Winding Blade Style Pickups

[PoorMan]

I'm working on a Charlie Christian-ish design pickup. The bobbins are simply the blade with Forbon tops and bottoms. My plan is to wind directly on the core blade (insulated, of course).

The blade is only .095" thick so I anticipate the coil will end up very tight at the edges and loose/bulging on the sides. Any suggestions to get a more even tensioned coil?

Here's a pic of the blade to help illustrate...


Thanks,
Dave

[David King]

Are you going to be potting these? You could simply squeeze out the excess wax as it cools and compress the sides a little. Taping them tightly sort of does the same thing. Then again you might prefer the tone of the looser wind. You've got to think twice about what you wish for and then listen carefully to the results.

[David Schwab]

I wind on blades that thin all the time. I don't have any problems with tension. The sides are nice and tight. If you get a lose one do what David said when you take it out of the wax. I tape my bobbins up before I wax pot them.

[Mark Hammer]

Without wishing to force out "trade secrets", how DO you get the side nice and tight? Is it a matter of winding speed, or finding the "magic" winding tension? Is it a matter of working out nicely for some gauges but not so much for others? Does the blade need to be prepped in some manner? (e.g., pre-waxing it so inner windings stick to the blade)

[big_teee]

Without wishing to force out "trade secrets", how DO you get the side nice and tight? Is it a matter of winding speed, or finding the "magic" winding tension? Is it a matter of working out nicely for some gauges but not so much for others? Does the blade need to be prepped in some manner? (e.g., pre-waxing it so inner windings stick to the blade)

I've made fish paper Flanges.
They are not hard to make, and glue on the edges.
It keeps the coils from falling off the edges.
Like a Speed bump pickup uses.

[David Schwab]

Without wishing to force out "trade secrets", how DO you get the side nice and tight? Is it a matter of winding speed, or finding the "magic" winding tension?

I think that's it. If I wind too fast and without enough tension, I get a lose spongy coil. I still wind pretty fast though, and since I'm hand winding I just pinch the wire in the my fingers. I wind so fast that it gets quite hot at times.

[PoorMan]

All good points. Wax can address any loose coil issues, but I also don't want the edges so tight that I stretch the wire and choke out the highs.

Schwab, about how fast are you spinning your Schatten? Half speed? Three quarters? Do you use the wire guides? Talc? Felt?

Thanks.

[David Schwab]

All good points. Wax can address any loose coil issues, but I also don't want the edges so tight that I stretch the wire and choke out the highs.

Schwab, about how fast are you spinning your Schatten? Half speed? Three quarters? Do you use the wire guides? Talc? Felt?

Thanks.

Ever since the motor speed control went on the fritz, I've been powering my Schatten with a DeWalt variable speed drill. It was a temporary fix, since I had a lot of orders to wind, but I got to like it because it can spin the winder a lot faster than the puny stock motor. I do not know what the RPMs are, but I usually run the drill about half way. It's chucked directly to the left axle.

I use the wire guides and I hold the wire between my fingers. I set the wire guides in a hair from the edge of the bobbin. I don't use any felt or talc. My hands don't really sweat. I have calluses on my right index finger from playing bass, so that probably helps! I wind fast enough where pinching the wire in my fingers gets quite hot.

[PoorMan]

Ever since the motor speed control went on the fritz, I've been powering my Schatten with a DeWalt variable speed drill. It was a temporary fix, since I had a lot of orders to wind, but I got to like it because it can spin the winder a lot faster than the puny stock motor. I do not know what the RPMs are, but I usually run the drill about half way. It's chucked directly to the left axle.

I use the wire guides and I hold the wire between my fingers. I set the wire guides in a hair from the edge of the bobbin. I don't use any felt or talc. My hands don't really sweat. I have calluses on my right index finger from playing bass, so that probably helps! I wind fast enough where pinching the wire in my fingers gets quite hot.

Good stuff, Dave. Thanks for your help.

[David Schwab]

Good stuff, Dave. Thanks for your help.

That's a nice looking blade by the way. Is that chrome plated?

I posted this photo here recently of my Schatten as it is today:



I think the main thing is you just have to gain the feel for it. When I first started winding, the coils came out sloppy and spongy and lose. I used to break a lot of wire to.

After I while I learned to wind nice and neat and the coils were no longer lose. I do not scatter the wire at all. I try and wind as neatly as I can, and stop every so often to see the shape of the coil.

[PoorMan]

That's a nice looking blade by the way. Is that chrome plated?

I posted this photo here recently of my Schatten as it is today:



I think the main thing is you just have to gain the feel for it. When I first started winding, the coils came out sloppy and spongy and lose. I used to break a lot of wire to.

After I while I learned to wind nice and neat and the coils were no longer lose. I do not scatter the wire at all. I try and wind as neatly as I can, and stop every so often to see the shape of the coil.

I've been winding for years now, just never on blades.


Yes, the blades are chrome. I've wondered what other blade winders are doing for corrosion resistance/cosmetics. I see a lot of black blades (black oxide?) and others that appear to have some sort of clear (lacquer or something like it.)

[copperheadroads]

I've been winding for years now, just never on blades.


Yes, the blades are chrome. I've wondered what other blade winders are doing for corrosion resistance/cosmetics. I see a lot of black blades (black oxide?) and others that appear to have some sort of clear (lacquer or something like it.)

I have been winding blade style pups ... tele & strat pups lately
Here on the Rock ,Id have to ship parts to the mainland to be chromed ,But I'm considering to see how far I can get with one of Caswell Chrome plating kit (probably the cheap $40 kit first)

[PoorMan]

Do you leave the blades raw? I'm wondering what others do.

Also, I wound a test coil the other night. Turns out my concerns were unfounded. The coil came out great.