I rent a long arm machine sometimes and use a bobbin winder while there. I had a really hard time the last time I was using the bobbin winder because of the angle at which I was holding the thread. To start the wind I found that starting the winder slowly and holding the thread straight out from the bobbin help. And folks are right, once you get a couple of winds on it that will hold the beginning, you can let the thread break and wind away.