Eureka, it spins! I finished rewinding my toy motor armature using two 30 gauge magnet wires wound simultaneously about 53-54 times around each of the three armature segments. (This was about as close as I was going to come to following Bob Nelson's recommendation.) When I placed the armature in its toy holder (which includes the axle bearings, brushes and permanent magnets) and hooked up the 1.5 volt D cell, I had to give the armature a little nudge, but off it went. Well, almost. I discovered that the axle bearings aren't quite true and the brushes don't always stay exactly where they ought, but after making a few corrections, the armature spins just fine. This has been a fun learning experience (including tracking down the difficulties with bearings and brushes) and I might just try doing another one-this time using the appropriate wire gauge.
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