Winders for Elastic Motors
To a model aeroplane enthusiast a winder is an enormous acquisition.
The converted egg-beater type of winder, so much in evidence, leaves
much to be desired, the chief fault being that the bearing spindles
wear so quickly, apart from the fact that they are awkward to
manipulate single-handed. A second person is generally required to
support the model.
The winder here illustrated bears the distinct advantage that one
person can wind, keep the model in alignment with, and forced into,
the chuck simultaneously. The construction and general details will be
fairly obvious from the accompanying illustrations, so that it will
only be necessary to give a brief description.
It consists of an ash stump, 13 in. by 1 in. by 1 in., tapered at one
end, as in Fig. 91, to facilitate its being forced into the ground. A
gear and pinion (see Fig. 91), which may be requisitioned from some
of the cheaper type of clockworks, are mounted at the top end of the
stump in a casting of No. 18 S.W.G. brass, which is secured to the ash
by means of two round-headed screws (see Fig. 94). It will be found
that for general purposes a gear ratio of six to one will be most
suitable. Thus the pinion may have ten teeth and the gear sixty. The
handle should be bent to shape after being passed through the stump.
Copper ferrules are used on the spindles to keep the gears central
between the casing, as shown in Fig. 93, and should allow a little play
to ensure easy rotation. The pinion spindle must be flattened out after
the gearing is put together, and the hardwood chuck then driven on.
A glance at Fig. 92 will show clearly what is meant. The slot in the
chuck should be made sufficiently large to take a carved propeller.
[Illustration: Fig. 91]
[Illustration: Fig. 92]
[Illustration: Fig. 93]
[Illustration: Fig. 94
Figs. 91 to 94.—A Model Aeroplane Winder]
[Illustration: Fig. 94A.—The Winder]
[Illustration: Fig. 95.—An Egg Whisk]
[Illustration: Fig. 95A.—Using Twin Winder]
=A Double Winder.=—As each propeller of a twin-screw machine requires
to be wound up 400 to 500 times, it is obviously necessary to use a
geared-up winder. This can easily be constructed out of an ordinary
egg-beater, and one converted into a very useful instrument is shown by
Fig. 94A. The great advantage of using a winder of this type is that
both propellers can be wound simultaneously. Figs. 95 and 95A clearly
show how the alteration is made; it is quite simple, and all the tools
required are a three-cornered file, a drill, and a soldering bit. The
egg-beater can be obtained for a few pence at any ironmonger’s. The
two hooks at the nose of the machine are attached to the cross-pieces
on the winder, and the rubber is wound in the same direction as the
propellers revolve (see Fig. 95A). The winder shown is geared 5 to 1,
so that 100 turns on the winder gives 500 turns on the propellers.
Geared-up winders may be purchased fairly cheap.