I learned how to do this in science class way back in the day. It's built from a strand of magnet wire, two paper clips, and a magnet. I screwed the paper clips down to a piece of wood, but if you want to be quick and dirty, you can just tape them to a table.
A little clarification about scraping the insulation off the commutators: you want to hold it 45 degrees from horizontal and scrape with a razor blade that is parallel to the ground. Scrape the insulation on both ends at the same angle. Make sure to do this on only one side, not both! As in, don't scrape both ends, then flip it over and scrape it again, just scrape both ends on one side.
This motor is supposed to be just a fun little educational thing to play with, nothing serious. I wouldn't try to make it drive anything or otherwise make it useful.
The scraped-insualtion design of the commutators is not strong at all and is very temporary. Depending on the thickness of the wire, the current you supply the motor, what brand of wire you use, etc., the motor can last anywhere from a minute or two to a day or more of use. When the insualtion burns up, the motor will eventually seize creating a large load on your power source. Never leave your motor running while you are away from it - a seized motor will short your power source and can be very dangerous! However, you can pull out a little more wire out of your armeture, scrape it again, and be back in business.
Fun! Build one and make a YouTube response!
A Simple DIY Electric Motor!
I learned how to do this in science class way back in the day. It's built from a strand of magnet wire, two paper clips, and a magnet. I screwed the paper clips down to a piece of wood, but if you want to be quick and dirty, you can just tape them to a table.
A little clarification ab...
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