MarLeClair

Over the course of 60 years I have had a few different sewing machines. Only my singer had the metal bobbin, the rest have been plastic-and I have kept them all. Is there a way to tell the difference in bobbins,of course, besides the width? My Brothers seems to want only Brothers bobbins. So far I have been successful in keeping them apart from the rest but besides marking them, is there a way to tell which ones they are?

Patti25314

If you post photos, I'll help you figure them out. Do you have some small baggies or some way to keep them sorted?

virtualbernie

I keep mine in small baggies too. I further sort them into which thread is wound on them. It also helps to put a small dot of fingernail polish on the top of the bobbin and the thread spool just in case I forget to put them back in the baggies.

Tartan

I used the tip for buying the clear plastic 1/2 inch diameter hose for my bobbins. You cut a 1/4 section off the hose and cut a slit down one side to open it. You then push the little ring onto the bobbin to keep the thread contained. It also works great for identifying the thread that's on the bobbin. I write with a sharpie on the tube piece what the name of the thread is but you could write which machine the bobbin belongs to also.

virtualbernie

I love that idea! Thanks for the tip!

JustAbitCrazy

I have used an ultra thin permanent Sharpie marker right on the flat side of some bobbins to identify what machine they go to. I agree, this is a problem with the plastic bobbins, which are sometimes so close in size, yet not interchangable. Wouldn't it be nice if manufacturers just all used a standardized size, like most were years ago? Either that, or have the machine name right on the bobbin? We just have all the answers, but nobody asks us...

quilter711

I use the plastic bobbin cases. I have one for each machine and mark on the case the model of the machine.

cabbagepatchkid

This has been something that I've been thinking about, lately, too. I have a "collection" of vintage machines and they all seem to have their own type of bobbin and it's been getting confusing. I've seen some good suggestions so far!

Jingle

I have plastic bobbin boxes, 1 has bobbins for my Singer 328K, the other has ones for my White Jeans Machine and they also work in my 1950s Vandervoort. they have a bunch of holes made into them, a badged 15 Clone. The bobbins for my straight stitch only Juki TL 98QE and Babylock Jane are interchangeable and Kept on the shelf above my machine, in a bobbin box if they have thread and extras in plastic they came in. All of these are metal. My White Quilters Star has plastic bobbins, and only the three that came with it is all that works in it. I need to mark them as to what machine they go to.

QuiltingMia

I have a brother machine and an elna. The bobbins seem to be the same. Could they be a tad different and I can't see it? Will it give me problems in the future because they seem to work ok in both?