of the wire with the enamel
insulation intact.
On the other side of the coil, all the insulation was
removed, (fig 2).
For the armature supports and bearings, thick copper wire
was shaped as shown in (fig 3),
(fig 3a).
The motor, with a small switch, was assembled onto an
MDF base, (fig 4),
(fig 4a),
(fig 4b)
and (fig 4c).
The motor runs on an AA battery. I attached the battery
box to the under side of the base with double sided
tape, and then soldered the wires in place. A box was
made for the base, to conceal the battery and the base
of the switch, (fig 5)
and (fig 5a).
For the motor to work, a magnet needs to be fitted under
the armature. The one I used came from an old telephone
bell, (fig 6).
For step be step instructions for how to make this motor,
and for details of how it works,
click hear. Also have a look at
Denis Arquette motor.
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Posted 18th June 2007
Film Can Motor Movie
WMV Format 3.2MB
The armature core for this motor was made from a 35mm
film can, (fig
1). A bicycle wheel spoke was used for the main
shaft, (fig
2).
To make the armature, I wound a length of 28SWG copper
wire around the film can, (fig
3). Cable ties where used to stop the wire sliding
off the film can, (fig
3a). I changed the cable ties for insulating tape
later, so that the magnets could get a little closer
to the armature.
The commutator is a length of plastic sleeve, taken
from a wire coat hanger, with the contacts formed out
of copper connectors, taken from a telescopic aerial.
These were soldered to the ends of the armature and
attached to the plastic sleeve with a rubber grommet,
(fig
4), (fig
4a), (fig
4b), (fig
4c).
The brushes were made from thin single core wire, the
sort telephone engineers use with the multi coloured
insulation on them. (fig
5).
To test the motor I used a scrap of wood for the base
and copper wire for the bearings and attached the
bearings to the base with drawing pins. (Fig
6) shows the motor running on three volts using
two door alarm magnets – two for a pound at a local
pound shop.
I found that by placing a strong magnet, that was
taken from a computers hard drive, under the motor it
would run on only one and a half volts and the speed
could be doubled by holding another hard drive magnet
over the top of the motor, (fig
7) and (fig
7a).
To finish off the motor, a thin MDF base was cut to
clip in the top of a sardine can, (fig
8), (fig
8a) and (fig
8b). The bearing, for the motor, where made from
scrap metal taken from an old computer, (fig
9) and (fig
9a).
The battery box was stuck into the can with double
sided tape and a small switch was fitted to the side
of the can, (fig
10).
The brushes where improved by bending them similar to
a safety pin, (fig
11),. Then they were attached to the motor as
shown in, (fig
11a) and (fig
11b).
The motor was wired to the batteries and switch, (fig
12). I decide to use the magnet from the hard
drive and screwed it in place under the motor, (fig
13), (fig
13a) and (fig
13b).
The motor runs very fast on three volts, and will run
slower on one and a half volts.
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Posted 27th June 2007
Double Wound Motor Movie
WMV Format 2MB
This motor is very similar to the one above, in that
the armature core was made from a 35mm film can and
a bicycle wheel spoke was used for the main shaft, (fig 1).
The main difference is that the armature is double
wound using two lengths of 28SWG copper wire. Cable
ties and insulating tape was used to hold the wire
in place, (fig 2) and (fig 2a).
The commutator is a length of rubber pipe, once used
for bleeding car breaks, (fig 3). The contacts were
formed out of a length of copper pipe, taken from a
telescopic aerial. This was cut into four, (fig 3a)
and (fig 3b), before being soldered to the ends of
the armature, (fig 3c), and then attached to the
rubber pipe with two rubber grommets, (fig 3d).
Another difference with this motor when compared to
the one above, is this motor uses an electro magnet
rather then a fixed magnet. The electro magnet was
formed from a length of mild steel taken from an old
fire spark guard. It was bent into shape and wound
with a length of 28SWG copper wire, (fig 4), and
(fig 4a).
To finish off the motor, an MDF base was cut and a
box was made, to house the six volt battery box and
switch. The bearings, for the motor, were made from
scrap metal, taken from an old computer. The motor
was then assembled and the wiring done, (fig 5),
(fig 5a), (fig 5b), (fig 5c), (fig 5d), (fig 5e),
(fig 5f), (fig 5g) and (fig 5h).
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Posted 2nd July 2007
Three Pole Motor Movie
WMV Format 2.8MB
Since most small DC motors are of a three-pole
design, I decided to have a go at building one.
The armature was made be winding 28SWG copper wire
around three nuts and bolts, as shown in (fig 1),
(fig 1a) and (fig 1b). These coils were then
screwed on to a circular wooden disk, (fig 2) and
(fig 2a), and then the axle was fitted into the
armature core, (fig 2b).
The commutator is a length of plastic sleeve used
to pump air into fish tanks, with the contacts
formed out of copper connectors, taken from a
telescopic aerial. These were soldered to the ends
of the armature, as shown in (fig 3), and then
attached to the plastic sleeve with rubber
grommets, (fig 4), (fig 4a) and (fig 4b).
I tested the motor, in the same way as my other
motors, by using a scrap of wood for the base and
copper wire for the bearings and attached the
bearings to the base with drawing pins. The
brushes were made from thin single core wire.
(Fig 5) shows the motor running on six volts using
two door alarm magnets – two for a pound at a
local pound shop, (fig 5a).
To finish off the motor, an MDF base was cut and a
box was made, to house the six volt battery box
and switch. The bearings, for the motor, were made
from scrap metal, taken from an old curtain
pelmet. The motor was then assembled and the
wiring done, (fig 6), (fig 6a), (fig 6b), (fig 6c), (fig 6d)
and (fig 6e).
I found that this motor was slightly out of
balance, so a small MDF flywheel was made and
weighted with a small nut and bolt to balance the
motor up, (fig 7) and (fig 7a).
The completed motor is shown in (fig 8), (fig 8a),
(fig 8b), (fig 8c) and (fig 8d).
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Posted 17th April 2008
Bobbin Motor Movie
WMV Format 1MB
This motor is similar to the one
I made to power my
Turntable.
The armature for this motor was
built from a cotton bobbin and has four
windings, (fig 1), (fig 1a), (fig 1b) and
(fig 1c), shows the armature being built up.
The commutator is a length of
plastic tube , with the contacts formed out of
copper connectors, taken from telescopic
aerials. These were soldered to the ends of the
armature wires, and then attached to the plastic
tube with rubber grommets, (fig 2).
(Fig 3), shows the motor being
tested using magnets from an old hard drive. The
brushes were made from thin single core wire.
This motor was finish off by
making a box to house the three volt battery box
and the switch. The magnets are glued to the
wood frame that goes over the armature. The
bearings for the motor were made from scrap
metal, taken from an old computer. The motor was
then assembled and the wiring done, (fig 4),
(fig 4a) and (fig 4b).
