Stroking coils

[Ongeslepen]

When building a contact coil, people including myself stroke the coils in order to get the hot spots out...

I was wondering, how come it works? What is happening with the material, what am i actually doing? At the moment it's like magic. I like it

Could day dream about it all day, imagining what it does on a atomic level.. lol..

 

[McAnythingReally]

Somebody will be able to chime in a bit more in depth, but If my memory serves me right, it is because on some level the coils develop an almost magnetic field when pulsing and heating, that leads to hot spots being created, and coils to heat unevenly. Strumming the coil basically breaks that, and resets the coils to be even again.

 

[sonicbomb]

It's got nothing to do with 'almost magnetic fields'

As I understand it -
As you heat the coil, a layer of insulating oxide forms on the outside of the wire. This stops the electricity from taking a shorter path across any given loop where it makes contact with another. There will be points of contact initially that are snug enough to prevent this oxidization process, causing shorts. Strumming or tapping the coil disturbs these unwanted points of contact enough for oxidization to occur there too, allowing an uninterupted flow of current down the length of the wire.

 

[McAnythingReally]

Yeah...that makes a lot more sense than what I had posted LOL.

I had read that information elsewhere, and it sounded odd, but I am not too familiar with the in depth parts of coil building like that. Thank you for bringing the much more logical answer to the table LOL

 

[Ongeslepen]

Thx for your answers, i have to say though. My favorite is the magnetic theorie. But after reading about the insulating oxide. That one does make more sense.

Sometimes i wonder why i ask so much, it kills the magic haha, oh well. I'm a curious kid, not knowing bothers me more.

Thx!

 

[whiteowl84]

It's got nothing to do with 'almost magnetic fields'

As I understand it -
As you heat the coil, a layer of insulating oxide forms on the outside of the wire. This stops the electricity from taking a shorter path across any given loop where it makes contact with another. There will be points of contact initially that are snug enough to prevent this oxidization process, causing shorts. Strumming or tapping the coil disturbs these unwanted points of contact enough for oxidization to occur there too, allowing an uninterupted flow of current down the length of the wire.

Now when I sit at my table and stroke it, I'll actually know what I'm doing.

 

[sonicbomb]

eu