newby question about wind tension

[marku52]

How do you know that your tension is correct (hand winding)? Just wound my very first pup and I think the correct evaluation is that it was a "learning experience"

I was rewinding a dead tele bridge. At 8550T of 42 SNSR I'm up to DCR of 6.62K, but the 1khz L (extech) is just 2.606H, I was shooting for more like the low 3s, and the coil looks like a pregnant guppy, about to wash over the sides of the flatwork.

I suspect (drum roll) Inadequate Tension

I was holding the wire between my fingers using a piece of felt, and I guess I was kind of chicken about breaking the wire. Do I just need to Man Up and really squeeze that puppy? Also, once in a while I could feel a kink in the wire coming past the felt, had the roll sitting on the floor between my legs, are occasional kinks part of the deal?

How do you manage your tension?
(I know----Go Fishing, Drink Heavily, etc...)

[big_teee]

Experiment, tighten up on the wire until it breaks.
Do that on a bobbin with no wire on it yet.
I would do some tests, just to see what you can and can't do.
I have always just fed the wire through my bare fingers.
When I started I was bad about breaking the wire, too much tension.
So I would try feeding it through your fingers, and then try the felt.
If your wire is kinking, try flipping the spool over and feed off the other end.
Good Luck,
Terry

[David King]

When hand winding, I like to wear a thin cotton or wool glove and I thread the wire over and under the index and middle fingers and use the thumb only to add a little pressure. Without the glove, my hand starts to sweat about 1 minute into the wind and I lose all control of the tension. I'd also slow down the bobbin speed until you start getting more consistent results. I think most bad coils I see were wound too tight and that's why the wire broke in the first place. You want a relaxed wind but not one where the wire is falling off the edges.

I'd really recommend a fixed tensioner using two wool felt disks (buffing disks from a dremel tool), a metal washer and a strat PU spring under a long screw. Use a short piece of BIC pen ink tube as a bushing around the screw so that the wire isn't likely to hit the screw threads and develop a short. Bolt that down to a stick that's a foot or so long, that's hinged at your end like a tiller on a boat. You can can push the stick back and forth to guide the wire between your guide posts without touching it.

Get a round, 1 gallon jug (windshield washing fluid?). Cut the bottom out and set it over your spool on the floor with the wire coming up through the top. That will help reduce kinks in mid-air. A large plastic funnel would probably work even better.

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

David, any experience with wisker disks?

[marku52]

Good stuff--thanks guys!

wisker disks?????

[FunkyKikuchiyo]

Good stuff--thanks guys!

wisker disks?????

Azonic Products - Tension Devices

[captcoolaid]

I use non skid felt. I position a vise at my feet with the felt attached pending the pup I am winding (only single coils) I tighten or loosen .