Bobbin Tension?

[WhiteBuffalo58 0]

The new bobbin I got from J. Stockard seems a bit tight for 6/0 thread. Can I safely bend the wires to lighten it a bit or will they break before they'll bend?

 

Thanks,

 

Rob

[Piker20 0]

You shouldn't need to make a big adjustment, so WITH CARE it should be fine. I adjust all my bobbins from cheap kit ones to more expensive versions. Just make small changes at time.

[flytire 0]

Yes you can bend the arms to reduce the tension. Not every bobbin holder is perfect right out of the box!

[Chase Creek 0]

You can also put a small square of Teflon Plumber's Tape over the hole at each end of the thread spool where the bobbin ends(?) contact the spool. Also, some folks rub the bobbin ends on their nose to lubricate them with the oil from the skin. I suppose you could carefully apply some silicone lubricant to those points, too.

[Bugsy 0]

By design, you adjust the tension of wire bobbins by spreading or compressing the legs. The wire is strong stainless steel and should tolerate repeated adjustments. That's been the case with my Matarelli and Tiemco bobbins, and it should be the same with any wire bobbin...including imports from SE Asia. Spools from different mfrs vary in their readiness to rotate on the bobbin, so you may find slight adjustment beneficial when switching between brands as well.

 

FWIW, I like the tension to be very slightly higher than the tension required to hold the bobbin under its own weight. Additional tension comes by palming the spool.

[rockworm 0]

Bobbins need to be adjusted to suit your tying style, the strength of your thread, etc. And since all spools are not identical, you may also need to change your bobbin's tension when you change the thread. I think its a good idea to hold the arm of the bobbin an inch or so below the tube with a strong pair of pliers when bending the wire to prevent damage to the junction.

[WhiteBuffalo58 0]

Thanks Guys!

I wasn't sure just how hard these were tempered to. It never did break the thread, but it kept feeling like it was just on the brink of it. I made the adjustment and it worked out fine. Lesson learned!

 

I appreciate the help,

 

Rob

[Stippled Popper 0]

I hold the bobbin with my thumb over the thread in the middle of the spool and adjust the tension by how firmly I press

down on the spool with my thumb. . . no need to mess much with adjusting the tension of the wire arms except perhaps once.

[Chase Creek 0]

I do the same as Bugsy - I adjust the tension so the thread doesn't come off the spool just hanging there, then adjust the thread tension on the run by "palming" the spool. I use Rite bobbins, but don't ever adjust the tension on the spool. I just like the way the Rite sits in my hand. In my opinion, "palming" is the only way you should control the tension on the thread. Different parts of the fly and different materials require different thread tension, so your tension should be continuously variable. Hope that makes sense.

[Chase Creek 0]

I do the same as Bugsy - I adjust the tension so the thread doesn't come off the spool just hanging there, then adjust the thread tension on the run by "palming" the spool. I use Rite bobbins, but don't ever adjust the tension on the spool. I just like the way the Rite sits in my hand. In my opinion, "palming" is the only way you should control the tension on the thread. Different parts of the fly and different materials require different thread tension, so your tension should be continuously variable. Hope that makes sense.

[WhiteBuffalo58 0]

I havn't learned to do the "palming" thing yet, but will work on it. I set this one to where it'll hang on it's own, but with enough tension to make a nice tight wrap without breaking the thread. For my way of doing it, I guess i'd need to have a bobbin custom set for each thread weight. Maybe i'll work a little harder on the "palming" method.

 

Rob

[SilverCreek 0]

If you over bend the bobbin so it is too loose, I adjust the tension by winding the thread around one of the legs before I put it though the bobbin tube. Each loop around the leg adds just a bit more tension and you an micro adjust the tension just to your liking.

[rockworm 0]

For my way of doing it, I guess i'd need to have a bobbin custom set for each thread weight.

 

Rob

 

That's pretty much how I do it. I have a couple of bobbins adjusted for and loaded with 8/0 thread in the most used colours (black, brown, olive, tan, white). And the same for 6/0 thread. A couple more for 3/0, teflon and GSP. Then there are a few mini-bobbins loaded with Pearsall's Gossamer. Once I made the mistake of buying bobbins from an eBay auction (very cheap) which turned out to be useless for thread, but are great for cotton floss (underbody material) and copper wire.

 

Clearly over the 25 years I have been tying I have invested a few $$ in bobbins. But I think the investment was well-worth it in time saved changed thread.

[perchjerker 0]

Bugsy has it right. I would like to add a short note in an attempt to make the procedure perhaps a bit clearer. I was taught to grasp each leg on either side of the bend in the wire with a pair of flat-nosed pliers and change 'this bend only' slightly.

 

One word of caution: DO NOT bend at the junction of the thread tube with the legs, as sooner or later, you will break the silver soldered union of the tube to the legs. A regular soldering iron will not get the solder hot enough to fix the break. A jewelers torch, or one of the small butane torches will work.

[WhiteBuffalo58 0]

I only have the one bobbin for now, but can see the benefit of having a few more.

I adjusted this one by grasping the wires towards the tube end with a pair of pliers, and spreading along the long arched bend. It didn't take much, maybe an 1/8" on each side. I don't have anything to compare it to, but it seems just right to me now.

 

Rob