building single coil question. again.

[SteikBacon]

I wonder what I should do when I make these single coil. Got stewmac tele and strat parts. But need to learn everything. I tried to press magnets into the top forbon, but the magnets often seems to be little out of center. They are not standing straight up either. Then I pressed the magnets through the top and begun on the bottom. Only this seemed to make the top look ok. But the bottom do not. The teleparts seem to have too big magnets for the holes.

When magnets are mounted should I glue it all? And I know someone talked about laquer.

I wonder how you do things until its ready to get some wire..

[Peter Naglitsch]

First I use a guide to hold the magnets at a straight angle. Use a piece of hard wood, plexi or whatever with a appropriate sized hole drilled in a perfect 90 degree angle. That makes them go in straight. Second I use a reamer to slightly widen the holes and make them somewhat conical. Not so much that the magnets go in without force buy just so much that it makes the magnets go in easier. To give them a nice start. I then use my pillar drill as a press to force the magnets in. I start with the bottom flange and when I have all mags in I press on the top. Sometimes it take s a bit of cleaning op as this produce a bit of fuzz from the fiber flange but it is a quick and easy job. Some also bevel the magnets, but that will alter the magnetic field a bit and also (according to most people, subject for debate) change the sound. As I opens up the holes a tad the flanges will have a possibility to move a bit more so I secure everything with a dab of superglue around every magnet. I then tape up the magnets with simple masking tape to stop the magnets to eat through the insulation of the wire. That also build up the size of the coil a bit, and might (once again subject for debate) change the sound. Then your off to the winder.

PS, how about those mini HB parts Ed? Never heard from you again about that...

[Sportbernd]

The StewMac parts have very narrow holes of about 4,5mm. If you use magnets with dia4,9-5mm you have a hard time fitting them. I had to face this problem too-till i cut my own flatwork. But itīs good to use spacers as StewMac describes. Iīve routed them out of metal and clamp them with a screw. First pull the magnets into the bottom, place the spacers and put the top on. I used to use a U-shaped metal with the right size(like you use on your flightcase to mount your gear-fits perfect) and hammer the top down.
If your not going for the dead accurate clone itīs good to us papertape around the magnets. Doing this will save you a lot of trouble. Potting the bobbin in laquer does the trick.