beveling pole pieces?

[pete n]

I'm brand new to making pickups. So this might be a dumb question. How do you bevel the pole pieces like on an old strat pickup? I've read that if you grind alnico it can ruin it. Do you have to grind the bevel and then charge the alnico, or can you grind already charged magnets without wrecking them?

[kevinT]

Here is a link to some info. Check out the Seymour Duncan vids. They show staff chamfering the mags using a chordless screwdriver and buffing/grinding wheel.

http://music-electronics-forum.com/t17400/

[pete n]

Thanks that was helpful.

[Yves]

Altenativelly, you may order your rods already bevelled.
Depending on your supplier, this may not cost more than 0.03$ or so by rod.

[copperheadroads]

have you got a dremel with all the bits? what i have been doing which works great was i found a bit with a fine flat white stone .i clamped the dremel in my vice ,set it going on medium speed then put your alnico magnets in my drill ,with the drill turning bring in contact with the stone in the dremel for just a couple for seconds at the proper angle ,try to keep the drill at the same angle every time for same the bevel

[pete n]

I do have a dremel tool. That sounds like it would work well. Are you doing this to pole pieces before they are charged?

[copperheadroads]

before charging i could imagine what kind of mess you would have all the grindings stuck all over your magnets like iron filings

[pete n]

That makes sense. Thank you for the advice, it was very helpful.

[ShannonH]

also

If you have a drill press, stick some fine (300 wet/dry is my preference) paper to the table and set the table to the angle of your choice. Once you figure on the proper depth, set the depth stop and chuck each magnet to the same amount sticking out (I don't chamfer staggered mags, so you're on your own figuring out a way to get the same on those.) Then run your drill press on low speed, wet the paper and chamfer to your depth stop. Or you could eyeball it if that's your inclination. It's relatively fast, although I'd like a faster way.
YMMV

Shannon