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DIY Pickup Winder!


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Couldn't really see another section this could go in, apart from the electronics bit, so I thought that I would put it in here as it's a build.

I've decided to try and wind my own pickups, but thought that it would be best to keep it as a separate thread from my first guitar build thread. I was planning a more elaborate build using a Arduino to control a motor and maybe an automatic wire feeder, programmed amount of turns, etc, but realistically that is going to be months away, hopefully towards the end of the year though as it will involve learning how to code the Arduino. So, in the meantime, I thought I would build a simpler one!

I've found a forum post through a YouTube link for a winder, but the guy didn't do a build thread as such for it, so the plan is to work it out and build in up, in a kind of 'how-to' post as well in case anyone else would like to build it. I did electronics at school and college, and then taught myself it again (as I'd forgotten most of it) when I started to build my own effects pedals, so the electronics side of it is quite easy for me to understand.

So, the aim is to wind pickups, so I need:
- power supply
- motor controller (to adjust the speed)
- motor
- hub for the motor

To make it more functional, I also need:
- counter with reset switch
- reed switch
- magnet
- switch to the motor turns both clockwise and counter clockwise

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Screenshot_2016-07-08-21-45-24_zpssgxr57

Screenshot_2016-07-08-21-45-36_zpsl5rauu

Definitely going to be ordering things from this website again especially as they keep giving free sweets!!!!!!! The hub has arrived, and so has the motor controller (although it arrived from Amazon even though I ordered it on eBay!).

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When I go out tomorrow I'm going to get the wood for the enclosure. I'm thinking of 4mm pine, cheap and cheerful. Next update will be when I've either got the enclosure designed and/or built, as I doubt the parts I've ordered from China will be here before then. I've got the mounting size of the counter so I can get the mounting hole cut out for that at least.

Edited by steve1556
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I bought the wood today! I've got some 18mm thick pine to build the enclosure out of, and a small square piece of pine to help with the joins. Plan is to screw and glue the smaller piece of wood onto the bass, then the sides will screw and glue into teh same piece of wood. Unfortunately the project is on hold until next weekend now, tomorrow I've got a 10k race in the morning, F1 in the afternoon then in the evening I'm going away with work for a week.

I've found the cost of the materials not too bad if you get them from the right places (which I didn't). I ordered the parts from a site and it was just over £10 per single coil, I've since found sites that seel the bits for around £7 a coil, or if you source the bits individually, you're looking around £4-5 per coil I think. I've also found a place that sells 1kg of 42awg wire for £35, which is expensive, but I imagine that would do at least 50 single coils.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good news! The motor and counter arrived! They actually arrived at the beginning of the week but I just haven't had time to post an update. Next week I've got a long week at work, but don't start until late afternoon on all the days bar 1, so I'm going to do as much as i can on the guitar, then any left over time will be on the pickup winder.

I'm having second thoughts on using the pine as it's slightly warped, but I'll see how the box assembly goes before making a final decision.

The new parts! I've also got the wire limiting blocks for the coil wire, no picture of them, but apart from the power supply which I'm going to use a 24V DC powder adapter, and a long bolt and nut for the coil wire feed.

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