plastic wrap material to protect covers/bobbins

[kevinT]

Does anyone know where to get that clear Serane wrap-type materal they put on top of the humbucker covers to protect them?

[jack briggs]

In the printing industry it's known as premask. I've seen it sold at Stew-Mac for acoustic pickguards. They may still sell it.

Other than that - look to adhesive manufacturers like 3M. They make the best premasks. You want one with a low-tack adhesive. That way it will remove without leaving any residue.

[Stan H]

I'd like to find some of that stuff too but I'd be very careful. The stuff that GJ used to use would leave an oily looking stain that as far as I could tell was pretty much permanent...

[RedHouse]

Call me cheap, but I just use regular old 3M "Scotch" tape, there's always plenty left over
from Christmas.
(they used to call it "Scotch magic transparent tape")

Comes right off when finished, although in saying that, I've never left it
on for an extended period of time, it's usually off in less than 2 days.





Yes, I know that bobbin is overloaded, it was by request of the end-user, he wanted
"as much wire as you can get on there" probably could have gone more but never mind.

[David Schwab]

In the printing industry it's known as premask.

Let's just clarify that's in the sign printing industry. It's not used in any litho/offset printing industries.

Here's one place that sells it

http://www.tuffind.net/premask.htm

[David Schwab]

Call me cheap, but I just use regular old 3M "Scotch" tape, there's always plenty left over
from Christmas.
(they used to call it "Scotch magic transparent tape")

That's a good idea. I use magic tape to stop glue getting into my truss rods slots when gluing on fingerboards, and a few other things.

It's nice and thin.

I was using blue painter's tape to protect the top of my plastic pickup covers, but recently it actually pulled a small sliver of the surface material off the new covers I'm using! Maybe I have to switch to the low tac green stuff.

But the blue tape is also useful for protecting surfaces while working on them.

[Possum]

...

That magic tape sure didn't work for me, it stuck so well that it tore trying to get it off and tore in tiny bits took forever to get it off in tiny rips, not sure why I had that problem. I think if you stick the tape to your shirt and pull it off a couple times it will kill the high tack, I still haven't found anything suitable yet...

[RedHouse]

That magic tape sure didn't work for me, it stuck so well that it tore trying to get it off and tore in tiny bits took forever to get it off in tiny rips, not sure why I had that problem. I think if you stick the tape to your shirt and pull it off a couple times it will kill the high tack, I still haven't found anything suitable yet...

Indicative of over warm conditions. When the tape is cool, the plastic is firm and the glue gives way, when the tape is warm the glue sticks way more and the plastic gives way. We want the plastic intact and the glue to give-way.

Try this Dave, apply the tape, wind the bobbin, do the deed (soldering leads, assemble pickup etc) and then... place the in the freezer for like 2 or 3 minutes, when you take it out, let it sit on the bench for a couple minutes, then peel off the tape, it usually comes off without incident.

PS; you can always hype the customer that it was "cryogenically" treated.

[NightWinder]

Call me cheap, but I just use regular old 3M "Scotch" tape, there's always plenty left over
from Christmas.
(they used to call it "Scotch magic transparent tape")

Comes right off when finished, although in saying that, I've never left it
on for an extended period of time, it's usually off in less than 2 days.





Yes, I know that bobbin is overloaded, it was by request of the end-user, he wanted
"as much wire as you can get on there" probably could have gone more but never mind.

Say Man...Is that Formvar......

[RedHouse]

Say Man...Is that Formvar......

Nope, SPN (Solderon) the reason the coil looks overloaded, is because ...well it is. Buyer wanted the "maximum amount of wire" on his pickup, IIRC it was someting like 5900 turns or so on a Stew-Mac bobbin.... I didn't like the sound, but he did, I got paid.

[Possum]

....

Its poor man's Formvar, otherwise known as plain enamel formvar....

[NightWinder]

Nope, SPN (Solderon) the reason the coil looks overloaded, is because ...well it is. Buyer wanted the "maximum amount of wire" on his pickup, IIRC it was someting like 5900 turns or so on a Stew-Mac bobbin.... I didn't like the sound, but he did, I got paid.

Was it double build?? Just curious. Shit, Pe can get into the near 7,000's on SM bobbins so I'd imagine with Solderon it may be a bit more. Good looking coil man.

[RedHouse]

Its poor man's Formvar, otherwise known as plain enamel formvar....

Solderon is Polyurethane with a Nylon overcoat. It was the first wire I bought because it was recommended in the Lollar book, so I got some.

Speaking of PE, who'd ya recommend for the deals on 3-lb or 5-lb spools? I hear a lot of ups-n-downs about MWS.

What wire you using on those PAF clones Possum?

[RedHouse]

Was it double build?? Just curious. Shit, Pe can get into the near 7,000's on SM bobbins so I'd imagine with Solderon it may be a bit more.

No, but it may very well have been like 6900. I was writing everything down in a notebook ...which my niece got ahold of last fall ...and destroyed... I about blew a gasket.
(but one look at her little face and it diffused the trauma...somewhat)

I started another notebook but this time I write-up a text file on my computer (soon to be a spreadsheet) at the end of a wind session, hopefully I can keep my hard earned data ...this time.

I did have a shitload of 42H (two 9# spools off the bay) a year or two ago but I used most of it up practicing/learning wind patterns, tensions etc, it didn't bother me to wind/test/cut-off the wire umpteen times because I bought it just for that purpose. I still have about 4 or 5-lbs of that 42H left. It makes some great Strat pickups and I'm trying some other single coil types of my own configuration I'm experimenting with. Somewhere I thought I read that Leo used heavy Formvar in his pickups in the late 50's or 60's and it might be true, the 42H has some great midrange to it.

Back when I got the 42H I spoke to a guy named Dave (Hoft?) at Superior Essex, he said "Heavy" isn't "Double" build just a heavy single, said they have 4 builds Single/Heavy/Double/Tripple.

Good looking coil man.

Thank you for the kind words NightWinder.

[NightWinder]

....ah, She must be in the 2's or 3's. My little girl loves to rip paper and scratch cardboard,lol. Even paper off crayons disapears in seconds...
Can't be too made when they grin......Only when you try to get some info and you remember " Ah yeah....Damn!!"