old bobbins
 

I saw that someone posted on a thread recently that they don't use old bobbins.

Is this common? Does that mean that you don't refill disposable bobbins or don't reuse plastic ones, etc. ?

What does it mean to you?

I get rid of my bobbins when they break, get stepped on, warped or something similar. In other words, I don't get rid of bobbins very often since I don't buy prefilled paper bobbins. I have both plastic and metal bobbins and don't notice a difference. I like to have a bunch of bobbins and then fill 20 or more at once so I don't have to stop and refill bobbins in the middle of something fun.

I have learned to fill all bobbins at the end of a day of sewing. Then you are ready for the next time. Hugs

I, too, like to fill lots of bobbins. I've also bought pre filled plastic bobbins and just keep reusing them.

I think I was the one that posted I don't use old bobbins. Let me add more details of why. For one thing I like new bobbins. :) It's just a sewing eccentricity I have. Nothing wrong at all with most old bobbins.
But plastic bobbins can have small cracks and scratches after many uses. Metal bobbins if dropped can get out of round. Most times I have had terrible bobbin thread issues, when I changed to a new bobbin the problem disappeared. I wind older metal bobbins with all different color thread and keep in bobbin holder for hand sewing binding or yo yos or mending. Over the years I had way to many filled older bobbins so I started giving filled bobbin rings as gifts. A silicone bobbin ring with filled bobbins of different colors of Aurifil thread will make any quilter's face light up. Another reason to buy new bobbins and fill the old ones.

Of all the things I want to spend my money on it is not bobbins because they might be old? I have plastic bobbins at least 10years old if not older and there is nothing wrong with them.

I guess I am not "getting it". And if the bobbins are old, why fill them?

So confused here.

I've been using the same bobbins for years and years. I also mix up metal and plastic in my machines and so far no problems.

I have one machine that uses plastic bobbins. I don't use it much now. The replacements do not work well. You can bet I keep them. The other machines uses metal bobbins and they work just fine. You can bet I keep and use all of them.

If you have old bobbins that are not working well in the machine - you can always wind thread on them and use them on the top of the machine for twin needle work.

A full bobbin on serger needles works well. Use the cones for the loopers.

Just mark the old ones with nail polish or whatever.

I never thought to get rid of my bobbins! I have all the bobbins that came with my 80s Singer and ones I added to the stash. I have all the bobbins and those I added to my Baby Locks. I keep some filled for Embroidery (with a black dot on them), the others I fill as I need them. Some of you on this board mentioned using the left overs for piecing and that helped me a lot. I can now say I do have empty ones. I have never used prewound purchased ones.

My machines use only metal bobbins. Some of my bobbins are 13 years old. They still work well so I keep using them. I have lots of bobbins for my machines. I am very left handed and do not like threading the needle on my Featherweight so I always fill several bobbins each time I oil the machine. I do not want to unthread that machine to fill a bobbin when I am sewing.

That's a new one on me... I've never had a problem with bobbins or bobbin tension, so have never given not using them again a thought. Don't use the pre-fills, I don't get the allure of those, either. When I fill bobbins, I do several at a time; I can buy a tube of Bernina bobbins for $10 or so, so have probably 25 or more.

I don't remember if it was you or someone else. I did see it mentioned months ago and then again yesterday.

You mentioned a quilter's face light up when they got bobbins. I don't think I've ever been given bobbins, but if they fit my machine, I'd be quite happy. Here in Poland, there seem to be several popular sizes.

My question for you, then, is, do you use only use your bobbins once or just keep them for a certain while? I've ended up with quite a few bobbins and find myself trying to use up the ends of about 20 of them (which I've used for embroidery so they are mostly empty but still plenty of good thread on them) while sewing some borders and sashing on other projects.

I. Have only had problems with bobbins in one machine my brother 440 which only likes brother plastic bobbins. My other machines don't seem to be at all fussy about age or type.
Those boxes full of coloured plastic bobbins did not go very well with free motion in my bernina.

I still use the metal bobbins that came with my mother's Featherweight Centennial machine back in the late 1940's early 1950's. (Forget when the machine was made...just know it is as old as I am [57] if not older). Have only thrown away a couple of plastic bobbins...burrs on them so they would not feed the bobbin thread correctly in my Janome.

Anita

I've found that the metal bobbins work best for me. When I was having problems on a former machine it seemed to be the plastic bobbins that were the culprit. So I quit using them. The only time I get rid of a metal bobbin is if it has gotten rusted or dented. I did stock up on bobbins last year so I have one for every color thread I use regularly and some to spare.

i buy pre-filled bobbins for my embroidery machine. when they are empty I reuse them for sewing/quilting. They work just fine.

I would go broke buying bobbins if I did not reuse my bobbins. Some days I use 12 or more bobbins full on my sewing machines, 4-7 for my embroidery machine, and a countless number on my longarm. I can't imagine stocking more bobbins than I already have.