G'day.

No, good point.

Question for you Woody, what pressure switches have you used in the past? Thanks.
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Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
Albert Einstein.

http://www.airlines-pneumatics.co.uk/webcat/Detprod.asp?ProductCode=S07014420 or similar....they come as either Normally Open or Normally Closed contacts.

http://www.gemssensors.com/content.aspx?id=3198

PS61 has a good pressure range.

http://www.gemssensors.com/uploadedFiles/Literature/UK_PDFs/PS61-Oct2006.pdf

Does anyone know how easy/hard it would be to create your own solenoid coils? I have design and can build the valves but they would need a coil on a spool. I guess you can maybe create a spool with the help of a lathe? If so does anyone know how I would go about working out the gauge of wire and turns?
I would like to make my own, but maybe its easier to buy them. Advice, info if you have would be appreciated. Thank you.
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Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
Albert Einstein.

http://www.ledex.com/solenoid/solenoid-basics.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coil

http://femm.foster-miller.net/list/pdf00001.pdf

http://www.captain.at/electronics/coils/


Note that you can happily overvolt a solenoid coil...and get more pull... if your only turning it on for a split second....ie 6v coil @ 24v.

Thanks Woody. I like the last link, but I think I still need to work out the inductance first. Any help with that? Cheers.
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Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
Albert Einstein.

http://robots.freehostia.com/Solenoids/Solenoids.html

How much pull are you needing?

http://www.coilgun.info/theory/coilsize.htm


A spreadsheet that might help.

http://femm.foster-miller.net/list/xls00000.xls

Unless your trying to run an engine (google evic)
inductance shouldn't matter too much.
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Mechanical engineers build weapons, civil engineers build targets

i wound coils for vertexs disc i just experimented with wire and turns it ended up pulling 80 amps at 24 volts but can pull in two 12 inch clutches in under one second I turned a ford 250 motor fly wheel into an electric clutch

Thanks for the tips guys. I tried some 32 gauge Beading wire with mild success, it was only 22 meters long. It may need to be about 100 meters, also it seems very high resistance @ about 58 ohms. The commercial coil that I'm trying to replicate is only 1.8 ohms.

Any ideas for fine wire supply @ a decent length? Thanks.
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Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
Albert Einstein.

go thicker for more current and more pull the longer the wire the more resistance

Does the wire need to be insulated? I also wish to keep the weight down, so I was guessing thin wire and long rather than thick but shorter.
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Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
Albert Einstein.

Yes, the wire needs insulation, otherwise it will act as a BIG lump of copper.

Not a solenoid but a large fuze with a "limited" power of a few 100 to 1000 amps.

Motor winding wire should be perfect for this. DSE have it pretty cheap in various sizes and is enamel coated.
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https://www.halfdonethings.com/

Got some wire from Jaycar today, wound it on the lathe and it works good. Thanks for the tips guys, now I can make my own solenoid valves. Thanks again, very easy.

Making my own solenoid valves saves weight and money.
_________________
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
Albert Einstein.

I had to take a picture. New stuff coming together nicely.
_________________
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
Albert Einstein.