Official Luthiers Forum!

Has anyone built their own pickup winders. Please show pictures....

Thanks!

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Brad
Avon, OH

I just bought this thing: http://www.ohmguitars.com/

Apparently he has a special now where you can make an offer. Probably having a tough time selling them.

Very sturdy unit.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

Thanks for the reply. I looks like we have the same Red Lion counter. Tell me more about the optical sensor. How did you make it work?

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Brad
Avon, OH

Hope you're not in a hurry to get it.........trust me, I know. Stay on him.

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"Anything that's worth cuttin' down a tree for is worth doin' right, don't the Lord love a 2 X4?" - The Carpenter - Guy Clark
www.tandnguitarrepair.com

I already have it. Took two weeks.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

Thanks for the info! I was planning on using a reed switch and magnet. I like your set up....what was the reason you used this setup opposed to other methods? Also, do you just use double sided top to attach your bobbins? What size is the plate on the winder where it attaches?

Thanks!

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Brad
Avon, OH

I made mine from a serger sewing machine, though I don't imagine it much matters what time of sewing machine you use. I just used it because it was free, and among the three free sewing machines I had, I liked the size (small). I stripped everything off of it that wasn't needed, cut a plastic disc to make the handwheel flat so that the bobbin could be mounted with double stick tape. I removed the foot speed control and added a dimmer switch in it's place. For a counter, I used a computer mouse, soldered wires to the left click contacts, grounded one to the machine, and secured the other one so that everytime the sewing machine foot raises it contacts the wire (one revolution). To use the counter, I just use the calculator on my laptop, hit 1+1 and =. Everytime it revolves it adds one to it. It can count faster than I'm capable of winding, so it has no problem keeping up. As a guide for the magnet wire, I used a rod that was a rail in a flatbed scanner I bought 12 years ago because it was nice and smooth and because I had it. I used two stop collars as limiters for the wire winding. I'll try and post a picture tomorrow.

Darrin

Thanks for the feedback. Please post a few pics.

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Brad
Avon, OH

Took some pictures this morning. The pickup mounts to the handwheel on the right side of the sewing machine with double stick tape. You can kind of make out the black wire that the sewing machine foot contacts to count a revolution on the top chrome handle. This is soldered to one of the left mouse contacts. The other left mouse contact is grounded to the sewing machine body. I think all told I have about $14 into this for the dimmer switch and the stop collars.

I hope this helps. At least it is one more way to do it.


Darrin

Thanks for the pics!

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Brad
Avon, OH