J Miller

I have 5 (?) machines that use the long bobbins. Only one of them winds evenly from end to end. The others will wind a lot at one end but not at the other. One will wind a lot at both ends but not the middle.
I'm using bobbins that fit as best I can considering the age of these machines.

Some of the winders show a lot of looseness and wear which contributes to the inconsistent winding. Others are just off somehow.

I've tweaked a couple of them, improving their winding, but not getting them 'right'. Even though some of them were gummed up badly I did not take them apart when I cleaned them. So it's not that I assembled them wrong.

Does anyone here have any words of wisdom they'd share on how to fix and adjust the long bobbin winders?

Joe

greywuuf

Mine seem to only wind funky because the thread grabs, and does not actually wind but the leveler arm continues to move, make sure the bobbin is not spinning in between the holder, maybe try some rosin ? or maybe just a drip of silicone calk to increase the fricton of the bobbin to the drive element ? just thinking out loud here.

J Miller

That's happened on one of them, the New Home AB I think. Then the Minnesota has enough slop in the works that it threads great as the arm moves one way, but not the other.


Joe

greywuuf

can you adjust the engagement of the worm and gear mechanism to take up some of the back lash ?

kitsykeel

If nothing mechanical works to fix the uneven bobbin winding, you might try what I do on any of my machines when I do not like the consistency of the wind. I hold the thread as it is winding and move the thread manually to distribute it evenly on the bobbin. Works every time.

jljack

I saw a video of a person doing just what Kitsy suggested...using their finger to guide the thread across the full length of the bobbin as it winds. I haven't wound one yet (I am embarrassed to admit this, since I have 2 machines with these bobbins!), but am about to do it. So I appreciate this thread.

J Miller

greywuuf,
Most likely I can adjust some of it out, but I haven't tried yet. Since the Minnesota is the worst worn I was going to take it apart and see what I could do.

Kitsy, jljack,
I haven't tried that yet. Don't know why not as I do it with some of the round bobbin winders that don't wind evenly. Next one I wind I'll do that and see what happens.

Joe

jlhmnj

From what I hear, the Singer long bobbin reproductions are a bit off in their specs. I've also read in manuals to bend the thread guide arm if the winder is consistently off on original bobbins. I'd be nervous I'd snap the arm off. I've found the Davis winders generally very good (which is all I use these days) and I make my own bobbins so I don't fool with these adjustments often.

Jon

J Miller

Jon,

You are correct about the new bobbins. Instead of a point on the end they have a nubbin. Sometimes the nubbin is too blunt to fit into the hole in the spring loaded end of the winder. And some of the bobbins have rims that are just a bit smaller than the OEM bobbins so they fit farther into the drive end of the winder.

I have adjusted a couple of mine by gently bending the guide arm. It's pretty soft metal so I doubt it will break off.
But the adjustment has to be very precise or you just move the overfilling from one end to the other.

How do you make your own bobbins? That's interesting.
I have only OEM bobbins for my New Homes, and Minnesota. For my Free and Franklin I have both OEMs and reproductions. The OEMs are far better.

Joe

greywuuf

Hmmmm, I have a good supply of "spring" steel a lathe and a heat treating set up, I may just have to make me some bobbins.