Core Material for Induction Coils / Transformers

Instead of building something new, use an old Ford Model-T spark coil. These show up from time to time on e-bay

 

I've got several ignition coil devices, but for this project it doesn't work. It's a good idea, though.

 

Ebay has large ferrite bobbins and I assume mouser and others would have them too, you can also buy silicon steel sheet rather easily and cut out your own lamination stackups as painful as that sounds, but you would get exactly what you wanted that way.

 

do you have a source that will sell small quantities? All the ones I know who have it do not want to sell smaller quatities.

 

Not in the USA, but there are specialist sheetmetal places here that will sell to you by the sheet or half sheet. You would have to do some google searching and then get on the phone and talk to people. My local steel retailer can get in most exotics.

You could try https://www.sackinmetal.com/ in the USA they sell exotics, one of the youtubers I watch who is in canada got a bunch of titanium and zirconium from them. They would be a good place to start, but i have not looked to see if they have silicon steel.

 

well dang.... two hours of google searching has still not turned up anything . I'll have to get on the phone tomorrow and see what I can turn up

 

What about the electric fence wire at the farm supply store? Steel, I believe.

 

Electric Fence wire does not appear to be workable..... BUT I think Re-bar tie wire might be. It is very low carbon, and annealed to make it very easy to twist. It is close to what the old books call "soft iron wire". I'm going to do a test tomorrow.
Thanks.

 

Best of luck.

 

Find a local blacksmith?

Ed