Composition of Steel for Blade Pickups?

[SpareRibs]

Hello,
So I got the winder built, bought the wire and did try some P90 style pickups. I really want to do
some full size blade humbuckers I just dont know what type of material to use for the blades or where to get it. I know 1018 and 1022 are mentioned a lot for pole pieces. But I would like some input from someone who has wound blades, just knowing what chemical composition of steel would help a great deal.
It is also hard to obtain things as I live in Oregon and there are not a lot of places to purchase raw materials. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[CRU JONES]

Try 16ga sheetmetal from the hardware store. As far as I know all that sheet metal is all cold rolled. I cut mine with a Bosch t118A jigsaw blade.

I have tried 20ga and two pieces of 20ga laminated and the 16ga sounded better to me. 20ga and 20ga laminated sounded horrible to be honest. I have also used .125" cold rolled bar stock, but have found that I need to anneal that. Its cold rolled, but hot rolled first. It sounds different to me after heat treating. But just go with the 16ga sheetmetal, it sounds great and is easy to work with

[rhgwynn]

Some of them use bar magnets in the bobbin instead of a steel blade with a magnet on the bottom. Don't expect too much in the way of "secret recipes" though; we've all had to "pay our dues" through money lost on experimentation and learning how to set things up so they don't mess up your winds and split the bobbins apart, etc - so there's somewhat of a "let the noobs learn the hard way and dont give them shortcuts" culture going on here. Though, if you can recognize who the helpful ones are, and ask specific questions directly - they will usually tell you enough to nudge you in the right direction.

You usually need 43awg for blades - especially if you intend to make it usefully-tappable. If you're just making a single-coil sized one, 42 should work. 1018 works fine for them, and if you look around you can find a few good suppliers for all the necessary pre-fabbed parts.

-Rob

[big_teee]

Hello,
So I got the winder built, bought the wire and did try some P90 style pickups. I really want to do
some full size blade humbuckers I just dont know what type of material to use for the blades or where to get it. I know 1018 and 1022 are mentioned a lot for pole pieces. But I would like some input from someone who has wound blades, just knowing what chemical composition of steel would help a great deal.
It is also hard to obtain things as I live in Oregon and there are not a lot of places to purchase raw materials. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Hello:
I use bought blades for hubuckers.
I have used these.
Humbucker Pickup Bobbin Blade - Guitar Parts
I make the thinner blades for Strat sized mini blades.
The bobbins are a little taller on the fullsized bucker blade type, compared to PAF type bobbins.
This allows them to sound a bit brighter, and work well for Overwinds.
On the thinner blades, I've just used scrap sheet steel.
Always had good luck with it.
Mojo has them to, but they are out of stock.
Mojotone Blade for Humbucker bobbin
If you can wind a regular humbucker, you will not have any problems with the blade variety.
T

[CRU JONES]

SpareRibs isn't a noob. He has been around since 2011.

Why do you think 43ga is so good for blades? Are you sure you have wound any blades rhgwynn?

Hey SpareRibs, PM me if you want some more specific details on winding blades. I have only wound 40-50 though, so I still have a lot to learn. I'm not exaggerating that number and I'm not exaggerating that I have a lot to learn.

[rhgwynn]

Why do you think 43ga is so good for blades? Are you sure you have wound any blades rhgwynn?

I said "especially if you intend to make it usefully-tappable" .... define it how you will, and so will I He just built a winder; I assumed it was his first. I dont check out peoples profiles before responding to their posts. Oh Lawd fuhgeeve meh, Baybeh Gee-bus, I've beeen a teeerible sinnah!!!

-Rob

[SpareRibs]

Hello,
I realize the secret recipe mindset going on with some members, however just the composition of the steel is no going to enable me to surpass everyone with just that one bit of information. One of the things I find funny about that is if anyone was interested in finding someones trade secrets, the pickups are available on the open market. So if anyone is so inclined all they have to do is buy a finished product and do all of their lab testing and analyzing on that, the groundwork has been laid out for them.
So with all that being said, I am not asking for a how to manual just a small amount of information along the way.
Thank you for your input that will at least keep from buying the three kinds of steel mentioned, at least that much can be taken out of the equation. I also know it will take time and effort on my part to wind acceptable pickups.

[big_teee]

Hello,
I realize the secret recipe mindset going on with some members, however just the composition of the steel is no going to enable me to surpass everyone with just that one bit of information. One of the things I find funny about that is if anyone was interested in finding someones trade secrets, the pickups are available on the open market. So if anyone is so inclined all they have to do is buy a finished product and do all of their lab testing and analyzing on that, the groundwork has been laid out for them.
So with all that being said, I am not asking for a how to manual just a small amount of information along the way.
Thank you for your input that will at least keep from buying the three kinds of steel mentioned, at least that much can be taken out of the equation. I also know it will take time and effort on my part to wind acceptable pickups.

Ask away, that is what the Forum is here for!
Most of us will help if we can!
T

[copperheadroads]

Hello,
I realize the secret recipe mindset going on with some members, however just the composition of the steel is no going to enable me to surpass everyone with just that one bit of information. One of the things I find funny about that is if anyone was interested in finding someones trade secrets, the pickups are available on the open market. So if anyone is so inclined all they have to do is buy a finished product and do all of their lab testing and analyzing on that, the groundwork has been laid out for them.
So with all that being said, I am not asking for a how to manual just a small amount of information along the way.
Thank you for your input that will at least keep from buying the three kinds of steel mentioned, at least that much can be taken out of the equation. I also know it will take time and effort on my part to wind acceptable pickups.

I would try some local stock 1/8" flat bar ,that you can find from the hardware store for the same style bobbins as Mojo sells for full size blade humbuckers
The local stuff is easy to bend & work with & I suspect is 1010 steel cold rolled ,I know its softer than the 1018 steel that I have ordered specially for some other pickups projects
As for tone ,I got to say of the few different types of mild steel I have tried for blades 1010,1018 & some harder steel unknown carbon content,I like lower carbon content better ,to me It was a little warmer sounding.
Try some 440 stainless & report back ,thats something I wanted to try but have not got around to it yet

[David Schwab]

Hello,
So I got the winder built, bought the wire and did try some P90 style pickups. I really want to do
some full size blade humbuckers I just dont know what type of material to use for the blades or where to get it. I know 1018 and 1022 are mentioned a lot for pole pieces. But I would like some input from someone who has wound blades, just knowing what chemical composition of steel would help a great deal.
It is also hard to obtain things as I live in Oregon and there are not a lot of places to purchase raw materials. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

You can go to a place like Home Depot, and they will have 1/8" thick bars. You can use those. Get the 3/4" wide ones. Some of my early pickups used that steel.

If you want more options, order something from McMaster-Carr. Then you can get thiner blades if you want, or even thicker ones. Start with common low carbon steel. They say it's 1010, or similar.

Lower carbon steel tends to sound warmer. I've tried different kinds, and they sounds a bit different. For example, magnetic stainless steel has a bright edgy kind of tone. At least it did in the pickups I tried it in. Like anything else, it all depends on what your making, and what you are looking for.

[David Schwab]

I would try some local stock 1/8" flat bar ,that you can find from the hardware store for the same style bobbins as Mojo sells for full size blade humbuckers
The local stuff is easy to bend & work with & I suspect is 1010 steel cold rolled ,I know its softer than the 1018 steel that I have ordered specially for some other pickups projects
As for tone ,I got to say of the few different types of mild steel I have tried for blades 1010,1018 & some harder steel unknown carbon content,I like lower carbon content better ,to me It was a little warmer sounding.
Try some 440 stainless & report back ,thats something I wanted to try but have not got around to it yet

If I had read all the posts I would have seen I said the same thing you did lol

[David Schwab]

You usually need 43awg for blades - especially if you intend to make it usefully-tappable. If you're just making a single-coil sized one, 42 should work. 1018 works fine for them, and if you look around you can find a few good suppliers for all the necessary pre-fabbed parts.

What's usefully tappable mean? Do you mean splitting to single coil, or you are winding and taking a tap out and and winding more?

You want to use the wire that gets the tone you are after. If you can't fit more wire than you need on the bobbin, then you might need to go to 43 or 44. But don't assume that just because a pickup has blades that it's supposed to be wound hot. You can make PAF style pickup with blades too.

43 will either give you a brighter pickup with less winds, or more mids with more winds. If you want it warm and round sounding use 42.

[restorationad]

My findings have resembled what Dave said.

Thicker Lower Carbon = Warmer. Thinner Magnetic Stainless = Brighter. And all the variables in between.

On early blades I used the cold rolled stuff from the hardware store. I found it pleasantly unpredictable but always good enough... But it was always a pain to get it squared and polished.

I am telling you my secret sauce recipe but the secret sauce includes using the precision low carbon steel strips from McMaster Carr.

[David Schwab]

I am telling you my secret sauce recipe but the secret sauce includes using the precision low carbon steel strips from McMaster Carr.

And there goes the neighborhood!

[SonnyW]

I made some blades one time for a sidewinder type pickup I was experimenting on out of metal salvaged from the top of an oil drum. But I didn't like the sound that much, I think it was more because of the sidewinder design I was using than the metal, but I was hoping it would be a lot brighter than it turned out to be. OK I am ready for the steel drum reggae jokes now.....