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In article ,
Chris Jones wrote:
wrote:

When I was a kid my dad and I built a homemade electric motor from
plans in a book or magazine.

Components were a frame made of a cut and bent tin can, an axle made
out of a nail, and windings made from magnet wire.

The wiring on the armature had a lot of scotch tape for some reason.

There were windings on both the motor and the tin-can frame, and
commutation was from brushes made out of little pieces of brass sheet.

Does anyone recognize this project, and know of a website or the title
of a book that will help me recreate it with my kids?

Tim.

You can simplify it by using one or more of those Neodymium Iron Boron
(NdFeB) super strong magnets that you can buy now instead of windings,
for
the fixed magnets. This way it will go better even if it isn't very well
made.

If I were a kid, I think I'd rather make the coil by hand. Then
the phenomenon of magnetism can be shown.

I also liked making a battery using a potato but I don't
recall what I powered.

/BAH

I had a clock that was powered by potatos when I was a kid.