----- Original Message ----- From: "Andrew Rich" vk4tec@people.net.au To: "Amsat-Bb@Amsat. Org" amsat-bb@amsat.org Cc: "Aprssig" aprssig@lists.tapr.org Sent: Friday, December 07, 2007 11:22 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Forming wire loops

I am looking for ideas to help form wire loops from wire that is already of larger diamater.

I was thinking of making up a base board with some pulley wheels and feed the wire in.

As it goes over the pulleys, a gentle pressure is applied and helps bend the wire into a smaller coil.

I tried a bucket and failed misserably.

Ideas ?

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Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec@people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

Hi Andrew, VK4TEC

Your machine was normally used by amateur to form aluminum angulars to get parabolic ribbons to be used in large parabolic EME dishes for 70 cm and 23 cm.

The pressure applied over the central pulley depends on the material of the wire to be formed.

Annealed aluminum or copper wires versus cold drawn aluminum or copper wires requires completely different pressure applied over the central pulley to get the material permanently stressed.

If your effort failed probaly your wire was cold drawn wire and not annealed wire

Best 73" de

i8CVS Domenico

Hi Andrew & Amsat's

about a year ago, I had the same question with you.

I had aluminium-wire 8mm and I was looking to form it as a loop for VHF.

After several experiments, I found the best method.

Firstly, I use 2 "special tools"!

a) a "hot-air gun" 2 KW , very powerful tool. (I bought it from a big General store for ...7 Euros!) b) barbecue gloves (these with high enough isolation from high temperatures)

Now, by using a metallic barrel as tube (forma) with the appropriated diameter for my loop, I screw on it the beginning of wire.

Then I Fire-up the "Hot-air gun" and I try to make hotter the wire, slowly and carefully close to the screw. When the aluminium is hot-enough is much easier to bend it around of barrel, by handling that with barbecue's glovers. Slowly & carefully, from the beginning to the 1/4, then to 1/2, then to 3/4 till to the end of loop, you can form it easily, always by using the hot-air gun.

You need enough time in order to make the loop, but I made 3 perfect loops (like commercials !) by following this method.

Good luck

73, Mak SV1BSX

----- Original Message ----- From: "Andrew Rich" vk4tec@people.net.au To: "Amsat-Bb@Amsat. Org" amsat-bb@amsat.org Cc: "Aprssig" aprssig@lists.tapr.org Sent: Saturday, December 08, 2007 00:22 Subject: [amsat-bb] Forming wire loops

I am looking for ideas to help form wire loops from wire that is already of larger diamater.

I was thinking of making up a base board with some pulley wheels and feed the wire in.

As it goes over the pulleys, a gentle pressure is applied and helps bend the wire into a smaller coil.

I tried a bucket and failed misserably.

Ideas ?

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Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec@people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

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