What's he Best Way To Torch Coils?

[CrazyChef]

I'm having a helluva time trying to get certain coils (mostly zipper coils at higher gauges) to hold their shape after I coil them and then go to install them. So I bought a butane torch. What's the best way to torch the coils into submission?

 

[Myk]

Best way would be in a kiln with a jig to hold them in shape with the atmosphere purged with argon.

The realistic way is to squeeze them with tweezers, preferably ceramic tipped.

 

[CrazyChef]

How does that help them to hold their shape?

 

[bondo]

I havn't done a zipper but for my more stubborn builds I clamp the leads in my bench vice,lightly torch and pull with my coil jig adding more heat until the coil no longer wants to unwind.
Once the ID is set I pull the jig and torch/pinch the coil while still in the vice.
It'll still spring back some when you take it out of the vice but this should get you closer to being able to get the leads in the posts. Once you have them in the posts you can dry fire/pinch/pull to get them closer to perfect.

 

[Vapin4Joy]

Make your coil and shape it, make both leads point down, grasp both leads with the jaws of a wide pair of pliers, and heat the coil with the torch flame for about 10 seconds, tempers the wire. Hope this helps.

 

[Myk]

How does that help them to hold their shape?

Heat softens the wire. Squeezing it bends it where you want it.

If you're having a problem when screwing it in you're thinking completely at the wrong point in the game.
At that point insert your whatever you used as your jig to hold it to shape, tighten it down and use the jig to move it where you want it. Remove the jig. Dry burn it and use your ceramic tipped tweezers to squeeze it how you want it.
If you squeeze while firing ceramic tipped tweezers are REQUIRED or you will short. Otherwise fire, let off, squeeze. Lather rinse repeat.
Also poking with a needle may be handy.

 

[Flightmedic76]

I haven't torched any of my builds. I straighten the wire in my drill before coiling, twisting, etc. That seems to help them hold their shape quite a bit. If I need any fine tuning I squeeze with the ceramic tweezers as mentioned when I pulse which is essentially doing the same thing as heating with a torch IMO. There's more than one way to skin a cat though as they say...

 

[CrazyChef]

The problem is holding the leads, keeping the coil shaped on the bit, jig, etc., and holding the torch. I like the vice idea.

 

[CrazyChef]

I don't think I was clear in my OP. I know how to install/shape/fire a new coil. I'm talking about springy coils that don't hold their shape after coiled. Like, immediately after. There is no time to install them, mount them, fire them, etc. before they lose their workable shape. If you've ever made a zipper coil using 32 gauge kanthal, you'll know what I'm talking about.

 

[bondo]

I haven't torched any of my builds. I straighten the wire in my drill before coiling, twisting, etc. That seems to help them hold their shape quite a bit. If I need any fine tuning I squeeze with the ceramic tweezers as mentioned when I pulse which is essentially doing the same thing as heating with a torch IMO. There's more than one way to skin a cat though as they say...

Zipper coil.

That's a good bit of wire there.
Spinning the wire helps but there's still going to be quite a lot of memory left with that much wire and even more so due to the nature of the coil.

I think the problem crazy chef is having is getting to the point of being able to get it on the deck.
This is where the vice helps. You can crank down on it and then work the hell out of the coil without having to hold another pair of pliers or stripping screws/spinning posts on your atty.

 

[CrazyChef]

Exactly

 

[Myk]

I don't think I was clear in my OP. I know how to install/shape/fire a new coil. I'm talking about springy coils that don't hold their shape after coiled. Like, immediately after. There is no time to install them, mount them, fire them, etc. before they lose their workable shape. If you've ever made a zipper coil using 32 gauge kanthal, you'll know what I'm talking about.

I make Ti coils for TC, I know springy and no dry burn. I use a slightly undersized jig.

But from what I've seen making a zipper that flattening is hardening the wire and there was no annealing after. I'd torch it after flattening. Since you're eventually dry burning there's no reason not to anneal it.