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Gene L

Thread storage

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I'm looking for a plastic box for storing thread.  Should have little posts to keep the spools from knocking together.  I thought it would be a simple task to find such a box, but Noooooo.  Hobby lobby turned up zero leads.  I found plenty of boxes that would work, more or less, without the posts, but that's not what i''m looking for.

Any ideas?  I'd like to organize my threads by size and clear plastic should show the color.

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Id search sewing thread storage boxes. There are a number of options from places like Jo Ann's that have a few boxes that you could re-purpose for fly tying thread. 

 

There are also some cheaper fly tying specific things out there like the Hareline Fly Tyers Thread / Spool Stash Box

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not sure if the post is a must but almost every fly shop carry the cases with circular cutouts to hold tying thread spools just like a post but different. 

https://www.jsflyfishing.com/hareline-thread-stash-box?utm_source=google_base&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=gbase_feed&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3NSWhpLH9wIVrcmUCR3zngR_EAQYASABEgK-H_D_BwE

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I store mine in the plastic boxes with the spool holders.  I can get two spools on each post.   Since Hobby Lobby is fairly new in the area, I most likely picked mine up at either Michael's or JoAnn Fabrics.

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11 minutes ago, CSB2 said:

In regards to storing thread, does it Dry rot? 

Since fly tying thread is made of all kinds of material, what kind of thread? Cotton gets dry rot but the threads for tying are synthetics - nylon, polypropylene, polyester, and kevlar. They can age and get weaker especially when stored improperly but they do not "rot".

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1 hour ago, Gene L said:

I'm looking for a plastic box for storing thread.  Should have little posts to keep the spools from knocking together.  I thought it would be a simple task to find such a box, but Noooooo.  Hobby lobby turned up zero leads.  I found plenty of boxes that would work, more or less, without the posts, but that's not what i''m looking for.

Any ideas?  I'd like to organize my threads by size and clear plastic should show the color.

I use a Norvise Bobbin so I store my threads on the Norvise spools. I have the spools sorted by thread diameter and material and stored in the Norvise Bobbin boxes.

35555724252_90ba01aaf6_o.jpg

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9 hours ago, CSB2 said:

In regards to storing thread, does it Dry rot? 

Yes.

I picked up a small lot of fly tying materials at a yard sale a while back with 4 spools of older Herters black nylon thread.  They seemed in good condition, nothing obviously wrong.  The first spool was great.  Finished that spool and went onto the next one, which kept breaking under the slightest pressure.  Peeled off half the spool, thinking the deeper layers would be better.  Nope, same thing, all the way down to the end.  Same with the next two, so those all went into the trash bin.  I was a little disappointed, as I really like tying with the first one, nice and thin and strong.  Not sure why one was good but the other three bad.

As to thread storage, I just keep mine in old cigar boxes and small plastic bins that fit nicely in my desk drawer.  

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Niveker, The reason I asked was I had a couple of spools of Black, 6/0, UNI Thread that did the same thing you mentioned, this would break every 2"-3". The next spool I used was fine. 

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49 minutes ago, flytire said:

uni UNI Spool-Storage Boxes | Feather-Craft Fly Fishing

I use these uni trays that flytire mentioned. I order thread by the dz and usually comes in that tray. I must have 50 of them.

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I buy my threads by the box of 12 per color each time - and all of my  unused thread stays in those very same boxes until they're used up and then I buy another dozen spools...  I keep on hand maybe 20 boxes of spools - all of them kept in a big drawer and only come out one spool at a time as needed.  I have noted in years past that spools of thread left in display type racks will fade over time.  The only spools i keep on my bench are ones in bobbins ready for use (Danville's flat waxed nylon mostly...) and rarely have any problem with colors fading or thread weakening.  Why the thread spools I've kept in a display rack have faded out I can't say except to note that any spools mounted on bobbins get used up long before any color fading - or other problems... can occur.

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On 5/5/2022 at 9:14 AM, CSB1 said:

I had a couple of spools of Black, 6/0, UNI Thread that did the same thing

Those spools of Herter's threads had to be 40 years old, I was pretty impressed that the first one was still good.  Not sure what happened the ones that went bad, as they were all in the same bin when I bought them. 

A few months ago I bought a spool of Camel UNI thread at an old fly and bait shop I stop in whenever I'm in that area that did the same thing you mentioned.  Once I got through the first layer, (which was a bit off color from that underneath) everything was fine.   

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