Despite the high levels of technology that have been incorporated into professionally manufactured, machine wound, strings the demand still exists for the purpose-made string (like there is sound and there is sound there are strings and there are strings – there can be a world of difference to those with a trained ear).

A good friend and Luthier has been making classical Guitars and manually winding his own strings for many years now and together we are investigating CNC machine winding. My involvement is solely with the Mach3 side of things and to this end I have adapted Benny & Brian’s Coilwinder screenset for the purpose.
In order to check my macro code and attempt to resolve some of the mechanical issues I have constructed a small (1/8 length) test rig and thought these pictures may be of some interest to others.

It’s early days yet and it can only get better so stay tuned folks. 

Tweakie.

Too F___ing Cool 

I love it, One of those many things I took for granted. (not having an ear for anything other than "dinners on")

Good Job, keep us in the loop with a quick video of it in action please.

Thats slick Tweakie................ very slick.

WOW.
I'm still amazed at the unique things people do with their cnc's.
Very cool.

Tweakie,
Yet another very ingenious use of Mach3 and cnc from a master.
John

WOW with the VAST variety of guitar strings and I do mean VAST. I cannot image needing to wind your own.

BUT neat idea, (;-) TP  RPM and Feedrate gets it done.  But getting the proper tension on the winding wire  AND the core wire might pose a problem.

(;-) TP

Thanks guys for the kind words and encouragement. As soon as I can I will make a short video of the test-rig in action. It is rather crude and does not incorporate the refinements of the actual winding machine but it does demonstrate the principle.

‘WOW with the VAST variety of guitar strings and I do mean VAST. I cannot image needing to wind your own.’

I am inclined to agree with you on that one Terry – I am really not sure why but, as we say here, “There is nowt so strange as folk” 

‘But getting the proper tension on the winding wire AND the core wire might pose a problem.’

I have found that getting an exact, ‘pre-defined’ tension on the core wire is extremely easy but an exact, ‘pre-defined’ tension on the wrap wire may yet require a bit of cunning electronics (on the test-rig the wrap wire tension is set by ‘trial and error’ but, as yet, I have no way of measuring it precisely).

There are still a number of technical issues to be overcome but I am getting there slowly.  

Tweakie.

Here is a BIT of info on the winding variables.

http://bobbyowsinski.blogspot.com/2014/11/making-great-guitar-string.html

(;-) TP

Thanks Terry - excellent information my friend. 

Tweakie.

A short video winding nickle wrap wire onto a music wire core.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tweakie-cnc/15565495153/

At the moment tests are limited to 2,000 rpm as I have encountered technical issues when running these 200 step per revolution motors at speeds over 2,500 rpm.
I am currently awaiting delivery of some different (24 step per revolution) motors which should be good up to 15,000 rpm whilst, hopefully, still having sufficient torque for the job.

Tweakie.