TECH HEADS URGENTLY NEEDED

[teddeeh]

ok here we go.

http://myspace-796.vo.llnwd.net/00549/69/70/549120796_l.jpg

ok.

to explain the picture.

 

the pickup is broken, as u can see from the pic, one of the copper wires is broken. (the left one).

 

my first question.

i was thinking of a small blob of solder to join the broken wire. yay? or nay?

 

now with that in mind, heres my second qeustion;

are those copper wires supposed to be like 1 thread thin?

 

and my third, as another continuation...

as there is hardly anything there the wire is 1 thread connecting it. if it is not supposed to be that thin how would i reinforce the wire?

 

i have spare pickups to take apart for spares, so dont worry about materials.

[The Geoff]

1) - yes - but you'll need 3 hands to do it.

 

2) - yes

 

3) if the other single thread is ok, then leave it alone - that's how it's supposed to be.

 

This is why there are often covers on pickups.

 

Geoff

[teddeeh]

nice, cheers geoff. will do it tomooro

[Braxat]

ill just repeat what G said, yes yes yes

[fantasticsound]

Of course the wire is supposed to be that thin, silly. It's simply the end of the winds and that's how all pickups are wired.

[teddeeh]

how would i reinforce the wire? yes.

braxat? hehe, more stoned than me.

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

don't forget that this wire has an enamel shield which will need to be removed to make contact.

 

Bill

[teddeeh]

hmmm. im guessing tho, that as it has snapped, there are exposed areas of the wire, and once joined with the solder will complete the circuit....

[Caevan O’Shite]

The heavier, insulated wire going to the pickup isn't supposed to be one strand; it'll either be multi-strand, or a single, thicker conductor.

 

Of course, as mentioned before here, the coil-wire of the pickup is a relatively thin single-strand of wire.

 

Have you ever soldered (and, for that matter, de-soldered) before? You don't want a solder-joint to look like a glob, it should look like a shiny smooth clean tapered drop, no graininess or wrinkles or pin-holes, just enough to do the job, not too much at all, really.

 

Hold the tip of a pencil-tip style soldering-iron (no "guns", not at all) against both leads to be connected, then touch the tip of a length of silver-solder to the leads where they and the iron's tip all touch. There will be a puff of smoke and the melted solder should telegraph along the surfaces of the heated leads and any other part of the connection (eyelet, etc.). Then quickly and carefully remove the iron; the solder should have conformed neatly to all surfaces concerned, in a very small area, just enough to do the job. Contrary to what may seem obvious, a large amount of solder does NOT make for a stronger, more reliable joint; it actually makes for more opportunity to have cracks, flaws due to inconsistencies in temperature, contaminants, pin-holes... small, neat, form-fitting, and shiny is what you want it to look like.

 

If you hold the iron on too long, you can burn insulation or even overheat other components connected to the wires (volume and tone pots, switches, etc.). Work quickly and neatly. You might use an alligator clip or two, or small forceps, to act as clamped-on heat-sinks for protection from accidental overheating.

[Braxat]

Originally posted by Braxat:

ill just repeat what G said, yes yes yes

HEY IM NOT , ER, what did u say again?

[Shoes]

Originally posted by Bill@Welcome Home Studios:

don't forget that this wire has an enamel shield which will need to be removed to make contact.

 

Bill

...and I'll repeat what Bill said because people often neglect to clean the copper off and effectively "glue" an insulated wire to the heavier lead. End result.. something that looks fixed and doesn't work.

The wire coating is what permits the wire to be wound into a coil. Without the shielding it would just be a blob of copper.

 

Be patient, Be careful & use a meter to test your work.

You might want to toss some wax on this after you're done.

 

Good luck.

[Caevan O’Shite]

This has, "Take me to someone who knows what they're doing" all over it...

[teddeeh]

hmm. caevan u do seem to be right........ weill ive cleaned the enamel off the copper wire. yeh i have soldered before, just wanted to check about the thickness of it.

[The Geoff]

One way of protecting the wire *I* have considered is to put a coating of decorator's silicone on it. It comes in soft, stiff & hard (No Nails).

 

I've considered putting a layer of the 'Stiff' over stuff like this to give it some shock protection, yet still be able to get to it if necessary.

 

Geoff

[Caevan O’Shite]

Oh, if you've soldered before, if you already know how to, then this should be no great shakes.

 

Geoff, that's a very good idea, kinda like RTV but maybe cheaper or even free...

 

I've seen that some folks will use nail-polish as an appliable insulating material, as well; that could be used if too much of the insulating coating of the coil-wire has been removed, to cover exposed excess.

 

(You generally want only about the equal of a given wire's width (including its insulating jacket) of exposed, stripped wire showing past the solder-joint, not much more, not much less. This makes for a sturdier connection with less liklihood of the wire breaking due to moving about at that point.)