Fully mechanical spool winder is a trash can delight

If there's anything more tedious than winding coils, we're not sure what it is: maybe rolling and wrapping coins; it's really a problem. But luckily, just as there are mechanical ways to count coins, there are tools to make coil production a little less of a chore, but perhaps none have quite as much charm as this coil winder. fully mechanical.

We would say that [Ralph's (VK3ZZC)] incredible invention clearly falls into the category of "engine", without the term being used pejoratively. The rig was based on the MoReCo Coilmaster, a machine that was once commercially available at a fairly high price, according to [Ralph], and still appears to be expensive even today. Never having been able to afford an original, [Ralph] made his own from scrap metal and tools no more sophisticated than a drill press. It is a brass and steel bawdy, with a crank that drives the main winding shaft while powering a cam that guides the wire along the long axis of the spool form. Cams can be replaced for different winding patterns, and various mandrels fit to hold different coil shapes on the winding shaft.

There are a ton of cool details in the build, which [Ralph] explains on fellow ham [Peter (VK3YE)]'s YouTube channel - video below. The coolest idea is a reservoir attached to the wire feed tube that holds the beeswax. The wire is coated in wax as it feeds the spool, serving to not only lubricate things a bit, but also provide some grip to encourage the magnet wire to stay in place on the spool form. It's a nice detail, even if [Ralph's] source of wax – the coating of a block of cheese – isn't exactly appetizing.

We've seen coil winders before, but most of them are motorized and Arduino compatible. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but seeing an all-mechanical solution in action is also pretty cool.