Rewinding a burned audio transformer, dying art
Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2026 5:00 am
Customer brought a 1972 Tagamatic tube amp. Output transformer burned. Replacement: discontinued. Modern equivalent: PHP 8000+ shipped.
Decided to rewind. Mga 3 weekends of evening work.
What it takes:
Hobby toroid transformer rewinders out there? Skill still teachable to younger folks?
Decided to rewind. Mga 3 weekends of evening work.
What it takes:
- Carefully disassemble laminations (one bent lamination = lost mu)
- Count primary and secondary turns as you unwind original (3,200 and 220 in this case)
- Source 36AWG and 22AWG enamel wire (~PHP 800 spool)
- Wind on lathe at 1 turn per second, count manually, takes 4 hours
- Reassemble, vacuum-impregnate with varnish, bake at 60C overnight
Hobby toroid transformer rewinders out there? Skill still teachable to younger folks?