Bobbin Winder Help
 

I have acquired a Husqvarna Viking Designer SE and found that the bobbin winder will not work. Does anyone know of a stand-alone bobbin winder that will work with the green bobbins?

Probably way more than you want to spend, but the Fancy Quilt bobbin winder can be ordered for the green Viking bobbins.
http://fancyquilt.com/product/bobbin-winder/

I had my 1965 Singer 503 partly apart to see why it was locked up on me. (problem was a soft piece of lint lodged in the gears underneath which is a whole different story). In the process of looking and removing the top cover, I discovered a spring was off and this had been affecting my bobbin winder for a long time. Reattached and now it works like brand new !

Have you checked out the Sidewinder?

I have a Sidewinder given to me by a former friend but I don't know what you mean by green bobbins?? This bobbin winder works on my Bernina metal bobbins.

The sidewinder won't work with the green Viking bobbins. It even says so on the side of the box and in the ads. Not 100% sure, but I think the Viking bobbins are wound in the other direction and the holes are tapered so you can only put them in the sewing machine one way. You can't just reverse the bobbins on the side winder because the hole won't go over the shaft because of the taper.

Does the bobbin winder on the Viking truly not work or is it just being obnoxious? Mine (different model but very similar) sometimes gets a little finicky about working. If I talk nicely to it and then get a little 'rough' (as in make sure it really IS engaged), it does work correctly. Could just be a cleaning issue as well as someone else suggested.

Is your Designer SE under warranty still and if so, I'd take it and have them repair it or replace it. I bought the Ffancy Quilt bobbin winder years ago and had them make me a separate spindle just for the Viking green bobbins. Since my bobbin winder still works on my old D1 I haven't bothered to use it. I found that my bobbin winder that came with my Innova machine will wind my Babylock and my pre-wound Neb bobbins so if and when my Viking winder goes south I can still use the empty Neb bobbins till I can get it fixed.

I was looking on line to buy one myself - mine goes slowly, a Janone 12000, but it works, but I'm cheap and didn't want to pay the $50 I saw them for -- sorry don't remember the name or who was selling them.