Hi Paul,
Really handy info on the matrix neos, could save a lot of issues later on ! Ceramic magnets it is for starting off, may actually try a hawk first and leave the two 26Ds till after .
Occasionally I like to repeat my disclaimer: I share what I do and think about all this stuff, but that shouldn't be taken as "authoritative" in any fashion. I've stumbled-through the learning curve mostly by doing/failing and then trying again. In the same way as I generally don't put much faith in the stuff the experts have told me (they're wrong more often than not), people shouldn't put much faith in what I say...other than as a general/vague guide.
Having said all that modern ceramic magnets are surprisingly good...orders of magnitude better than the vintage ones used in Mabuchis, and they have improved somewhat still over the better magnets used later on. Some surprisingly small/thin/light modern ceramics are just as strong or stronger than the best magnets of the "golden age". Add to that the fact that they can be brought back with fairly inexpensive zappers PLUS their inherent heat tolerance and they just work really well for a lot of applications (not all of course). Another cheap modern motor that has some of the advantages of the Hawk is the RX42 by SCX...for somewhere around $10 or less.
Package-wise, it's roughly a Mabuchi 13UO updated, and if my memory serves me well, those magnets (which are good and strong, but very thin ceramics) can be retrofitted into the 13UO (which has the dubious distinction of having possibly the weakest magnets ever put into a DC motor ) The RX42b has a weird end bell and the brushes and springs are unique to the motor, but it still makes for a cool package to experiment with.
#30 winds it is I take it heavier and they really need to be welded ? Got a few ideas I want to try like maybe messing around with the scale motors like NSR etc and put the hawk or proslot endbells on etc.
Yeppers...when you start getting below #30 wire, you "may" (depending on the motor, the stack length, timing and wind) have problems with the arm throwing wires at the com. A #30 wind is nothing to sneeze at though...65T (or so) of #30 wire done right and balanced in a tight setup can make a fun and fast motor. I understand (completely!) the urge to want to do a missle, but having motors blow up can be disheartening. Running a motor YOU wound and seeing it perform well is a huge kick all by itself.
*Be sure to prep the wire AND the com tabs well before soldering:
1) strip all the insulation off the wire where it passes over the com tab it is to be soldered to. Don't assume that soldering will "burn off" the insulation as was sometimes said in the old days. Chances are the insulation, if not completely removed will "carbonize" (these are organic compounds) and partially foul the connection. The motor may run well enough, but it could run better with a clean connection.
2) clean the tabs as well. Even on a new commutator, the metal can be contaminated and/or partially corroded or oxidized. I use a piece of fine sandpaper or even a thin Dremel cutoff wheel "hand-held" to get into the tab (if a "hook" type) and clean it off until it's all shiny.
3) 60/40 solder (rosin core...NEVER acid core) can work fine, but a decent silver solder up to 5% can offer a little extra insurance. If you must use flux, a teensy-weensy bit of "Nokorrode" or equivalent applied with a toothpick should be fine...even though it's not recommended for electrical connections.
The above can make a significant difference in how well the motor performs...in some cases it's more important than having perfectly beautiful looking coils.
good luck!, john