Checking DC Resistance.

[Possum]

coil readings...

Its not good to just hold the multimeter tips on the two coil wires, if you're not using enough pressure or there's finger grease you'll get a wrong reading. If I have a coil on the bench I use blue tape and tape the wires down then hit it with sandpaper, then you can dig your leads into the wires and get an accurate reading, I thought everyone did this, maybe not?

[Joe Gwinn]

It sounds like you went a bit overboard with the aspirin if you actually hurt yourself! When I do it it fumes generated are about the same as caused by the resin core solder. This is a small amount which obviously one should avoid inhaling.

I got clouds, and decided that anything that smelled that bad could not be good for me in a closed room. Didn't get to the point of hurt.

Still, Salicylic acid is pretty corrosive, being the active ingredient in many wart removers, so I'd avoid breating the smoke.

If you just lightly touch the aspirin and the soldering iron is well tinned, then just gliding the iron over the taut wire will strip it very nicely without damaging it at all. This seems much better to me than sanding through the insulation and creating weak points in the coil.

Perhaps the issue was that I used too much. Sounds quicker that sanding. What temperature iron?

I got the idea from some radio amateur's postings; don't recall where. He was stripping very heavy wire in toroidal baluns.

To each his own however. What's your preferred method Joe? Maybe I'll give that a shot.

I don't test resistance in the middle, winding to a turns count. So far, I've used only solderable wire, and a very hot (800 F) iron. There was a debate about use of such a hot iron, the report/fear being that use of such a hot iron would somehow affect the wire, causing it to later break at the solder joint. The only way I can think of for this to happen is if the added temperature causes too much copper from the thin wire to dissolve in the solder, weakening the wire fatally. If this is true, a solution would be to use a bare copper soldering iron, so the solder is saturated with copper from the iron.

[David Schwab]

Its not good to just hold the multimeter tips on the two coil wires, if you're not using enough pressure or there's finger grease you'll get a wrong reading. If I have a coil on the bench I use blue tape and tape the wires down then hit it with sandpaper, then you can dig your leads into the wires and get an accurate reading, I thought everyone did this, maybe not?

Also if you are touching the leads you can get a wrong reading.

I do the same thing you do, except I burn the insulation off, and use test clips to grab the wire.

[NightWinder]

I've been waiting to see it mentioned, just never thought it would. Some things are better left unsaid for the sake of arguement. Richards alright in my book,LOL Big LOL!!

[NightWinder]

I got sooo many.....But for the sake of argument...Nah. But on the serious tip, I'm sworn to secrecy,but someone here I think is going to break through with a revolutioary pickup design. He just shared a little piece of his idea with me, and I'm floored. I know your watching!! Keep your eyes and ears open. Oh, no thread hijacking-SLap myself!! Yes, throw your 400 grit away.

[kevinT]

.....but someone here I think is going to break through with a revolutioary pickup design. He just shared a little piece of his idea with me, and I'm floored. I know your watching!! Keep your eyes and ears open.

Cool.

It's probably wolfe or somebody

I hope whoever it is has the patent for it or has started the process.

Want to have your ass covered.

[NightWinder]

HEll No! It ain't wolf. It ain't me either! I'm sworn to secrecy, but when you see it....Believe me you'll know. A real work of art. You can't forge the monalisa....Hes got me rethinking my whole operation, I may tear down completely and rebuild from scratch....this should start another thread

[Aka Nameless]

You guys are awesome, thanks for all of the information.

I've been kind of... intimidated, the last week or so about winding pickups.

The asprin trick is a very good idea, that's thinking outside the box.

When I test the DC resistance, the pressure from the test leads leaves a fat dent in the wire, and, well, I can't afford to lose any more sleep.

The Foil and alligator clamps idea that David mentioned is a winner I think, to avoid any possible damage to the wire.

My biggest problem, is when I test the lead, it creates slack in the wire, and that slack loops and twists around itself, and the I sit there for 15 minutes trying to straighten the wire..

Those tiny little loops, that i'm sure happen to all pickup winding.. people...

No more winding to resistance for me, I just gotta learn how to count really fast now.

[David Schwab]

HEll No! It ain't wolf. It ain't me either! I'm sworn to secrecy, but when you see it....Believe me you'll know. A real work of art. You can't forge the monalisa....Hes got me rethinking my whole operation, I may tear down completely and rebuild from scratch....this should start another thread

I bet it's Possum... He has some interesting designs.

[NightWinder]

Schwab!!! LOL, Can't say....But His stuff is art...You seen his covers with the pinstrips.....I instantly spit on myself...Have'nt seen them anywhere else!!! Watch Dave get blown up with orders!! Has to work his ass off this forth....

[Zhangliqun]

Anyway, getting the insulation off the wire is such a pain and usually you break the damn thing. I could never get to grips with the sandpaper.

How strange that so many would have trouble with this. Seems really easy to me. You do have to develop a LITTLE bit of a touch (esp with 43 wire) but not much.

Maybe you're all holding the wire in mid-air and wrapping the sandpaper around it? I just lay the wire on a piece of paper and gently rub the sandpaper on top of it until I can see the copper suddenly get shinier. It's easier to see with PE wire but you can see a change in the texture with poly too. Usually takes no more than 3-4 strokes.

[PoorMan]

How strange that so many would have trouble with this. Seems really easy to me.

+1

Being a noob, this is not one of the things I've had trouble with.

[jonson]

Thanks Richard and Wade for the Asprin thingy always touch and go tinning up especially on short wire. Always plenty of asprin here as I use it to thin the old blood and keep my heart on track, perhaps thats why paint fumes when I'm spraying give me no probs the asprin is eating it all up. Still glad my last wife never took it would have been a disaster if her coil had fallen out.