Making your own induction heater coils

[JOEPRO]

I've one if these arriving Tuesday good used from fleabay



It will come with a decent array of coil sizes as pictured. But for my classic automotive uses I would like to be able to make my own custom coils. Like extra long reach ones for exhaust downpipe bolts that sort of thing.

I'm certain I've seen posts from members here talking about how to make your own DIY coils.

Any tips or information in that regard would be appreciated.

 

[Kram]

It is very easy. Those look like very basic coils without watercooling, so in effect, your just bending them and sleeving. Find a good sized former to bend the around, anneal as needed. Ensure theres a gap on every turn. The smaller the coil to the part, the better magnetic coupling you will get and more heat. Too small and you'll touch, melt the sleeving and short out.

 

[roofman]

I've one if these arriving Tuesday good used from fleabay

View attachment 493016

It will come with a decent array of coil sizes as pictured. But for my classic automotive uses I would like to be able to make my own custom coils. Like extra long reach ones for exhaust downpipe bolts that sort of thing.

I'm certain I've seen posts from members here talking about how to make your own DIY coils.

Any tips or information in that regard would be appreciated.

I make my own and have put a post here about it...few years ago mind but search button should find it

 

[JOEPRO]

Found it! Thread 'Home made induction gun coils' https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/home-made-induction-gun-coils.115452/

 

[JOEPRO]

I have ordered 2mm copper wire (5m reel) and 2mm high temperature heat sleeve from Amazon it will be here tomorrow and I'll have a go and making one coil to start with and test out when the machine gets here Tuesday

 

[JOEPRO]

Got to love amazon prime



First test one I made up. The Sykes kit doesn't come with a side on coil like this.





The Sykes ductor should be here tomorrow so I'll try this out then.

I formed the end around a socket and in all honesty if this works ill be very impressed as its very cheap <50p of materials and a couple minutes time to knock one up.

 

[roofman]

Got to love amazon prime

View attachment 493388

First test one I made up. The Sykes kit doesn't come with a side on coil like this.

View attachment 493389

View attachment 493390

The Sykes ductor should be here tomorrow so I'll try this out then.

I formed the end around a socket and in all honesty if this works ill be very impressed as its very cheap <50p of materials and a couple minutes time to knock one up.

Even cheaper if you get the copper strands from a scrap yard...comes from underground cable which is made up of the single copper strands.

 

[nickk]

This is interesting,for forge work,I borrowed @s410man one,might have been a sealey,just to heat 8mm round,it barely got it hot,though I would have liked a smaller coil as there was space,i,wonder if it’s worth shelling out for an expensive water cooled job with hollow coils.

 

[northwest]

I am wondering if you couldn't use copper brake pipe and run coolant through that.

 

[hotponyshoes]

I am wondering if you couldn't use copper brake pipe and run coolant through that.

Brake pipe might be a bit small bore for enough cooling flow? I've not compared but I think plain copper tube online is probably cheaper than brake pipe from my local motor factors.
Reason I never tried brake pipe is you need to attach power and water to both ends and the connectors I had didn't match brake pipe sizes (iirc)

I'm not sure water cooling is much use with the smaller machines though as.on the ones I had the machine would overheat before the coils did...

Copper pipe is old hat now, 3d printed copper coils are much more fun..

 

[Kram]

It doesnt take much water to keep them cool, on mine it is the welding cable connections that, not watercooled, get blooody hot. I've used 4mm OD upto 8mm OD copper pipe.

This is interesting,for forge work,I borrowed @s410man one,might have been a sealey,just to heat 8mm round,it barely got it hot,though I would have liked a smaller coil as there was space,i,wonder if it’s worth shelling out for an expensive water cooled job with hollow coils.

Generally they struggle to get much above steels curie point, so the basic watercooled ones wont do it for forging, you need a PLL controlled type which cost a lot more. I've not done any forging but assume the curie point is below the minimum temperature.

 

[northwest]

I need to build a trafo for the copper coil, but I need to be able to build them simply and cheaply (its for a product I want to make and market). Off to the 'tube to see if there are any designs I could possibly use.