Pickup winding machine

[EmaEm1]

Hi guys!

I am new to the forum, and new to pickup winding (never made one )
I was surprised when I found this forum, as it seems like real place for me.
As for winding machine, I plan to use sewing machine with bobbin/flatwork attached to "wheel" at back part of machine. However, I am not sure how to count turns. Mechanical counters are too slow, and I wouldn't modify sewing machine (until I buy another one). Please could you explain me how to use tachometer, calculator, or any other machine so I can count number of turns, but so that counter is not slow.

Thanks!

[guitician]

I have wound a few pickups with a sewing machine and never bothered counting turns. My fisrt one was a Strat pickup restoration, the second a DeArmond "Mike" and the last was a Musicmaster pickup that I made as a replacement for the lost original. They all work great. It's just a matter of knowing when to quit winding. The Strat pickup I wound just by looks, and the others I just filled the bobbin up.

[EmaEm1]

I would like to make stacked strat pup and wide range-style standard size humbucker, so it will be tricky doing that.

[guitician]

Those coils should be easier since they have fewer turns. To match coils, you could wind until the second one looks alike and then rub some of the insulation off and use the dc resistance as a measurement.

[jimboyogi]

I wind using a (fairly gutted) sewing machine, with the bobbins screwed onto the end of the large wheel.
For a counter I bought one of these - LCD Digital 5 Digit Punch Counter W Strong Magnetic Proximity Switch Support | eBay
I taped the magnet to the side of the wheel, and used the bracket to fix the sensor so it just clears the magnet as the wheel rotates. AFAIK the counter works well, even at high speed, but I have no way to check whether it does mis-count at speeds faster than I can watch properly

[Alberto]

I wind using a (fairly gutted) sewing machine, with the bobbins screwed onto the end of the large wheel.
For a counter I bought one of these - LCD Digital 5 Digit Punch Counter W Strong Magnetic Proximity Switch Support | eBay
I taped the magnet to the side of the wheel, and used the bracket to fix the sensor so it just clears the magnet as the wheel rotates. AFAIK the counter works well, even at high speed, but I have no way to check whether it does mis-count at speeds faster than I can watch properly

I have the same counter on my winding machine. I use a modified bench grinder to wind my pickups.

[EmaEm1]

I wind using a (fairly gutted) sewing machine, with the bobbins screwed onto the end of the large wheel.
For a counter I bought one of these - LCD Digital 5 Digit Punch Counter W Strong Magnetic Proximity Switch Support | eBay
I taped the magnet to the side of the wheel, and used the bracket to fix the sensor so it just clears the magnet as the wheel rotates. AFAIK the counter works well, even at high speed, but I have no way to check whether it does mis-count at speeds faster than I can watch properly

That is something I considered, could you please post a picture?

[jimboyogi]

Here's a pic. I gutted the sewing machine, and used parts from it to make a guide for the wire, along with an offcut of plywood and a couple of screws. Since I took this pic I have improved the attachment for the bobbins, this shows double sided tape, now I have screws (Jazzmaster pickup screws) with washers screwed into the end of the wheel. Much more secure at holding the bobbins tightly.
Different sewing machines would be easier to arrange the bobbin fixing system, but I was given this sewing machine for free, so I made do!

[EmaEm1]

Here's a pic. I gutted the sewing machine, and used parts from it to make a guide for the wire, along with an offcut of plywood and a couple of screws. Since I took this pic I have improved the attachment for the bobbins, this shows double sided tape, now I have screws (Jazzmaster pickup screws) with washers screwed into the end of the wheel. Much more secure at holding the bobbins tightly.
Different sewing machines would be easier to arrange the bobbin fixing system, but I was given this sewing machine for free, so I made do!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]34034[/ATTACH]

Hmmm, thatvis nice!
I will study how to set this up, and i think that is solution. Thank for replying!

[jimboyogi]

You're welcome, and good luck!

[David King]

Welcome Alberto! Any photos of your winder?

[Alberto]

Thank you David! Here's my winder, looks ugly but works great!

[Jazz P Bass]

Nice winder!
What is not to like about it?