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DIY: Brushless Hobby Motors

Brushless motors are used as the primary means of powering remote-controlled vehicles and a number of other electrical equipment. If you need a brushless motor for your project and don̵7;t want to spend a lot of money on a new motor, you can build your own brushless motor at a significantly reduced cost. Putting the motor together isn̵7;t as tough as it seems, but the time needed to complete the project will depend on your experience with building these motors.

Things You'll Need

Utility knife
Red, orange and green 26 AWG wire
CA glue
Drill press
Soldering iron
Heat shrink tape

Instructions

- 1
  Trim the small bump flush with the rest of the insulation on the stator, using a utility knife. Locate the tooth of the stator that has the channel directly behind it.
- 2
  Wind the red 26 AWG wire around the stator tooth. Start at the hub and work your way outwards, keeping the turns as tight as possible. After 20 turns, skip two teeth clockwise and wind the next tooth in the same manner.
- 3
  After winding the second tooth, skip two teeth clockwise and wind the third tooth. When finished, select the orange wire color and wind the second set of teeth in the same manner as the first. After the second set is finished, wind the third set with the green wire color.
- 4
  Insert the bearing inside of the bearing holder. Make sure the bearing sits at or below the inner rim on the bearing holder.
- 5
  Mark the magnetic north side of each 5x5x1 mm magnet with a marker. Place the north-facing magnet vertically inside of the rotor bell against one of the three nibs. Center the magnet on the nib and secure it in place with a small amount of CA glue. Repeat the procedure until there are three magnets attached to the three nibs.
- 6
  Align three north-facing magnets directly across the ones you recently installed. Position the magnets carefully and secure them in place with CA glue. Place magnetic south-facing magnets in between the north-facing magnets. Use toothpicks to separate the magnets so they don̵7;t slide over one another. Secure the magnets with CA glue.
- 7
  Place the rotor bell over the stator. Insert the shaft through the hole in the rotor bell with a drill press. Make sure no part of the rotor bell touches the stator. Insert the bearing holder through the stator and shaft. Secure the bearing holder to the stator with CA glue, if needed.
- 8
  Strip the insulation from the beginning red, orange and green ends of the stator wiring with a utility knife. Cut the wires to the shortest length possible, and then solder all three together with a soldering iron. Cover the wires at their soldered point with heat-shrink tape. Connect the remaining wires to your power source.

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