novice question regarding magnet wire

[deved]

Hello all, first post here, hoping someone can help me out as I'm going insane trying to wind pickups.

I'm trying to make single pole pickups, to pick up single strings for experimental instruments. I have made a bobbin out of a 5mm steel rod, rubber washer and a bit of acetate (as end stoppers).

My problem is that when I test continuity with a multimeter nothing happens - indicating the magnet wire is broken somewhere along the way. I am using 42 AWG solderable wire, and have practiced soldering shorter lengths to the lead wires, which works fine.

I solder the first lead wire, stick it to the outside of the bobbin, then by hand wrap about 10 wraps around the core, keeping to the side the lead wire is on. Then I spin the bobbin on a drill I've set up as my winder.

I've done about 7 goes now (I need to make approximately 30 of these, so have made lots of bobbins) and none pass signal. If the wire kinks, does it break under the weight/pressure of the subsequent winds? It doesn't seem to be snagging on anything, and though I've had a few snaps (at which stage I see if signal passes through whatever amount of winds that happen to be on the bobbin), I don't think the wire has broken, and I'm pretty sure my soldering technique is alright, as the shorter lengths I've practiced with all pass signal.

This is getting really irritating as there seems to be no way of checking if the coil is continuous until I've spent several minutes winding it thousands of times around a small piece of metal bar.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated...I'm new to pickup winding but need to figure this out as soon as possible as I have a project I need loads of pickups for next month.

Thanks

[StarryNight]

all parts of the bobbin have to be smooth like Paul Robeson's voice - like I mean smoooth. put a layer of tape around the bobbin core and sand everything with 600 grit. Use a magnifiying glass with lots of light and inspect the bobbin carefully.

barring that you may have a bad batch of wire but that's unlikely unless it's really old wire. Inspect the spool for any kinks.

[deved]

thanks StarryNight, I'll try that now. I doubt it's the wire's fault, it's most likely mine from inexperience!

[deved]

StarryNight: as we say in Ireland: fair play to ya! A bit of electrical insulation tape around the core and some wet&dry paper rubbed off the edges of the endpieces has done the trick. Thanks a million, was hitting a wall up til now...

[StarryNight]

for all the help i've gotten from this forum it's good to give a little back. cheers from canada!

[voodoochild]

You need to check the ohms and not the continuity. There is too much wire for the continuity setting to register. If you get a DC reading you are fine.