Removing humbucker covers...

[Zhangliqun]

...there's got to be a better way. I usually end up putting bends in the side from using force, meaning I dread getting a rewind gig on a covered humbucker because I sometimes have to give up a free replacement cover.

Anybody got some smooth, non-frustrating ways to do it?

[Possum]

...

Stew Mac tips had a pretty good one, you need to somehow clamp the pickup to hold it down when doing this to make it easier. Get a single edged razor blade and then heat up the solder joint, keep the solder hot and slip the razor blade into the solder joint, make sure you've completely slipped it into the joint and slipped the blade down into the seam. ITs tricky but you'll get it, may take a couple tries. If you can, wiggle the blade as the solder cools to keep it from binding up. The slip the blade out and the solder joint is open.

This method doesn't work so well if you repeatedly open and solder the cover closed because solder slips down deep into the cover and solders it closed too well, then you have to use a utility knife and cut through the joint. Harbor Freight sells these bolt down clamps for welders, Gundry spotted Duncan using these in his shop, they work pretty well to clamp buckers closed and they work well for holding when using this method....

[Steve A.]

The Donald Brosnac book from the late 70's recommended using a Dremel tool. I finally tried that after burning my fingers trying to get the damned covers off a pair of 2006 Epiphone humbuckers. I was convinced that they are using some new leadfree solder with a higher melting point... (then again I think that the temperature calibration on my Hakko solder station might have been low).

In any case the friction from the cut-off blade actually help to melt the solder a bit but you probably would not want to do that with a customer's pickup.

I like the idea about using a razor blade- just a reminder to wear googles since hot shards of razor blade flying around could be hazardous to your health.

So don't the commercial rewinders charge extra if they have to remove humbucker covers? It'd probably be a good idea if all of pickup makers got together to agree on prices for something like that- just like the oil companies did with Dick Cheney...

Steve Ahola

[jack briggs]

Stew Mac tips had a pretty good one, you need to somehow clamp the pickup to hold it down when doing this to make it easier. Get a single edged razor blade and then heat up the solder joint, keep the solder hot and slip the razor blade into the solder joint, make sure you've completely slipped it into the joint and slipped the blade down into the seam. ITs tricky but you'll get it, may take a couple tries. If you can, wiggle the blade as the solder cools to keep it from binding up. The slip the blade out and the solder joint is open.

This method doesn't work so well if you repeatedly open and solder the cover closed because solder slips down deep into the cover and solders it closed too well, then you have to use a utility knife and cut through the joint. Harbor Freight sells these bolt down clamps for welders, Gundry spotted Duncan using these in his shop, they work pretty well to clamp buckers closed and they work well for holding when using this method....

I learned this technique from Jason Lollar a few years back. I use an 80 watt Weller iron with a chisel tip. It takes no more than 5 seconds to either remove or install a cover. You're in and you're out as quickly as that with the iron. The tip is the key. I've used 100 watt and 140 watt soldering guns before. Even with the higher wattage you never get the heat where you need it and can end up overheating the base, which in turn could melt the bobbins.


Cheers,

[PoorMan]

Simple...

Boxcutter...

Just flip the pickup, put the blade on the solder joint and put some muscle into it (I lean on it a litle). No heat, no dremel dust, no bent covers...Fast, easy, clean.

[kevinT]

I also tried the Dremel method. I do not recommend it. It takes too much time, its dangerous, and you usually damage either the baseplate or cover no matter how careful you are. It's dangerous in that the hot solder goes flying everywhere and you MUST wear eye protection and believe it or not it takes forever for the blade to cut through the solder. ...i have used a variety of blades with the same result.

I now use the razor blade method in that you just heat up the solder joint and slide the blade between the cover and baseplate and leave the blade there so the solder doesn't bond again. The solder does not stick to the razor blade. Do the same thing with the other side. And you should be able to pull it off by hand.

A lot of folks use chaulk between the cover and bobbins to control mircrophonics. I use high grade silicon. To break the seal, just heat the top of the cover and it should come right off. Pry it off while still warm though. I know some folks also place wax between the bobbins and cover. Heating the top of the cover will also break this seal.

Also be careful when you heat the cover because you can discolor it and damage the plating if the flame is on the cover for too long.

[Joe Gwinn]

I learned this technique from Jason Lollar a few years back. I use an 80 watt Weller iron with a chisel tip. It takes no more than 5 seconds to either remove or install a cover. You're in and you're out as quickly as that with the iron. The tip is the key. I've used 100 watt and 140 watt soldering guns before. Even with the higher wattage you never get the heat where you need it and can end up overheating the base, which in turn could melt the bobbins.

The key with the 80-watt Weller iron is that it is both big and temperature controlled, and so will get things up to temperature fast, without danger of overheating.

The 100 and 140 watt guns have no temperature control, store little heat, and start from room temperature, so it takes far too long to get the solder up to temperature, allowing everything else to get hot too.

[NightWinder]

I also tried the Dremel method. I do not recommend it. It takes too much time, its dangerous, and you usually damage either the baseplate or cover no matter how careful you are. It's dangerous in that the hot solder goes flying everywhere and you MUST wear eye protection and believe it or not it takes forever for the blade to cut through the solder. ...i have used a variety of blades with the same result.

I now use the razor blade method in that you just heat up the solder joint and slide the blade between the cover and baseplate and leave the blade there so the solder doesn't bond again. The solder does not stick to the razor blade. Do the same thing with the other side. And you should be able to pull it off by hand.

A lot of folks use chaulk between the cover and bobbins to control mircrophonics. I use high grade silicon. To break the seal, just heat the top of the cover and it should come right off. Pry it off while still warm though. I know some folks also place wax between the bobbins and cover. Heating the top of the cover will also break this seal.

Also be careful when you heat the cover because you can discolor it and damage the plating if the flame is on the cover for too long.

On that dremel tip...Not to mention you are shaving tiny particals in the air. Imagine breathing that...That can't be good for noone...

[David Schwab]

The 100 and 140 watt guns have no temperature control, store little heat, and start from room temperature, so it takes far too long to get the solder up to temperature, allowing everything else to get hot too.

Plus you want to keep the soldering guns away from the magnets. I would never use a soldering gun on a pickup.

And speaking of the wrong tool for the job (any job)... my wife bought me one of those ColdHeat soldering irons a couple of years ago as a gift. What a disapointment. Even with a fresh set of batteries and thin gauge solder, it's barely useful, and just a PITA in general due to the split point design.

Every now and then I take it out and try to use it... just hoping it might be of use on some task or other, just to get annoyed with the thing and out it back in my tool box.

The trick I do with covers is to heat up the solder joint, and then stick a thin pallet knife in the crack and slightly pry it away from the solder joint and hold it until it cools.

[Spence]

Boxcutter...

Just flip the pickup, put the blade on the solder joint and put some muscle into it (I lean on it a litle). No heat, no dremel dust, no bent covers...Fast, easy, clean.

The only correct method posted here. This method allows you to retouch the solder when the cover goes back on and make it look like it's never been off.

[Steve A.]

Boxcutter...

Just flip the pickup, put the blade on the solder joint and put some muscle into it (I lean on it a litle). No heat, no dremel dust, no bent covers...Fast, easy, clean.

Poor Man:

That sounds like a winner to me! I assume that you are referring to the utility knife with the trapezoid shaped blade and not the boxcutter that uses a single edge razor blade. The blades on those utility knives are pretty strong and the cutting edge is like a wedge.

I usually jam jeweler's screwdrivers into the melted solder, but that would *always* bend the covers a bit- the utility knife would work so much better.

As for soldering guns I was told not to use them around guitars and pickups because they could screw up the magnets. Some amp techs like those big soldering irons intended for stained glass (75 to 100 watts) for soldering ground wires to thick metal chassises- you might be able to find them dirt cheap at a flea market. The Weller W-60 is a really nice temperature-controlled iron with a wide selection of tips available, and has more oomph! than most solder stations.

Steve Ahola

P.S. I mentioned that Dremel trick only as a last resort- it might be useful if you found that some idiot had epoxied on the humbucker covers- or used his arc welder...

[Possum]

...

My first attempt with the utility knife I cut the end of my thumb off! Nice. The razor blade thing works well but sometimes if the cover fits real tight its a bitch to get it into the joint. I use wax in the cover if I'm worried about someone playing loud, I just dip the cover in the wax until it equalizes temperature with the wax and then leave a little in then put the cover on real quick, it works real well and is non-destructive. Silicon will oxidize nickel if you get it on the slugs and it will permanently stain plastic, not a good thing if down the road someone wants to play without the cover, plus it can be a bitch to get the cover off sometimes.

[PoorMan]

Poor Man:

That sounds like a winner to me! I assume that you are referring to the utility knife with the trapezoid shaped blade and not the boxcutter that uses a single edge razor blade.

Correct!

I've tried other methods and they are overkill to me...just don't cut your thumb off like old man Stephens did!!!

[ken]

I almost cut the end of my right index finger off 'just like Possum', so I don't use razorblades. I was trying to remove a cover once in front of a customer with a razorknife. The tip of the blade slipped off of the solder blob, slid down into the crack between the cover and baseplate, and broke. There was just enough blade sticking up to make a real mess of my finger!

I use a 100 watt soldering iron and a soldersucker to suck up all the excess solder. If you're neat you can make joints that look like the cover has never been off.

Don't use a Weller type gun, the magnetic fields from the transformer will demag you in a big hurry.

Ken

[HTH]

does nobody use solder wick?