Follow Noob: Step-by-Step Building Winder

[verhoevenc]

Actually, there is no lead in there. It's all just wire right now so there's no obstruction that should have caused that. I have the start/end wires taped to the top of the bobbin and will deal with putting a lead on in a different way from the norm (a bit).
Chris

[Danelectron]

Hmmm, I wonder if the speed might have something to do with it. I wound a design for my acoustic that had a magnet laying flat with some unusually large flatwork glued to the flat side of the magnet and on the old winder it spun so fast the wire formed an arc before rounding the corners. It was loose to say the least. As it got fuller the shape rounded and the tension allowed the loose crap to get buried. It came out a bit funky, but I think this was far more extreme than your wind. Maybe try another at a slower speed. Naturally with hand winding there will be points that build faster than others(which is kinda the idea) and I've seen others that were not much different(including my own).

[big_teee]

If You have lumps on the opposite sides, that's signs of Run Out.
That means that your surface you are bolting the bobbin to, is not turning square or true.
It's not bad, but just a little off on one, so one of the bobbins may have not been seated fully on one end.
If your using double tape, you may need to shim one end with one layer of tape.
Also another thing make sure you have good lighting on your bobbin.
I've wound them more on one side not knowing it till I got the bobbin off.
Chris, those are real good for first winds. If no breaks, I would really be Proud.
ConGratulations!
Terry

[Danelectron]

Terry, That really makes sense. My old winder had a bit of that. Also alot of vibration that made it hard to see the laydown. On the new winder I used one flanged end collar (part number 9684T1 from Mcmaster) on each end of a 1/2" shaft . Expensive but it's so well balanced and smooth. I know 1/2" is probably overkill, but...

verhoevenc, I've never tried the production widers, but isn't it worth the effort to have your own design? I've fine tuned a few things and got the new counter set up with a photo sensor. Superfast and accurate. The reed switch was a slug by comparison. Thanks for that idea!
Dan

[RedHouse]

...For the electronics, follow this diagram/pdf from Classic Amplification's website: Wiring Schematic
I have already wired mine up with the exact parts listed in the parts list and it does work exactly as it should...

Yep!

The link to the PDF is actually http://www.classicamplification.net/...OPTEK-CUB4.pdf

and,

Pickup Winder

git on it (save) while you can, the page will be coming down soon.
(webspace issues)

[verhoevenc]

If it's a hosting issue I would be happy to host the page on my guitar site? Obviously with your name and formatting, etc. like original.
Here's where it could go: MuX Guitars , linked in the lutherie resources section, or not (ie: people would have to HAVE the url to find it) doesn't matter to me.
Chris

[RedHouse]

If it's a hosting issue I would be happy to host the page on my guitar site? ...

No, but thanks for the offer, it's just past it's time and needs to go.

Outdated and I lost many of the files when that guy hacked my site and then went on craigslist selling a how to build a winder book ($35/copy) which was a PDF made from my website pages and pictures.

It was never supposed to be a how-to, that's what Jasons book is for. This micro-blog was about how move forward one step (adding the digital counter and speed limiter) after you build a Lollar winder.

I don't know when you started looking at it, but it's currently only about 1/3 of what used to be there and even now I get too many PM and emails with questions/problems/etc, so it needs to go away soon.

[big_teee]

If it's a hosting issue I would be happy to host the page on my guitar site? Obviously with your name and formatting, etc. like original.
Here's where it could go: MuX Guitars , linked in the lutherie resources section, or not (ie: people would have to HAVE the url to find it) doesn't matter to me.
Chris

Chris:
You have a functional winder that you built.
I thought you did a nice job.
Take some good pictures and put your own tutorial on your website.
You have learned a great deal in a short time.
Share the knowledge, I think it's great.
Long Live Rock!
Terry

[RedHouse]

Chris:
You have a functional winder that you built.
I thought you did a nice job.
Take some good pictures and put your own tutorial on your website.
You have learned a great deal in a short time.
Share the knowledge, I think it's great.
Long Live Rock!
Terry

Excellent suggestion!

[verhoevenc]

Brad, you are right, I have only ever seen that one page that's currently up. I haven't been around long enough to have seen the whole thing I guess or know about any hacking. That said, if your's will be going down I will probably do a better write-up that's not in forum-form and place it on my site with some pictures and measurements. However, with your permission I would love to host at least the electrical wiring PDF file. That's one place that it NOT my forte and would have a hard time figuring out and writing about if your site disappeared.
Chris

[RedHouse]

... with your permission I would love to host at least the electrical wiring PDF file....

You have by blessing, this can be your written permission statement.

I just wish I had the better one before the hacker hit to give you (someone here must have downloaded it) it had more detailed diagrams, a nice pict-o-gram of how to hook up the stuff for those who don't swing with schematics very well.

It must sound weird, but the reason I don't have a copy is I suffered a hard drive failure on my PC a week or two before that hacker hit, so all that you see now are the few pics and early PDF off my laptop at the time. Oh well, someday it will come back around on the internet and I can snag-up a copy of my own stuff for myself.

[verhoevenc]

Finally finished my first pickup! These are actually bobbins 3 and 4... the first two ended up having some issues. For those getting into this for the first time DEFINITELY go with the method where you solder your start leads on BEFORE winding!!! I tried the "wind and leave a little bit of the start lead hanging out" method and it's just too easy to break things and then the rest of your start lead is buried and you have to trash the coils. Not fun. Either way, so here she is:

Screw side: 5211 turns- 4.31k
Slug side: 5021 turns- 4.21k
Total: 8.53k
I can't tell ya how she sounds yet (hence not posting this in it's own thread or in the "showcase" sub-forum) cause I don't have a guitar handy that takes humbuckers. But hopefully I will know soon! Having done an 8.53k humbucker though I don't know HOW people wind to like 16k and still fit stuff on two bobbins?! I mean, mine fit fine, but with double the resistance and then having leads running around in there two when you put things together... I don't know how they fit it all?!
Chris

[David Schwab]

Having done an 8.53k humbucker though I don't know HOW people wind to like 16k and still fit stuff on two bobbins?!

You use thinner gauge wire, like 43 or 44AWG. The thinner wire also has higher resistance, so you reach 16K with fewer turns than you would with 42.

[big_teee]

Finally finished my first pickup! These are actually bobbins 3 and 4... the first two ended up having some issues. For those getting into this for the first time DEFINITELY go with the method where you solder your start leads on BEFORE winding!!! I tried the "wind and leave a little bit of the start lead hanging out" method and it's just too easy to break things and then the rest of your start lead is buried and you have to trash the coils. Not fun. Either way, so here she is:

Screw side: 5211 turns- 4.31k
Slug side: 5021 turns- 4.21k
Total: 8.53k
I can't tell ya how she sounds yet (hence not posting this in it's own thread or in the "showcase" sub-forum) cause I don't have a guitar handy that takes humbuckers. But hopefully I will know soon! Having done an 8.53k humbucker though I don't know HOW people wind to like 16k and still fit stuff on two bobbins?! I mean, mine fit fine, but with double the resistance and then having leads running around in there two when you put things together... I don't know how they fit it all?!
Chris

Good Job.
Looks great.
I see you chose to make the Screw bobbin the hottest.
Different theories on this. Be sure and try it both ways.
IMO if the Bridge P/U is mounted very close to the bridge and it is too bright sounding, I make the Slug bobbin the hottest.
That way you have the bobbin with the most wire furthest from the bridge where there is more string vibration.
Try it both ways and see what you think.
Also on the neck if you have a neck pickup that is mounted close to the neck and tends to be muddy, I make the slug coil larger to get it further from the neck.
Nice Job!
Terry

[mondo]

Nice looking HB! I like that you are keeping the DCR down to 8.5 K. For some reason my favourite sounding pickups are "underwound". I play loud, aggressive music but you can hear the individual notes shining through the barre chords at high volumes with less DCR. I have played with a lot of different pickups and the ones I like the least seem to be the hotter ones. If you want hair on them chords then crank up your amp!