I've wound quite a few pickups....and I always have the same problem. I've been fooling around the whole afternoon trying to "invent" a jig or something to accurately space the holes for the pole pieces. Bent in particular must have got some scheme for doing this I'll bet. I've decided to try the aluminum top and bottom plates for a change. And I want to use a maple bobbin as I've always done sandwiched in between the two plates.
Do any of you clever guys have a method....maybe a little aluminum jig or something?? A picture of some scheme you've used would be most helpful.
Thanks in advance for any info you could give me...
Mac
Template or jig for spacing pickup pole piece holes
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richard37066
- Posts: 517
- Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2010 11:44 am
- Location: Gallatin, Tennessee, USA
Re: Template or jig for spacing pickup pole piece holes
Mac -
Had to accurately drill holes many times in the past. Mostly in wood. Almost always cut a piece of flat steel stock to a convenient length. Use layout ink - even a permanent magic marker - and slobber it down the center. Scribe a fine line down the middle. Pick a point for the first hole. Find or grind a SHARP centerpunch. Lightly centerpunch it. Use a pair of adjustable dividers. (Sometimes ya can even get away with the points on a pair of vernier calipers. Don't like too, though. Ugh!) Set one point into the dimple, scribe an arc across your center line. Lightly centerpunch it. Repeat as necessary. Take it to your drill press and bore pilot holes with a small diameter drill. Then, with a brad-point drill, drill the holes to the required size. There's your template. I've always used steel since the drill bit wouldn't eat away too much at the hole when I was using it.
Since you're going to be using aluminum, you could always just quit after the pilot holes. Use that to drill pilot holes in the aluminum. THEN, use the brad-point drill for the final holes.
If the accuracy afforded by the scribe method is not required then ya can always just put a scale alongside the line and eye-ball things while making small marks.
If ya had a miller like SOMEBODY we know, then you could just turn the crank and have all of the accuracy you'd need.
My method is sorta quick and dirty. Doesn't take but a few minutes.
This may not be your solution but maybe it'll set ya to thinkin'.
Richard
Had to accurately drill holes many times in the past. Mostly in wood. Almost always cut a piece of flat steel stock to a convenient length. Use layout ink - even a permanent magic marker - and slobber it down the center. Scribe a fine line down the middle. Pick a point for the first hole. Find or grind a SHARP centerpunch. Lightly centerpunch it. Use a pair of adjustable dividers. (Sometimes ya can even get away with the points on a pair of vernier calipers. Don't like too, though. Ugh!) Set one point into the dimple, scribe an arc across your center line. Lightly centerpunch it. Repeat as necessary. Take it to your drill press and bore pilot holes with a small diameter drill. Then, with a brad-point drill, drill the holes to the required size. There's your template. I've always used steel since the drill bit wouldn't eat away too much at the hole when I was using it.
Since you're going to be using aluminum, you could always just quit after the pilot holes. Use that to drill pilot holes in the aluminum. THEN, use the brad-point drill for the final holes.
If the accuracy afforded by the scribe method is not required then ya can always just put a scale alongside the line and eye-ball things while making small marks.
If ya had a miller like SOMEBODY we know, then you could just turn the crank and have all of the accuracy you'd need.
My method is sorta quick and dirty. Doesn't take but a few minutes.
This may not be your solution but maybe it'll set ya to thinkin'.
Richard
Re: Template or jig for spacing pickup pole piece holes
Mac, I did it the hard way: after much wrestling with figuring out where to start, and then getting the o/c spacing on the center line of the top plate.
It is easy to get a 1/128th off of the center line, or start your drill bit a wee bit off of the punch mark.But....I spaced the holes as accurately as I could, then stuck the top and bottom plates together with some thin double sided tape and drilled out both at the same time. At least then, if a mistake is made, it is the same on both pieces and the magnets will still line up.
In plastic, I drill out the holes with a bit ONE number under 1/4" for the 1/4" pole magnets. Then I press the magnets in the bottom holes first and then the top. I do the pressing with my drill press...close the jaws and use them for a press... works great. The undersized hole makes for a very tight fit. No glue needed.
But that will likely present a problem for your aluminum plates as that stuff don't expand one iota.
Now all of those worries are likely over for me. Now I can simply use my mill and space the holes with the dial indicators.
About that last part...do you have a sliding two-way vise for your drill press? Same as the mill then. Use those and the dial indicators.
PS I see Richard sneaked in just ahead of me. We have much of the same idea Richard!
It is easy to get a 1/128th off of the center line, or start your drill bit a wee bit off of the punch mark.But....I spaced the holes as accurately as I could, then stuck the top and bottom plates together with some thin double sided tape and drilled out both at the same time. At least then, if a mistake is made, it is the same on both pieces and the magnets will still line up.
In plastic, I drill out the holes with a bit ONE number under 1/4" for the 1/4" pole magnets. Then I press the magnets in the bottom holes first and then the top. I do the pressing with my drill press...close the jaws and use them for a press... works great. The undersized hole makes for a very tight fit. No glue needed.
But that will likely present a problem for your aluminum plates as that stuff don't expand one iota.
Now all of those worries are likely over for me. Now I can simply use my mill and space the holes with the dial indicators.
About that last part...do you have a sliding two-way vise for your drill press? Same as the mill then. Use those and the dial indicators.
PS I see Richard sneaked in just ahead of me. We have much of the same idea Richard!
http://benrom.com/
21 BenRom pedal steel guitars, a Nash 112 and a 1967 TOS Milling machine with many cutters making one hell of a mess on the floor.
21 BenRom pedal steel guitars, a Nash 112 and a 1967 TOS Milling machine with many cutters making one hell of a mess on the floor.
Re: Template or jig for spacing pickup pole piece holes
Thanks Bent & Richard. I know this should be a simple thing to do, but it really ticks me off to fiddle around for quite awhile measuring etc. and then discover that the holes are still off a wee bit. It's really noticeable but of course doesn't really affect the way the thing works. I'm going to try both off your ideas, they sound good.....many thanks
Mac
Mac
Re: Template or jig for spacing pickup pole piece holes
Mac, I believe the only other way, short of a stamping press, would be to have a fixture or die made out of hard steel (so that the drill bit will never widen out the holes) But that is too expensive for the little guy. I wonder how Jerry Wallace and them does it?
http://benrom.com/
21 BenRom pedal steel guitars, a Nash 112 and a 1967 TOS Milling machine with many cutters making one hell of a mess on the floor.
21 BenRom pedal steel guitars, a Nash 112 and a 1967 TOS Milling machine with many cutters making one hell of a mess on the floor.
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richard37066
- Posts: 517
- Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2010 11:44 am
- Location: Gallatin, Tennessee, USA
Re: Template or jig for spacing pickup pole piece holes
Mac -
Bent and I are on the same track with one important difference: - Pay heed to his suggestion to drill BOTH pieces at the same time such that the holes will line up even if the drill bit wanders. That's super advice for those of us that don't have a miller or cross-slide for the drill press. If, for example, you make a mark on the tops of both pieces before drilling then you're good to go!
Another thought. If you're going to make a bunch of pickups then you might consider screwing a shallow fence at one side of the plate - ala the fence on a table saw but upside down. Even another at one end so as to locate the pieces without a bunch of fuss?
If we keep this up, you'll end up with an ultra-precision jig that'll take three weeks to build and $300 out of pocket. OOOH! Can't go there.
Maybe we've stimulated your imagination. That's a good thing.
Richard
Bent and I are on the same track with one important difference: - Pay heed to his suggestion to drill BOTH pieces at the same time such that the holes will line up even if the drill bit wanders. That's super advice for those of us that don't have a miller or cross-slide for the drill press. If, for example, you make a mark on the tops of both pieces before drilling then you're good to go!
Another thought. If you're going to make a bunch of pickups then you might consider screwing a shallow fence at one side of the plate - ala the fence on a table saw but upside down. Even another at one end so as to locate the pieces without a bunch of fuss?
If we keep this up, you'll end up with an ultra-precision jig that'll take three weeks to build and $300 out of pocket. OOOH! Can't go there.
Maybe we've stimulated your imagination. That's a good thing.
Richard
Re: Template or jig for spacing pickup pole piece holes
Yep...made a new template as per the dividers thing...and made two pickup forms this morning. Best lookin' ones I've made since 1962 
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richard37066
- Posts: 517
- Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2010 11:44 am
- Location: Gallatin, Tennessee, USA
Re: Template or jig for spacing pickup pole piece holes
Mac -
Nothing succeeds like success, itself!
Forge ahead, my friend!
Richard
Nothing succeeds like success, itself!
Forge ahead, my friend!
Richard