Geo Stevens 38 AMI

[CheopisIV]

Just found a second Geo to add to the bench. I've been thinking of ways to non-destructively add a tailstock to the current machine but haven't found a suitable solution; this should solve the issue nicely! And now I wait.

[Jim Darr]

Very nice find. You'll love all those extra gears. The tailstock will give you more mounting options. I usually use tailstock machines for "F Style" single coils.

Let us know how it works when you get it setup.

[CheopisIV]

I've had the 39AM for over a year and love it, but always wanted a tailstock for some of the more off the wall stuff I have planned. The most exciting thing aside from the tailstock is a box of cams and change gears that I don't currently have. My idler is press fit and non adjustable; this one looks to be capable of swapping it out so possibilities are even more broad. Here's a recent vid I did for a guy on the MLP forum who wanted to see the 'office'.

[Jim Darr]

...My idler is press fit and non adjustable; this one looks to be capable of swapping it out so possibilities are even more broad.

Curious. I have never seen or experienced a "non-adjustable" idler. All I've seen or owned are capable of gear swaps in order to change the idler "ratio". Can you show a pic of the one you mention?

[CheopisIV]

It would be adjustable but I don't have a proper bushing and the double gears are pressed so tight I can't get them apart...assuming they should actually come apart. Looking closer, I'm not sure the are supposed to.

[CheopisIV]

I have a bunch of pics of the cleanup process but a video of operations is a lot more exciting! Took a few days of cleanup and checking all the parts, rewiring the main control box to the machine and some slight mods to fit guitar bobbins, but now it's ready to roll!

[Jim Darr]

Love it. Looks like you hit the jackpot with this purchase.

IMO auto-traverse machines from this era (COWECO, BACHI, STEVENS, METEOR, REA FINE WIRE, LEESONA, ET AL) are a must for any winder who is more than a weekend hobbyist. Using these machines, after learning the nuances of hand winding, unleashes a world of possibilities, especially with full gear sets (or non-gear adjustable traverse) and multiple and/or adjustable cams. I never really appreciated them until I got my first one.

Anyway, my 2 cents on this topic.

[CheopisIV]

Totally agree! These machines are pure gold. I started with a Thomas winder that I got used and it was okay, but it needed repair after repair. One of the bearings wore out, the counter fried and the bobbin mounting plate needed adjustment every time I used it. It wasn't a bad machine by any means, just not built to the same standards as these old machines.

I got the new Geo setup in my office and put it to work. I'm falling in love with the tailstock! Talk about simple mounting solution. On my 67, I use pickup height screws threaded through my faceplate and some cut feet from an old baseplate to tighten the bobbin down..takes a bit of time to mount/unmount but nothing too dramatic. With this one I can just slide the bobbin on, put in the second bobbin (cushion) and engage the tailstock in seconds.

Here are some more pics I took along the way during the cleanup and itemization. There's a lof of extra things in here and some I have no idea what they are.

[kayakerca]

Totally agree! These machines are pure gold. I started with a Thomas winder that I got used and it was okay, but it needed repair after repair. One of the bearings wore out, the counter fried and the bobbin mounting plate needed adjustment every time I used it. It wasn't a bad machine by any means, just not built to the same standards as these old machines.

I got the new Geo setup in my office and put it to work. I'm falling in love with the tailstock! Talk about simple mounting solution. On my 67, I use pickup height screws threaded through my faceplate and some cut feet from an old baseplate to tighten the bobbin down..takes a bit of time to mount/unmount but nothing too dramatic. With this one I can just slide the bobbin on, put in the second bobbin (cushion) and engage the tailstock in seconds.

I see the beauty and get some of the winding history of these units, but boy, my CNC machine just looks one whole lot easier!

[CheopisIV]

I see the beauty and get some of the winding history of these units, but boy, my CNC machine just looks one whole lot easier!

CNC.... no gears or cams to contend with and dial in exact counts with some key presses; definitely a whole lot easier and your build looks like it can handle anything. I still have to revisit that project soon. I have 2 3D printers and a CNC to finish building first though.

[Jim Darr]

I see the beauty and get some of the winding history of these units, but boy, my CNC machine just looks one whole lot easier!

I get what you are saying. The truth is, with these old auto-traverse machines, they are really not that complicated once you understand each unit. And, most are really built like tanks to last, and last, and last. Yes they have a lot of parts and usually some complex electrical wiring, but each served a purpose for a different type of wind.

In this day and age, I would look into CNC winding if I was just starting out. But, IMO, I would miss out on truly understanding the little subtleties that each machine has that contributed to the great sound of the pickups being wound on them.

Nothing wrong with CNC, hand winding, or auto-traverse machines...it is how you use them to get the sound you are after and consistency from build to build. And the sound I am after usually came from pickups being wound on one of these old workhorses, and in the case of early P.A.F.s, each coil (Slug & Screw) perhaps being wound on separate machines at certain times.

It is all a bit of a mystery and fun experience that reveals itself slowing as we gain personal knowledge, see more original examples, experiment, and gain more general experience. Oh, and it's not just the coil, the winding pattern, or winding tension. Its the alloys, magnet type & strength, bobbin materiel, and on, and on, and on..............

[kayakerca]

I get what you are saying. The truth is, with these old auto-traverse machines, they are really not that complicated once you understand each unit. And, most are really built like tanks to last, and last, and last. Yes they have a lot of parts and usually some complex electrical wiring, but each served a purpose for a different type of wind.

In this day and age, I would look into CNC winding if I was just starting out. But, IMO, I would miss out on truly understanding the little subtleties that each machine has that contributed to the great sound of the pickups being wound on them.

Nothing wrong with CNC, hand winding, or auto-traverse machines...it is how you use them to get the sound you are after and consistency from build to build. And the sound I am after usually came from pickups being wound on one of these old workhorses, and in the case of early P.A.F.s, each coil (Slug & Screw) perhaps being wound on separate machines at certain times.

Oh, I get it. I'm a fair bit geeky and these machines look so very cool to me, seriously cool. But, for my one man shop, I wanted to design and build my winder from the ground up. CNC just seemed to easy and flexible to pass up. Specified winding speed, total turns, tpl, CW/CCW direction, bobbin height, wind start side, bobbin locating adjustment, all from the interface app (tension manually via a dynamometer and felt tensioner). If my pickups sound bad, it's all my fault and no one else's, start to finish.

[CheopisIV]

Oh, I get it. I'm a fair bit geeky and these machines look so very cool to me, seriously cool. But, for my one man shop, I wanted to design and build my winder from the ground up. CNC just seemed to easy and flexible to pass up. Specified winding speed, total turns, tpl, CW/CCW direction, bobbin height, wind start side, bobbin locating adjustment, all from the interface app (tension manually via a dynamometer and felt tensioner). If my pickups sound bad, it's all my fault and no one else's, start to finish.

Jim, are you still running the Phidgets setup for your CNC? I was cleaning up my office and found my box of Phidgets from back when we were discussing the CNC winder. I HAVE to get the CNC cutter/laser done up before the winder because it's taking up the dining room table but I may bump the winder up in front of one of the 3D printers.

[kayakerca]

Jim, are you still running the Phidgets setup for your CNC? I was cleaning up my office and found my box of Phidgets from back when we were discussing the CNC winder. I HAVE to get the CNC cutter/laser done up before the winder because it's taking up the dining room table but I may bump the winder up in front of one of the 3D printers.

Yes David, I am using 2 of the Phidgets controllers, one for the winder motor and the second for the traverser. I see Phidgets is now selling Linear Motion kits. Haven't looked at them in any detail, but these might be more cost effective than the Haydon linear actuator I used.