Two of three pickups dead in wax, why?

[MORCILLO]

Well, these are my 3 first PUs, a set for strat, they read 6,6 6,2 and 6,1 with AWG42, around 8000 turns, well, 6,6 a little more... two, 6,1 and 6,2 dead in wax pot, the temperture was between 70 and 75ºC, with thermometer...

Admit that these were not the fanciest ones I have seen, but not that bad at all, a little turns loose, but still good looking, not so many problems winding, I am so surprising... they were my first, and well averything happens unwinding

Do I have killer bees wax? Or am I missing anything....

Do I must unwind? or do I cut wire and rewind, how to cut without break flatwork or anything else?

Thanks to all, it is my first post too, but I am readind since a time... and learning a lot... I think...

[copperheadroads]

Just try reheating you solder joints ..it happens some times

[MORCILLO]

Just try reheating you solder joints ..it happens some times

Well, you can consider yourself, as I do, a Hero, you just have save from a painful death two little innocent pickups.... they work again!!! well at least, they have a read again, just fine!

But I can not understand why this happen, heat is so low for to affect solder joints... I think...

Thanks, you make my day, for sure...

[Mark Hammer]

The problem is that removing the insulation from the wire is not always perfect, and the magnet wire may not always have electrical continuity with the rivet where we solder the connecting wires to.

It has happened to me many times that I wind a coil, strip the ends, tin them and measure resistance. I make sure the meter probes touch the tinned part, and then when I insert the tinned ends into the brass rivets and solder the connecting wires, the meter reads open circuit. I reflow the solder, and maybe move the ends of the coil around, and BINGO, I have a working pickup again.

[big_teee]

Sounds like he is using HFV wire.
I always wrap the start and finish wire several times in the rivet, then sand the wire lightly.
I like to solder the eyelet without the hookup wire.
Then I heat the eyelet and stick the hookup wire through the hot solder.
I've had good luck doing it that way.
Terry

[MORCILLO]

You are right, the specs of wire said it was solderable, it is a poly tipe, and I did not sand it, I directly solder hook wires in eyelet, they gave me a good read, but wax pot seems to kill the two pickups, lukily, they wakeup after a heat tratement.

Next time I will sand and solder more slowly...

[copperheadroads]

Its OK when you don't sand off the insulation of poly & even heavy formvar .The iron will melt through insulation . a little longer for heavy build wire
Plain Enamel wire , you have to sand off the insulation to solder .
but sometimes the wax pot bites you in the ass
losing continuity due to potting is something that Ive usually don't worry about . it goes hand to hand unstripped,solder-able magnet wire

[Joe Gwinn]

You are right, the specs of wire said it was solderable, it is a poly tipe, and I did not sand it, I directly solder hook wires in eyelet, they gave me a good read, but wax pot seems to kill the two pickups, lukily, they wakeup after a heat tratement.

What is the temperature of the soldering iron you are using?

[MORCILLO]

What is the temperature of the soldering iron you are using?

Well... this is a good question... not too hot... really dont know, its a cheap old 40w solder, I have a good big 80w too, but it will roast everything I think. And I have not a thermometer to measure this temp.

Now I take a little more time soldering to ensure the coat is properly fryed. But this is an issue if you are using a plastic for the bobin... I just screwed one this way, ended disasembling it and trashing the wire....

[Joe Gwinn]

Well... this is a good question... not too hot... really dont know, its a cheap old 40w solder, I have a good big 80w too, but it will roast everything I think. And I have not a thermometer to measure this temp.

Now I take a little more time soldering to ensure the coat is properly fryed. But this is an issue if you are using a plastic for the bobin... I just screwed one this way, ended disassembling it and trashing the wire....

If the iron is cooler than 750 F, the solderable magnet wire won't be solderable. Using too small an iron melts things, because it takes so long to get things up to soldering temperature. A big iron is easier on things, because it's fast. If things are right, it will take literally one second to solder the magnet wire to the terminal, announced by a small puff of smoke.

More generally, it sounds like you need a temperature controlled iron.

[MORCILLO]

Sure I do, when I said not too hot, said this because seems to cold for insulation, but with a little flux solder is really fast and fluid.

I have melted some pots, then I know what you say about less power: more melting...

I dont think the bigger solder gets more temperature, i think that the more massive point they have, dont frezze so fast when you try to solder in a dissipating surface as a pot or a plate...

I have seen those beautiful solder stations and some day will fall one in my basket