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How to Coat Coil Wires

Many electrical devices, such as motors, generators, transformers, relays, solenoids and coil inductors rely on tightly coiled lengths of wire. The more turns there are and the closer the turns are to the core, the better these coils work. To maximize performance, the insulation that allows the wires to be wound without shorting should be as thin as possible. The traditional solution is to coat the wire with a very thin insulating solution. These wires are called "enameled wire," although none of the modern coatings is related to enamel.

Things You'll Need

Coating material (depending on application)
Coating tub
Spools
Brush (optional)
Slow DC motor (optional)
Bolt and nut

Instructions

- 1
  Consult an industrial catalog that sells enameled wire. Find the correct coating material for your application. Buy the coating from a chemical supply house.
- 2
  Choose the coating technique based on the length of wire that needs to be coated. If the wire is less than a meter long, it can be coated with a brush. The excess coating will drip off. All of the coating materials will coat the wire to a uniform thickness.
- 3
  Coat longer wires by running them through a bath of the coating. If the wire is less than 5 or 10 meters, you can build a system of pulleys that run the wire into and out of a coating bath. Mount the spool that the bare wire is on above the bath at one end of the tub, and place another spool directly below it -- low in the tub so it will be in the bath. A similar arrangement of two spools is on the other side of the tub to take up the wire after it has been enameled.
- 4
  Enamel wires over 10 meters long by using a small DC slow-running motor to wind the spool at a constant rate. You will need to have enough friction in the system to keep the wire tight. If you have to add friction, attach a small piece of wood or metal so that it rests against the unwinding spool. It should be attached with a bolt and nut so the pressure can be adjusted.

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