Bullet Bobbin Prototype

[Mars Rover 0]

I've made bobbins and many other tying tools and I've always wanted to make a ceramic bobbin, but could not think of a good way to do it - or where to get the ceramic tube or insert. So I thought of glass, which should wear well enough - and eye droppers have a very smooth tip with rounded (probably melted) edges, which should be easy on the thread. I have another hobby that requires soldering for mechanical strength so I have the technique. I used the shortest, finest dropper that I had on hand but there may be smaller ones out there somewhere.

 

The brass tube is cut from a 7.62 x 54 (Mosin-Nagant) shell casing, soldered to spring wire legs (.062 music wire), soldered into the brass balls (actually brass decorative nuts for lighting fixtures). The eye dropper is wrapped in cordage to take up a little space in the tube, center it and cushion the glass, then coated with epoxy to set it into the tube. The glass is thick and strong so I'm not concerned about it breaking and stabbing me while tying but if I get nervous, I can put some heat shrink tubing or something over it.

 

In the picture, the bullet bobbin looks huge next to the vise but that's due to the camera's perspective and it's really not that bad - about 4 inches in total length, the same as my longest commercial bobbin. The tip of the dropper is slightly less in outside diameter than the flared tips of my Dr. Slick and Griffin ceramic-tipped bobbins so I can get in tight to the work, even on small flies. I did build it today and tied a fly with it and I think it's a very smooth-feeding bobbin. It was fun and free and I'll make another.

[Adam Saarinen 0]

That's Awsome! Thanks for sharing!

[Kimo 0]

Very Cool!

[126lineman 0]

Brilliant, nicely done!

[Bimini15 0]

You, Sir, are one cool cat, coming up with that idea.

Very nicely done!

Thanks for sharing.

[rstaight 0]

Awsome, just f---ing awesome.

 

You may have something to supplement your income and retire.

[GC59 0]

Very nice,you may have started a run on eye droppers and shell casings.

[mikechell 0]

Looks very nice.

 

Be careful using it for the first few times. Eyedropper glass is not known for it's "strength". I know how you put the arms into the brass, but if it puts side pressure on the glass when there's a spool in there, it could cause it to shatter. I see you mention all that in your second paragraph ... so I am just adding to the caution.

 

If it doesn't ... it's a great idea.

[Wetsock 0]

1st off let me say really cool and I am impressed with workmanship wish I had those skills. Not knowing what kind of glass I would guess the hardness is close to stainless most ceramics are about 3 times as hard. I am guessing it will work fine I have never wore out a stainless bobbin. I am thinking there is a custom market out there what's your weapon of choice

[Eddie Southgate 39-5 0]

Love it !

[islander727 0]

Cool!

[Mars Rover 0]

Thanks everyone for the encouraging comments - and the words of caution! I think it will work out OK. Droppers don't survive the drop test on concrete but I think it will stand up to heavy-handedness while tying flies. I selected the caliber because it's a loose fit to the glass at the neck of the casing - and you can see through the glass (looking down) that there's a thing coating of epoxy completely insulating the glass from the metal. Then of course the plenty of room at the chamber part of the cartridge, insulating the glass with the epoxy-soaked cushioning I described. And there's no flexing going on at the tube when spreading the spring wire arms to load spools.Thanks again!