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Home made spark test gap block and magnetiser
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DM



Joined: 21 Dec 2008
Posts: 212
Location: North Cornwall

PostPosted: Sat Dec 29, 2018 1:26 pm    Post subject: Home made spark test gap block and magnetiser Reply with quote

I have been looking out for a 3 electrode ignition spark gap block for ages,
could not find one to buy so made my own.


Last edited by DM on Mon Jan 18, 2021 9:30 pm; edited 3 times in total
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badhuis



Joined: 20 Aug 2008
Posts: 1390
Location: Netherlands

PostPosted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 10:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What use does this have?
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Bitumen Boy



Joined: 26 Jan 2012
Posts: 1733
Location: Above the snow line in old Monmouthshire

PostPosted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 12:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This isn't something I've come across before, I'd be interested to know more about it.
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DM



Joined: 21 Dec 2008
Posts: 212
Location: North Cornwall

PostPosted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 12:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When bolted to this 50's Octopus test bench -

I can test run a magneto from 0 to 6000rpm, which means I can check-

Minimum speed the mag will spark at
The advance curve
Points bounce
Wear on cam to make sure all cylinders are timed right
Spark voltage

I can also warm the mag up to make sure it still sparks when hot

The Octopus can test dynamo's, alternators and starter motors as well


Last edited by DM on Sun Jun 14, 2020 11:18 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 5:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very interesting, not unlike the rig that my mag was tested on a few years back.

RJ
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RogerB



Joined: 18 Dec 2014
Posts: 177
Location: Suffolk Coastal. U.K.

PostPosted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 9:50 pm    Post subject: Octopus test rig Reply with quote

DM,

I write articles for several classic car club magazines and I would like to write about the test rig you have. Is it possible I could have a photo of the rig and a bit of information about?

Thank you,

RogerB
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Sun Dec 30, 2018 11:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This was the unit that little Dodge's mag was tested on, you can just see one spark jumping between a pair of contacts



RJ
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DM



Joined: 21 Dec 2008
Posts: 212
Location: North Cornwall

PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2018 12:12 am    Post subject: Re: Octopus test rig Reply with quote

RogerB wrote:
DM,

I write articles for several classic car club magazines and I would like to write about the test rig you have. Is it possible I could have a photo of the rig and a bit of information about?

Thank you,

RogerB


Roger I have a bit more work to do making up a set of leads befor it is useable, once I have that done I'll take some photo's and sort some info out.

In the meantime here is a pic of the complete set up.


Last edited by DM on Sun Jun 14, 2020 11:22 pm; edited 2 times in total
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alanb



Joined: 10 Sep 2012
Posts: 516
Location: Berkshire.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2018 10:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What a wonderful piece of kit, looks like it should belong in a 50s sci fi film
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RogerB



Joined: 18 Dec 2014
Posts: 177
Location: Suffolk Coastal. U.K.

PostPosted: Mon Dec 31, 2018 5:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DM,

A very impressive piece of equipment.....!
Any chance of emailing me a copy of the photo please; I feel an interesting article coming on.....!

RogerB
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DM



Joined: 21 Dec 2008
Posts: 212
Location: North Cornwall

PostPosted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 11:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ony took me a year but found space at home for the Octopus.

Testing a mag shows up erratic spark and excessive sparking at the points, then loses spark at 1400rpm.

Hopefully fitting a new condenser will sort it.





And another little ongoing side project
A pulse magnetiser being made from a cut down spot welding transformer



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DM



Joined: 21 Dec 2008
Posts: 212
Location: North Cornwall

PostPosted: Mon Jan 18, 2021 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have got the magnetiser working, using parts I had lying around I ended up with a 500 volt DC supply.

That give me over 90,000 ampere turns, experimenting with it I managed to reverse the poles of a horseshoe magnet and then put it back to it's original polarity.

Need to get a gaussmeter before I try it on a magneto magnet as I would like to be able to measure any improvement in the magnetic field.

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DM



Joined: 21 Dec 2008
Posts: 212
Location: North Cornwall

PostPosted: Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well the mag coil is dead so I am now collecting enough kit to try rewinding my own coils.

Picked up a coil winder and modified a measuring microscope with a USB camera to be able to measure the wire sizes and count the number of turns.

The measuring microscope graduations are 0.01mm so have no trouble measuring the wire size, secondary windings in the cut open coil are under 0.003" diameter.



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peter scott



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 7113
Location: Edinburgh

PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 9:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Impressive stuff!

Peter
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Ray White



Joined: 02 Dec 2014
Posts: 6283
Location: Derby

PostPosted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 11:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

peter scott wrote:
Impressive stuff!

Peter


I'm sure it is...but sadly over my head.!
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