From steel, half an inch in diameter, cut a shaft five inches long. Have it turned down smaller at one end for three-eighths of an inch, and at the other end for a distance of one inch and a half, as shown at [Fig. 23]. This is for the armature, and it should fit between D and G in [Fig. 21], and should revolve easily in the holes cut to receive it in both straps, with not more than one-eighth of an inch play forward or backward. The long, projecting end should be at the rear, and should extend beyond strip D for three-quarters of an inch, so that the driving-pulley can be made fast to it.
The armature is made up of segments or laminations of soft iron and insulated copper wire. The laminated armature works much better than does the solid metal ring or lug, and a pattern may be made from a piece of tin from which all the sections can be cut. With a compass, strike a two-inch circle on a clear piece of tin; then mark it off, as shown at [Fig. 24], and cut it out with shears. The hole at the centre of the pattern need not be bored, but a small pinhole should be made so that a centre-punch can be used to indicate the middle of each plate for subsequent perforation. Ordinary soft band iron may be employed for this purpose, and the sections should not be more than one-sixteenth of an inch in thickness.
It will take some time to cut out the required number of pieces for this small armature. When they are all ready they should be slipped over the shaft, and if they have been properly matched and cut, they should appear as a solid body, one inch and a half long.
Arrange these laminations on the armature shaft so that when the shaft is in position the mass of iron will be within the lugs of the field-magnets. The holes through the iron plate should be so snug as to call for some driving to put them in place. Each disk of iron should be given a coat of shellac to insulate it, and between each piece there should be a thin cardboard or stout paper separator to keep the disks apart. These paper washers should be dipped in hot paraffine, or thick shellac may be used to obtain a good sticking effect and so solidify the laminations into a compact mass. When this operation is completed the armature core should appear as shown in [Fig. 25].
From maple, or other hard-wood with a close grain, make a cylinder three-quarters of an inch long and one inch in diameter to fit the shaft. Over this drive a piece of copper or brass tubing, and at four equal distances, near the rear or inner edge, make holes and drive small, round-headed screws into the wood. Then, with a hack-saw, cut the tube into four equal parts between the screws. This is the commutator. In order to hold the quarter circular plates fast to the cylinder, remove one screw at a time, and place thick shellac on the cylinder. Then press the plate firmly into place and reset the screw. Repeat this with the other three, and the armature will be ready for the winding.
The voltage and amperage of a dynamo is reckoned by its windings, the size of wire, the number of turns, and the direction. This is a matter of figuring, and need not now concern the young electrician, since it is a technical and theoretical subject that may be studied later on in more advanced text-books.
For this dynamo use No. 22 cotton-insulated copper wire for the armature, and No. 16 double cotton-insulated copper wire for the field. The armature, when properly wound and ready for assembling with the brushes and wiring, will appear as shown in [Fig. 26].