[Elecraft] Toroid winding idea.

[Kempter, Bob]

Hi All:  
I finished my K2 over the weekend, to the basic CW rig level, and it is
doing just fine.  I want to share a way of winding toroids that I found in
the ARRL book _QRP Power!_.  It is in a sidebar that relates to winding
toroids with a paperclip to hook and pull the wire through the toroid.
After learning this one, I was amazed at how much faster, easier, and with
no kinks in the wire this method provides.   I thought this method of
winding toroids was well known, but searching the Net resulted in no other
references.  
 
I followed their directions with pictures and here is how I now wind
toroids:
 
First, prepare a metal paperclip by finding a small one, standard office
size is fine.  Bend it out by straightening the bend between the big bend
and the small bend.  With pliers, make the small bend smaller, but no less
than 5 times the diameter of the wire you are pulling.  Mine is 1/8 inch or
slightly less.  I have used 1/16, but it binds a bit.  I trimmed the "hook"
with wire cutters to half as long as "factory" built.  Form the big end as
you desire, but I find a T handle works for me.  If you break one, get a
different metal one, as some are more brittle than others.
 
Take the toroid in your left hand (I am right handed, so this is my
preference) flat between thumb and forefinger, with the right hand edge of
the toroid showing daylight through it.   Take the pre-measured length of
wire and poke the left end back up through the bottom of the toroid,
extending it 1 inch or more beyond the edge of the toroid.  Hold that wire
there with your left thumb.  Then with your right hand, wind the other end
of the wire down, away and back up toward you to the top, laying it flat
over the top-side of the toroid.  With your paper-clip hook, hook up through
the bottom of the toroid, hook onto the wire and pull it down, forming a
loose loop as you go, and pulling the rest of the wire through.  Don't add
any friction to the loose end of the wire.  Tighten the wire, laying it over
the top of the toroid again, hook on and pull down again.  Repeat as needed
to get the required turns.  
 
For practice, I used the core of  a scotch-tape roll to perfect my skill,
with some scrap wire.  It became a natural movement quickly.  

If these directions are insufficient, please order/get/rent/borrow a copy of
the ARRL book _QRP Power!_, and read the sidebar .  Sorry I don't have the
page number.  I will post that tonight. 
 
72/73's  De WA7WJA, Bob in Tigard, Oregon    (Pronounced "Oh ree gun")