Description
H.P. Friedrichs (author of The Voice of the Crystal and Instruments of Amplification) returns this time to explore the principles behind the operation and construction of five simple, yet impressive, model electric motors. You will follow Mr. Friedrich’s logic and reasoning as he builds model electric motors from scrap! Do you want to learn how to make an electric motor even if you don’t have a home workshop? Aspiring mechanical model makers are often discouraged by their lack of access to machine tools, like mills, lathes, or drill presses. Friedrichs demonstrates that with some basic knowledge, an open eye, and a sharp mind, one can use commonly available (and often discarded) parts and materials to engineer one’s way around any lack of expensive machine tooling. In fact, every electric motor in this book was built from scrap, and can be assembled with hand tools.
This is an absolutely delightful, entertaining and educational read for anyone interested in science, mechanics, electronics, amateur radio, tinkering, or simply “how things work”.
From the back cover:
“You’re standing in front of an old card table in a driveway at a garage sale. On that table is a one-quart aluminum saucepan, a votive candle holder, pieces of some office machinery, and a wooden awards plaque. What do you see there? If you did not answer “a six-cylinder radial electromagnetic attraction motor,” then you need this book!”
You’ll learn where to hunt for and find materials, and where to salvage suitable bearings. You’ll know where useful solenoids can be extracted from scrap, and how to fabricate bobbins to wind your own. You’ll learn how to time your motors, fashion a connecting rod, make a commutator from scratch, use a hall effect sensor to detect magnet position, use a transistor as a switch, and much more. Mechanical model makers, get yourself a copy of this book and learn how to build model electric motors from scrap!
By the way, to learn more about H.P. “Pete” Friedrichs, AC7ZL, listen to the QSO Today podcast number 095: “https://www.qsotoday.com/podcasts/ac7zl”. If you are looking for something to inspire your next fun, non-radio project, get this book.
Winner of the Gold Medal for the best HOBBY and CRAFT BOOK 2022, IBPA Book Awards!!!
Reviews
“how cool this is”
“I have a soft spot for things built from junk, and when those things happen to be precision electric motors I can’t help get extra inspired. In this book, H.P. Friedrichs breaks down the basics of how to build motors from things you can often find at garage sales and other second hand markets. To really nail home how cool this is, simply look at the cover. Yup, that’s a magnetic motor built around a kitchen pot.
Even if you never actually build the items in this book, you’ll learn a lot and be thoroughly amused by the author’s enthusiastic use of odds and ends.” – Caleb Kraft, Make Magazine
“exceptionally well written”
“Nicely illustrated throughout, “Marvelous Magnetic Machines” is exceptionally well written, and thoroughly ‘reader friendly’ in organization and presentation making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university library Science/Technology and DIY electric motor instructional reference collections.”- Carl Logan. Midwest Book Review
