Coil Winding Jig     Analog Dial

Here is a simple coil winding jig. It holds the wire and keeps tension on it, which allows you to use both hands to wind the coil. A small hole is drilled in the back of the clothespin, then the wire is drawn through the "jaw".

It was inspired by Elmer Osterhoudt of Modern Radio Laboratories. But what if the wire isn't on a spool? A loose hank of wire can be very difficult to work with.

To use a hank of wire, the jig can be modified using two plastic party cups and some posterboard or cardboard. A compass and glue gun are required. A wire nut is optional. The cost is almost nothing.

Using the compass, describe two circles that are a bit smaller than the tops of the cups. The point on the compass has the benefit of poking a hole in the exact center. Cut them out and hot glue them to the tops of the cups.

Slice the cups in half with a utility knife. One cup must be longer than the other because they are going to fit together.

Bend a piece of coat hanger and attach it to a wooden base. (The blue object is the wire nut.)

Slide one cup onto the coat hanger, then the other. The cups will fit snuggly together. Give it a spin! NOICE!

To use: Slide one cup onto the coat hanger, add the hank of wire, slide on the second cup and push them together.

Very important! Make sure to use the outer winding of the hank or you'll make a bird's nest. Thread the wire through the hole in the clothespin and clamp the jig to a table.

This 4" diameter coil would have been difficult to wind without the wire hank on the jig going through the clothespin.

After a hank of wire that came in a kit was ruined (by me) I came up with the idea to use the cups. Not only does it work perfectly, I was able to save the extra wire for some future use.

This concludes our broadcast day.

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