Help with bobbin

[sukhoidave 0]

I have a really neat bobbin made by R. Pragliola in Italy. It really feels nice in the hand. I've had it so long and used it so much that the end of the tube is pretty worn. I'd like to add a ceramic tube to it. I'm wondering if its possible to "scavenge" one from a different bobbin and just glue it into this one.

 

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Steeldrifter 0]

I dont have any ideas on that for ya bud, but I just had to reply and say....that's one cool looking bobin

 

 

Steve

[DeerhairTom 0]

 

sukhoidave, can you possibly add a long tube-bead from a craft store. One that would fit tight over the bobbin tube and let protrude say a quarter inch past the end, and apply epoxy?

 

Just a first thought for this early in the morning. Maybe I'll have a better idea later on.

 

DeerhairTom

[day5 0]

sukhoidave It appears to me that the bobbin body is two pieces. Will the gold un-thread form the black part? If so that may help in getting the old tube out and new in.

[sukhoidave 0]

The bobbin does come apart. It's actually 4 pieces. The arms are mounted by the gold nut at the spool end. The gold tube is welded to the tapered collar. That used to be press fit into the black body but is now epoxied. It would click as I tied and I couldn't deal with that.

 

 

 

[Floyd 0]

Maybe you could cut off the worn part then repolish the tip. You shouldn't have to cut more than an 1/8 of an inch off. Maybe even less will do the job. Just a thought. By the way that's a nice looking bobbin.

 

[FWALSH 0]

I epoxied a glass bead to a Thompson bobbin tip when it became a thread cutter a few years back and it's worked fine since.......Frank

[Trad 0]

If you get some glass, and melt it in steel spoon or similar, then heat the end of the bobbin spigot, and dip it carefully in the glass, it will coat the end of the tube with glass. Allow it to cool slowly, and you have the equivalent of a ceramic bobbin holder.

 

I have a couple of the old brass spigot tubes where I have done this, and they have been working perfectly for years now. Of course, if you drop the bobbin holder, and the spigot hits somethung hard, it may shatter, and you will have to do it again.

 

 

[sukhoidave 0]

If you get some glass, and melt it in steel spoon or similar, then heat the end of the bobbin spigot, and dip it carefully in the glass, it will coat the end of the tube with glass. Allow it to cool slowly, and you have the equivalent of a ceramic bobbin holder.

 

I have a couple of the old brass spigot tubes where I have done this, and they have been working perfectly for years now. Of course, if you drop the bobbin holder, and the spigot hits somethung hard, it may shatter, and you will have to do it again.

 

 

I like this idea. Melting glass... How do I do that? A blowtorch? Any suggestions about where to get the glass or what kind of glass to try? I'm thinking lightbulb glass???

 

Thanks!

 

[Trad 0]

If you get some glass, and melt it in steel spoon or similar, then heat the end of the bobbin spigot, and dip it carefully in the glass, it will coat the end of the tube with glass. Allow it to cool slowly, and you have the equivalent of a ceramic bobbin holder.

 

I have a couple of the old brass spigot tubes where I have done this, and they have been working perfectly for years now. Of course, if you drop the bobbin holder, and the spigot hits somethung hard, it may shatter, and you will have to do it again.

 

 

I like this idea. Melting glass... How do I do that? A blowtorch? Any suggestions about where to get the glass or what kind of glass to try? I'm thinking lightbulb glass???

 

Thanks!

 

Years ago we used laboratory glass tubing for the spigots on bobbin holders. I still have a couple. You can find a picture of such a glass bobbin holder here;

 

http://www.mike-connor.homepage.t-online.de/Flies/flies.html

 

glass laboratory tubing seems to be harder than a lot of other glass, and is easily melted with a bunsen burner or similar. For info on the melting points of various glass, see here

 

http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2002/SaiLee.shtml

 

I have modified all my brass tube spigot floss and wire bobbins like this, and it works very well indeed.

 

If anybody wants to make some spigots of glass, one merely needs thick walled laboratory glass tubing. Nick it with a diamond file or similar where you want to break it, break the piece off, and then simply soften the the ends in a bunsen burner. ( or blowtorch etc) This makes them perfectly smooth. These glass tubes are also extremely robust, and will even stand dropping on the floor etc.

 

For applying the glass to a brass tube etc, the easiest way is to use powdered glass, ( pound it up with a hammer), you only need a small amount. Melt this in a steel teaspoon or similar, heat the brass spigot, and dip it in the molten glas.

 

This technique is basic glass enamelling, and makes for a very hard, extremely durable, and smooth, surface.

 

It is mainly used for decorating things nowadays, but still works as described;

 

http://www.curboroughcrafts.co.uk/html/enamelling.html