Have read all the terrific ground work done by Graham, Dave, Gordon, Jochen, Michel, Ralph, Billy and others. Thanks you guys for sharing all that development. So, now where are we? Are you guys still winding coils? I hope so. I like the BIRD type to get away from the linkage. The lost wax/ fingernail polish looks like the last maybe best input. One guy says use page motors, but I don't understand that. Would appreciate any comments before I start.
Thanks,
John255

Hi John!

Ive made some coils today. For RTF AeroAce.. as an rudder actuator


/Daniel

(Im no pro, I just do this for fun, to lern etc.)

If you are looking to purchase actuators, I'll recomend anything epliot winds. The Micro Invent actuators also look great and are terminated properly. Beware of coils that lack solder points for leads, when you break a wire at the coil surface, you are basically screwed.

Remote actuators with linkages help balance the model. Coils and magnents are a lot of weight in the tail.

BIRD and remote actuators each have their unique issues that the builder must overcome.

Daniel,
Nice looking rig.
The coil on the scale looks like it is on a bobbin anf the one in your hand is different. Which do you perfer? What glue are you using to bond the winds?

Tim,
Thanks for your comments. I'd like to try very light hinge method at least for the rudder. I don't build scale so hope to move things forward.
Regards to both,
John255

John255,

Lost-wax/Fingernail-Polish isn't the state of the art anymore. ePilot and myself both have heat bondable wire available now. With the heatbondable wire you just wind it around a former that it wont stick too (PTFE) and throw it in the oven*. It then melts itself together and you can remove it from the former for a super light actuator.

The heat bondable wire actuators end up a fair bit lighter than you can get by glueing yourself. The wire factory has added JUST the right amount of bonding agent to do the job and no more. When you glue yourself you always have to put on an excess to make sure you dont put on too little.

ePilot has the heat bondable wire in 0.05 and 0.03mm sizes (I think - his website doesn't show them). I have the heat bondable wire in 0.071, 0.051, 0.031 and 0.025mm size (and my website doesn't even have a shop active yet so I can't moan about anyone)

I also will have a custom winding service available. For a small tooling cost you can tell me the specs of a coil you want. I will then spit out that sized coil for you for a few $ a pop.


*Winding and throwing in the oven is not optimal. You should really have a stream of hot air being directed on the wire as it is wound. The oven option will however work fine for you guys at home.

thanx John.

The one on the scale is made exactly the same as the one in my hand. No bobbin used, Its an thin (silk-like)paper just for not gluing it to the winder. I use regular balsa(tube)-glue. (that blue tube on the first pic) UHU Hart Balsa-glue Its a kind of n00b-way to go, but iy works for me
The rig is homemade, a geared motor, connected to a microswitch to the electrical-counter.

/Daniel

Hey I'm interested in building micro-actuators, what components do you need? I'm guessing wire, a former to wrap the wire around, a magnet and some kind of linkage which moves? anyone recommend where to get this stuff from?

cheers
Hughbert

Heaps of info on the forums about actually doing it.

Look through the main sticky thread.

ePilot has wire and magnets
I have wire and but no magnets in stock yet

Formers/bearings/horns are in the "Make yourself" category.

cool, cheers

Originally Posted by andrewm1973

John255,

Lost-wax/Fingernail-Polish isn't the state of the art anymore. ePilot and myself both have heat bondable wire available now. With the heatbondable wire you just wind it around a former that it wont stick too (PTFE) and throw it in the oven*. It then melts itself together and you can remove it from the former for a super light actuator.

The heat bondable wire actuators end up a fair bit lighter than you can get by glueing yourself. The wire factory has added JUST the right amount of bonding agent to do the job and no more. When you glue yourself you always have to put on an excess to make sure you dont put on too little.

ePilot has the heat bondable wire in 0.05 and 0.03mm sizes (I think - his website doesn't show them). I have the heat bondable wire in 0.071, 0.051, 0.031 and 0.025mm size (and my website doesn't even have a shop active yet so I can't moan about anyone)

I also will have a custom winding service available. For a small tooling cost you can tell me the specs of a coil you want. I will then spit out that sized coil for you for a few $ a pop.


*Winding and throwing in the oven is not optimal. You should really have a stream of hot air being directed on the wire as it is wound. The oven option will however work fine for you guys at home.

Andrew
Have you started the micro bits on-line shop you mentioned some time ago?

Peter

Actually, I've been thinking and reading about making coils and I think it would be a blast to actually do a pair that would work.

I've scrounged the wire from a battery operated clock. It's .003" dia. which looks about right. The JMP receiver I have drives 50 ohm coils so I'll have to get that many turns.

The problem is to get kick started in selecting one of the many methods posted. I was hoping somebody had a new, hot, nearly painless method developed in the last two quiet years.

The neatest job I've seen is by Ralph Bradley on his Yard Master. (See pic below) I've PM'd Ralph and asked him to come in and tell us some of the details.
John255

Peter,

Some stock has arrived. I have been making sales of LiPo batts via email. The shop FRONT isn't up yet. I am still having some arguments with the site.

If you want anything the site says I have in stock OR wire, bearings and digital scales (which arrived this week and I have not updated to the page yet). Just email me.

I have enlisted some help for finishing the shop and really hope to get it fully functioning by Australia Day.

John

I hope Ralph has some time to come over here to this thread and let some tips of "todays" technic's solutions it would be awsome!

/Daniel

Originally Posted by conversion

John,I hope Ralph has some time to come over here to this thread and let some tips of "todays" technic's solutions it would be awsome! /Daniel

Yes, Daniel that would be fine. Ralph's designs are always exciting with the highest craftmanship. BTW, it appears in the picture above that the material the magnets are glued to is 1/8" rubber. Can that be? And, what is he using for hinge material, it's nearly invisible. It must be stiff enough to provide centering?
Regards,
John255

Originally Posted by John255

Yes, Daniel that would be fine. Ralph's designs are always exciting with the highest craftmanship. BTW, it appears in the picture above that the material the magnets are glued to is 1/8" rubber. Can that be? And, what is he using for hinge material, it's nearly invisible. It must be stiff enough to provide centering?
Regards,
John255

If you look closer it looks like thin hinge-tape obove eachother, from both sides, both under and over the actuator. ?

For centering, he could as many other today, use a centering-magnet glued to the coil itself, they use the smallest magnet there is.

/Daniel