Applying Tension According to Wire Manufacturer

[kevinT]

I'm wondering, does anyone follow the wire manufacturer's recommendation for the amount of applied tension (in grams) when:

**winding a coil with a tensioning unit?

**winding a coil by hand?

For example, AWG 42 generally calls for 34-39 grams of tension, AWG 43 calls for 26-31 grams of tension, and AWG 44 calls for 22-26 grams of tension.

In addition, I know its fairly easy with a tensioning device to check and maintain tension, but has anyone ever measured the tension with a tension meter, the average amount of tension that one is applying by hand when winding a bobbin (i know this will vary somewhat by winder)? If so, is it generally more or less than the manufacturer's recommendtion for a particular wire gauge?

I know this tension question popped up a while ago, but i thought that i would ask again?

[black_labb]

i have virtually no experience in winding, but i used a piece of felt between my fingers and the wire to create a more uniform tension, as it wont change too much as you grip it further, and things wont snag as much. wether that helped at all i dont know.

[Possum]

tension meters....

I don't think those meters are cheap, I've only seen them on UK winder company sites, not over here....

[kevinT]

Does anyone know the amount of tension in grams that they're applying to the wire while winding a bobbin?

I wish SD addressed this issue during the Seth interview

I know some of you lurkers are out there that can chime in on this

Does anyone have any real numbers that they're using?

Does anyone have an opinion on this topic?

[Possum]

SD....

Well in my interview with Seth I forgot to ask him that....oh you meant Stoney Dog, sorry. Seth actually did address this, by saying the girls who ran the machine just would push their finger on the wire as the machine ran to judge tension. You can get hung up on the tension thing, its actually not all that important, Gibson and Duncan don't use tensioners on the machines they wind vintage gear on, they use felt...

[Joe Gwinn]

Does anyone know the amount of tension in grams that they're applying to the wire while winding a bobbin?

Electrisola specifies recommended tensions in their magnet wire tables. I have no idea if these tensions are what pickup makers use, but it's a starting point. The tensions in the table will be intended for machine winding in production.

[kevinT]

enlightened

Oopps,

I misinterpreted how tension is defined and used. The max tension in grams provided by the manufacturer means the point where the wire will start to stretch and it doesn't mean the recommended amount of tension one should use when winding a coil. After some discussions and more research, I found that the actual recommended amount of tension should be between 50% to 80% of the max measurement. But this is not written in stone obviously. But it is a good baseline for research.

I also found some stuff on Seymour's site that may clear it up a bit too.

Tension: Is the measurement usually in grams that measures the maximum amount of tension that a wire can be drawn or pulled off a spool without stretching and causing higher coil readings.

What is the tension that should be used with magnet wire?
The maximum tension before the wire will stretch causing undesirable or high coil resistance.
42 Gauge is 45 grams
43 Gauge is 35 grams
44 Gauge is 29 grams

754. How do you determine the winding tension?
There are tension devices that measure the tension in grams when the coil is being wound. When hand winding you can usually feel the drag between your fingers and also the amount of heat that builds up if you are holding the wire to tight. If there is not enough tension on the coil, the magnet wire will flop all over the winding area and cause the coil to have loops and snags. I hold the wire between my thumb and index finger when hand winding. This allows me to control the shape of the coil. Leo Fender told me that he liked pickups hand wound because you would have better control over the tension of coils being wound.