New to winding pickups. Some questions to begin with

[tepsamps]

Hello falks,
i'm a newbie in that new hobby, and i bought humbucker kits (paf style) in UK and started to wind 2 bobbins.
I use 42 awg wire and i only was able to put 4250 turns only for a 3,5K DC resistance. I really don't anderstand how is it possible to have a 16k resistance out of a humbucker. Only reducing wire size?

But my main issue is that the slugs don't stay in the bobbin, the hole is too big, i should use a press, and it's loose, i don't know what to do. I've asked the seller, but got no answer yet.

Any idea ?

[Helmholtz]

Original Gibson PAFs had around 5000 turns per coil resulting about 4k DCR, using 42 awg wire. You might try to increase winding tension and produce a neater (less scatter) wind. But a 16k humbucker would need a thinner wire.

Regarding the slug issue, what is the exact diameter of the slugs and the bobbin holes?

[mozz]

If it's a Chinese pickup kit, often the parts don't fit right. I've had bobbin hold down screws that were 3 sizes too small. Wouldn't the magnet hold the slugs in, until you crazy glue them in anyway.

[tepsamps]

Original Gibson PAFs had around 5000 turns per coil resulting about 4k DCR, using 42 awg wire. You might try to increase winding tension and produce a neater (less scatter) wind. But a 16k humbucker would need a thinner wire.

Regarding the slug issue, what is the exact diameter of the slugs and the bobbin holes?

The hole seems to be 5 mm and the slugs are 4.8 mm, they should be 5 mm.

[tepsamps]

If it's a Chinese pickup kit, often the parts don't fit right. I've had bobbin hold down screws that were 3 sizes too small. Wouldn't the magnet hold the slugs in, until you crazy glue them in anyway.

I did not buy them in china but they maybe come from there... So it is possible to glue them ? With super glue ?

[mozz]

Well if you just want them to work i guess you can glue them in, that was kind of a joke, if i was winding for a customer, no. Some times you can buy a complete set of chinese humbuckers for about the same price as a kit, just strip off the wire, rewind and sell as handmade. I swear there is a seller who does that and sells them as handmade, they looked too perfect and the slugs had those little circles in them.

[tepsamps]

I've prepared 2 thin rail humbuckers, i gave 5000 turns of AWG 42 for a total RDC of 8k for each.
I put a ceramic magnet in the bridge and an alnico 5 in the neck, because i did not want the neck PU to be louder than the bridge PU, but what happens is the contrary. The alnico PU is way quieter than the ceramic PU.

As it's the first time i hear my PU's, is it normal ? I did not think there would be such a difference as the sound is supposed to be louder in the middle of the neck than at bridge position.

Other thing : i noticed a hum if the PU are close to the amp, that does not exist with commercial PU.

I'm happy to have a nice clean tone, i did not try overdrive yet...

[big_teee]

Some pictures might help us see what you're doing with the rails?
Also, it is not uncommon to have to drop the neck pickup down some, and raise the height of the bridge pickup.
On the turns, a lot of us use less turns for the neck humbucker, and more for the bridge pickup.
Like less than 5000 for the neck and more than 5000 for the bridge.
GL,
T

[tepsamps]

The hum is coming only from the low output pickup the magnet is maybe badly positioned...i'm gonna have a look...

[tepsamps]

I 've had a look and compared with a traditional humbucker where the magnet is stuck between the screws and the slugs and can't move, in the rail i have, the magnet can go to one of each side, attracted by one or the other rail, there is a space of 2 or 3 mm. Is it normal ?

[big_teee]

I 've had a look and compared with a traditional humbucker where the magnet is stuck between the screws and the slugs and can't move, in the rail i have, the magnet can go to one of each side, attracted by one or the other rail, there is a space of 2 or 3 mm. Is it normal ?

If a regular humbucker magnet is not wide enough, and there is a gap on one side or the other?
In that case you can use a steel shim, or steel wire, to take up the gap.
I've run into that before on some blade bobbin pickups.
T

[big_teee]

Here's some calculated data for full sized blade pickups.
Check to see if your bobbins are the same dimensions as these.
Data for 42, 43, and 44 single poly wire.
The 44SPN bridge version with a C8 magnet, ROCKS!
I make a hybrid version with one blade bobbin, and one screw bobbin.
I usually make it in a zebra, one black, and one cream bobbin.
GL
T

[tepsamps]

i put a ceramic magnet in both, a nail or a piece of iron wire to fit the gap, and the problem is the same, low output and a hum and not a full sound on the neck PU.

[big_teee]

i put a ceramic magnet in both, a nail or a piece of iron wire to fit the gap, and the problem is the same, low output and a hum and not a full sound on the neck PU.

You probably have that pickup polarity wired wrong.
T

[tepsamps]

Yes that's my conclusion but i actually did some thing different for that pickup but for me it was not bad. I'll try to explain.
Before that pickup ( i made also a PAF style with 4000 turns ) i did exactly the same winding for the left bobbin than for the right bobbin. Red wire for the start of winding, black for the end. But when assembling i had nothing symetrical. 2 bobbins with the black wire on the left side and red wire on the right side. And i wanted the 2 black wire in the center of the humbucker where the 2 bobbins are stuck together and red wire on the edges. But i never change the direction of winding, just put the left ( or second ) bobbin up side down on the winder. Is that a mistake ? Did you get me?