New Book: Build Your Own Pickup Winder

[WolfeMacleod]

Questions:

Are you a pickup winder/maker yourself? Any search for Plovitone or Robert Plovanich reveal nothing.
It makes my wonder how a person who is not a pickup winder himself, can desing and build a "pickup winder" without knowing exactly what a "pickup winder' should do. How it should operate, what features does it have, ect.

Anything with a spinning disk can be made to work as a pickup winder, but it wikll still simply be..
...a spinning disk-thing.

Also, how much of your book was lifted from the Lollar book?

[David Schwab]

Also, how much of your book was lifted from the Lollar book?

Judging from the little you can see on his site, it looks like a Schatten winder clone... the newer one with the pulley on the outside of the enclosure.

[rplovanich]

Regarding my manual

You guys are rough. Yes I wind my own pickups. I also wind my own Wah inductors. No I did not lift anything from the Lollar book. Purchase my manual and you will see. Because it has a pulley does not mean it is a Schatten clone. My winder is actually very simple in design. It has a vented steel enclosure. Uses an electric motor. Has a digital counter triggered by a Reed switch and will wind both pickups and Wah inductors. Thanks for your interest.

[PoorMan]

Your first post makes me a little uncomfortable, but I'm in need of a machine and it's not too expensive so I guess I'm game. I sent payment via PayPal.

[David King]

I just finished up my pickup winder for less than the cost of this book.

[PoorMan]

I just finished up my pickup winder for less than the cost of this book.

Less than $27? Do share.

[WolfeMacleod]

You guys are rough. Yes I wind my own pickups.

Most of the guys here are pretty easy. I'm the rough one, you'll find.

Good to hear you're winding stuff, instead of just winging it. Tempted to buy the book and make suggestions....I'm currently helping design a small, portable, computer-run coil winder with a learning feature, programmable, storage on USB drive, tailstock, multi bobbin winder.

[David King]

Used sewing machine at "antique store" $15
surplus counter off ebay $9
Bunch of scraps of plastic from Tap plastics $1/lb

I guess that doesn't count the hacksaw blade I used to hack the head off the sewing machine. I also have piles of crap from an old security system that came with my house, including dozens of magnets and reed switches.

I think my point would be that buying another book isn't going to get you any closer to the goal of winding a great sounding pickup. Either you just do it or you never will. Don't get into winding pickups to save money because you won't save a dime. If you want cheap pickups, there are plenty that work for $5 from overseas. If you really want to wind a pickup right now, start winding one by hand or with a hand drill. Buying a book to build a winder is a little like buying a book on plumbing to take a hot bath.

[David Schwab]

I'm currently helping design a small, portable, computer-run coil winder with a learning feature, programmable, storage on USB drive, tailstock, multi bobbin winder.

Is that going to be made available to the public?

[Possum]

stew mac

Stew Mac had full plans for a pickup winder in one of their catalogs awhile back, it was FREE, I bet you can get a reprint if you ask them. You can buy a ready made winder for $60 or whatever those cheap wood lathes cost, put on a face plate and a counter and you're done.

[JGundry]

Most of the guys here are pretty easy. I'm the rough one, you'll find.

Good to hear you're winding stuff, instead of just winging it. Tempted to buy the book and make suggestions....I'm currently helping design a small, portable, computer-run coil winder with a learning feature, programmable, storage on USB drive, tailstock, multi bobbin winder.

I have made my own small, portable, computer-run, programmable, tailstock, multi bobbin winder so it certainly is doable. I've been using it for months now. Mine will do 6 humbucker bobbins at one shot, either computer or hand guided via a joystick. I think the learn feature is doable but not a necessity. I have not pursued that one very far.

I have shared copyrighted material concerning this winder with 2 other forum members and received key input and copyrighted materials from one of those people but not the other. I have already self published one book. And even considered doing a book showing how to make a multi bobbin winder. But when you start dealing with copyrighted material you have to get clear permission from the originating party for use of those materials both privately and publicly. In the end when I considered the amount of time and thought that went into the winder it just does not make sense to publish a book. Even when you share information directly with individuals it is always an open question as to how much the other parties can add in terms of expertise. Sometimes you get generous input in return, sometimes you end up disappointed. But then again you never know when someone might pull through with a good innovation. So it's tough to know how to handle useful information that you or others have worked so hard for. So I completely understand the need of rplovanich to charge good money for his hard work.

[PoorMan]

Stew Mac had full plans for a pickup winder in one of their catalogs awhile back, it was FREE, I bet you can get a reprint if you ask them. You can buy a ready made winder for $60 or whatever those cheap wood lathes cost, put on a face plate and a counter and you're done.

I saw one they did with a drill. I don't know if that's the one you mean.

I like the lathe option. But I haven't seen any in the $60 price range (not That I've looked too hard yet). I'm considering the different machine options trying to figure out which is best for me.

[PoorMan]

Used sewing machine at "antique store" $15
surplus counter off ebay $9
Bunch of scraps of plastic from Tap plastics $1/lb

I guess that doesn't count the hacksaw blade I used to hack the head off the sewing machine. I also have piles of crap from an old security system that came with my house, including dozens of magnets and reed switches.

I think my point would be that buying another book isn't going to get you any closer to the goal of winding a great sounding pickup. Either you just do it or you never will. Don't get into winding pickups to save money because you won't save a dime. If you want cheap pickups, there are plenty that work for $5 from overseas. If you really want to wind a pickup right now, start winding one by hand or with a hand drill. Buying a book to build a winder is a little like buying a book on plumbing to take a hot bath.

LOL! Yeah you did it on the cheap alright. Kudos to you on that. Anyone know what RPM the sewing machines wind up to (generally speaking)?

[David King]

Sewing machine motors will do 5-6k rpm and the belt drive brings that down to the 1-2k rpm with no load. They definitely go faster than I'd want to start my winding. A good foot pedal is part of the deal which is why they are so attractive at any price. Just to buy the equivalent universal motor and foot pedal would run you at least $100.

[PoorMan]

Sewing machine motors will do 5-6k rpm and the belt drive brings that down to the 1-2k rpm with no load. They definitely go faster than I'd want to start my winding. A good foot pedal is part of the deal which is why they are so attractive at any price. Just to buy the equivalent universal motor and foot pedal would run you at least $100.

Wow...I didn't know they ran so fast. Maybe I should look back into a sewing machine version. Does the motor bog down under load?

Do you use a counter? What kind?