How much do you worry about flat-stagger pole even-ness?

[rhgwynn]

I try my best to get them completely flat with absolutely no light gaps between the pole tops and a straightedge laid on top. But, sometimes it seems that the slight variations in tolerances when they were cut, makes it quite a chore to get all of the poles to line up perfectly even with one another. I have a really damn good eye for these things, so I can always tell when even one pole is off by the slightest bit; it always gets on my nerves. So, how much do you scrutinize these things?

[John_H]

flat stagger? That's a nice oxymoron.

[big_teee]

I try my best to get them completely flat with absolutely no light gaps between the pole tops and a straightedge laid on top. But, sometimes it seems that the slight variations in tolerances when they were cut, makes it quite a chore to get all of the poles to line up perfectly even with one another. I have a really damn good eye for these things, so I can always tell when even one pole is off by the slightest bit; it always gets on my nerves. So, how much do you scrutinize these things?

I worry more about how they sound, than picky Cosmetics.
Most of my Strat SCs are beveled poles, and lightly staggered.
Nothing to Lay a straight edlge on.

[copperheadroads]

I try my best to get them completely flat with absolutely no light gaps between the pole tops and a straightedge laid on top.

Straightedge!!!! Are you Making pickups or or doing a fret level ?
Really ,why the straightedge ,& why would you need this accuracy .when your strings are at a radius of the neck

[rhgwynn]

Straightedge!!!! Are you Making pickups or or doing a fret level ?
Really ,why the straightedge ,& why would you need this accuracy .when your strings are at a radius of the neck

Some people play compound radius necks and want flat poles. I also don't usually stagger poles unless it's specifically requested; or if there is a specific reason for it. It's just not necessary at all (can of worms? who cares...) There's also the fact that most players will never buy a radius gauge or pay for a setup in which one is used to set string height at the bridge. But all of that is neither here nor there. I refuse to get hung up on the marketing behind the word "Vintage" and spoon feed my customers bullshit (you know, the stuff "they want to hear"). The results? Fewer customers, but the ones I get are of higher caliber. I can deal with that.

-Rob

[David Schwab]

How are you pressing your magnets in?

[rhgwynn]

How are you pressing your magnets in?

1-ton Arbor Press

[David Schwab]

1-ton Arbor Press

OK, so assuming you are pressing down to the bottom of the press, I'm wondering how they are not the same height?

[rhgwynn]

Well I press, clean out the scrap off the bottom, and press some more, repeat. Then on go the spacers, then the top piece gets pressed on; once that is done, I press some more. Then I lay the straight-edge on top and every time there is a little bit of gap here and there or a little bit of rock due to a high piece, and I have to lay the edge of a piece of steel (strat baseplate works well) across the top and hammer on it a bit to get them all perfectly even. Sometimes I hit one or two from the bottom too. I dont know, maybe I'm just scrutinizing them more than a lot of people do. Or the tolerances of the manufacturer just aren't that great. I get most of my mags from mojo or a-fx. And just to be clear, these gaps are only fractions of a millimeter; but they are enough to see light through. But I notice them right away without the straightedge anyway so I feel pretty compelled to make it perfect. I'm thinking about getting a longer handle for the press to that I can leverage more pressure as well.

-Rob

[kayakerca]

Well I press, clean out the scrap off the bottom, and press some more, repeat.

'stuff removed"

But I notice them right away without the straightedge anyway so I feel pretty compelled to make it perfect. I'm thinking about getting a longer handle for the press to that I can leverage more pressure as well.

-Rob

It's not the press or the length of handle. If the magnets are all the same length, then its your spacer gig and/or installation procedure. Not the way I do it, but if you press them through from the bottom of the base flatwork piece then it will be impossible for there to be any forbon scrapings under the pole piece, period. Design and have someone build it for you if the variance is unacceptable to you. Build a top end jig that presses the top flatwork on with the arbor press as well and crushes it onto the spacer.

Here is the gig set I use on my 1 ton arbor press. The upper gig that presses the top flatwork on aligns with the bottom via the brass guide pins. Presses the top flatwork on all 6 pole pieces at once with little physical force on the 1 ton arbor press handle.

[RedHouse]

Alternatively, if you chuck each mag into a drill and hit that sharp bottom edge very lightly with a piece of Arkansas stone (or similar stone) just knocking the sharp edge off (breaking the edge as it's known) then, when you press them in they will "displace" the forbon instead of "cutting" it. Simple.

[rhgwynn]

The thing about the way the flatwork is punched, is that the holes are slightly larger on one side than the other. This makes aligning the magnets before pressing quite easy. That's why I press the magnets into it, rather than through it. Though, I suppose I could just pop out the eyelets and then revise the procedure since I'd have to reinstall them on the other side. Anyway, I've long been thinking about getting an assembly jig made. Yours is the second I have seen; the first being in a youtube vid (fred stuart). I just have not priced out such a thing yet. Perhaps I can afford one sometime in the future. But I suspect it will be something in the ballpark of at least 100-200$ unless I can get my brother to draw some accurate CAD files rather than having to pay to get it done, since I could never quite wrap my head around drawing in AutoCAD. Or perhaps some kind soul will donate theirs to the community; maybe if they posted them with a Paypal donation button, people will do the right thing and pay what they can for them. In the meantime though, I'll consider your advice Brad.

[RedHouse]

The thing about the way the flatwork is punched...

Where do you get "punched" flatwork?, most of it is laser cut now days.

[rhgwynn]

Where do you get "punched" flatwork?, most of it is laser cut now days.

Well I just made some grey bottoms from mojo that were def laser cut (could see the burn), but they had the same property I mentioned anyway. As far as "punched" goes - when I got a bunch from Mojo that was backordered, Steve specifically stated that they were waiting for it to be punched in Guitar Manufacturing. I thought the same thing you did - "not laser cut??". I didn't bug him about it though.

-Rob

[kayakerca]

I suspect it will be something in the ballpark of at least 100-200$ unless I can get my brother to draw some accurate CAD files rather than having to pay to get it done, since I could never quite wrap my head around drawing in AutoCAD. Or perhaps some kind soul will donate theirs to the community; maybe if they posted them with a Paypal donation button, people will do the right thing and pay what they can for them. In the meantime though, I'll consider your advice Brad.

Didn't use AutoCAD. I just gave a friend the bobbin spec images for a stock Strat bobbin from page 53 from Jason "Lollar's Basic Pickup" Winder book and asked him to make me a jig that would split down the middle around the pole pieces and was bolted together with a couple of cap screws. He did it up for me for free as a favour. Sometime later when I bought a milling machine, I just added the pin alignment holes to the spacer gig and fabricated the top formwork jig to match the spacer. You can do up the drawings the same with "Stetch Up" for free if drawings is what you need. Sketch Up is easy enough to learn to allow you to do something like that.