Telling Bobbins Apart
 

I have 3 machines, a Featherweight, a Janome 1600p, and a Bernina 830 Record. They each use a different size metal bobbin but the bobbins look very similar. I don't have many bobbins, 5 - 10 per machine. Any tips or suggestions for making sure I don't mix up the bobbins and put one in the wrong machine? Does any one mark bobbins - like with a dot fingernail polish or a marker?

You could color code them, or you could pick up 3 of those bobbin donuts each a different color to hold them. I have 3 machines with different bobbins, mine are kept in a small square tin (each machine has its own tin) and I keep the bobbins with the machine tools,notions,and manual all together. Which ever machine I am going to use has everything for that machine together.

The FW bobbins are easy to spot - they are much thinner than the other bobbins. I keep all of my bobbins separated with the machines they go with. But the 15-91 bobbins are metal and my Janome bobbins are plastic. I can't imagine putting a dab of paint or fingernail polish would harm a bobbin.

I have two machines -- I keep the bobbins in separate areas, in labeled pencil boxes. Love this time of year -- need to go school shopping to pick up unusual pencil boxes. I always find a use for them.

I used my paint pins to mark each machine a different color. Even the ones that look the same are different.

How do you tell bobbins that you have acquired fit what machine. I have a featherweight, Janome 10000, an American Home (Made by Necchi I am told) and a Singer (not sure of model). I got a whole bunch of bobbins at an auction with some other things, and am hoping that some will fit at least one or two of my machines, but how do I tell short of trying each bobbin in the machine itself. Can anyone give any advice on that? I have taken a marker and marked on the plastic bobbins with a small dot for my Janome and a letter for the other machine bobbins that I have. It doesn't need to be a big mark, just something you can see and it hasn't affected the sewing in any way.

I'm a Ziploc user. I use the quart bags and mark on the outside which machine they belong. My 401 had bobbins that came with it and I have come to realize, they don't all belong to that machine. A couple of bobbins were rusty so having realized they didn't belong and even if they had got pitched.

I use nail polish to tell my bobbins apart. Red, blue and none. That way I never put them in the wrong zip lock bag or drawer. I put a dot on the side of the bobbin holder in the machine and that way I am sure I am putting in right bobbin.

I use a sharpie and draw a line across the bobbin for my Bailey machine. My Brother embroidery machine uses pre-wound bobbins kept in a drawer near the machine. My Jamone hardly gets used but its bobbins are interchangeable with my Brother SQ900.

I am fortunate that my machines have different colored bobbins so I can tell them apart. What I do have issues with is the thread! I have bobbin thread for embroidery, that is easy as it's 80 wt. I do need to differentiate between my quilting threads, and regular sewing threads, I think I will put a dot of nail polish for quilting threads. i have a permanent sharpie but find it rubs off eventually.

I use a Sharpie marker to mark with a dot if it is a special bobbin.

I have separate boxes that I labeled with the machine name. 2 of my 3 machines are Janome and can share bobbins so really I only have to keep 2 separate bobbin stashes.

For telling thread apart once it's wound on the bobbin, I distinguish only between cotton & poly. Cotton bobbins get those children's terrycloth mini-scrunchie things to hold the thread; poly gets a slice of clear tubing to hold the thread. (Both tips I got here!) I sew with a couple different weights of cotton thread but I can usually visually tell by comparing the bobbin's thread to a spool's thread which weight it is. At least close enough that my machine doesn't mind.

Since you said all 3 machines take similar looking metal bobbins, and it sounds like you use all three regularly (?), i would suggest nail polish dots--Blue for Bernina, Orange for the O in JanOme, and nothing for the FW .

I have different Bobbin buddies for my machines. Luckily, the Janome bobbins are plastic while my FW's are metal.

I use sectioned fishing tackle boxes which close tightly. I also keep the bobbin boxes with the machine they go to.

I also use the sectioned fishing tackle box for my LA bobbins.

i have several machines also. there are classes of bobbins, according to sewing/quilting catalogues, but i don't k ow what is what. so, my fw bobbins are kept in the little baggie they came in, my janome 1600P bobbins are kept in the toolbox that came w it, my plastic bobbins that came w my pfaff are kept in the swing out tool tray that is part of the machine deck. bobbins are precision tooled & balanced --i would not put any nail polish, marking pen ink or anything else on a bobbin. a little time to keep them organized is very simple. if in doubt, check w your local sewing machine repair person.

I have a bobbin tower by each of my machines, but I also use a sharpie to mark an initial on the top of each bobbin, so if they do get misplaced, I'll know...
http://www.connectingthreads.com/Too...9APxoCqPjw_wcB
of course..I also have a bin of bobbins that I'm not sure about..on my rainy day list! LOL

They aren't such a precision instrument that a dab of nail polish or a letter written with a sharpie would mess them up...otherwise, how could we use different weight threads? They are exact as to their height and diameter, but a little marking won't hurt anything.

I had this problem until I thought of old pipe cleaners. I thread through the centres and then twist to stop sliding off by each machine. The pipe cleaner with metal thread inside is the easiest to use.

WOW, I guess I am lucky. I have two Bernina and they both use the same bobbins.

I have fishing/craft cases for my bobbins for each machine with the machine name on case. I use hair ties for keepin thread on bobbins. I also have travel cases for machines that bobbin cases fit into. Nice to have everything fit for quick grab and go.

bobbins
 

Wow, I'm so glad you asked this question - what great replies!

I wish the bobbins had some sort of mark on them stating what they are.

(Not what machines they are for - what the bobbin size/style is - such as Class 15, Class 15A, Class 66, etc)

I keep my bobbins in the doughnut holders kept by the machine. I have only one holder for my Featherweight; but I have 3 holders for my Bernina. One holds my quilting thread bobbins, one holds my garment sewing bobbins, and the third holds empty bobbins. The bobbins look different enough that I would not get them confused.

I use the little white circles that are actually for reinforcing 3 ring binder holes in paper. I can label them with any pen/pencil I have handy. I like them because they only cover up the end of the bobbin (and I can tuck my thread in them so the bobbin doesn't unravel) so I can still see the thread color. The only thing to remember when using these is to touch the sticky side to my pants a couple of times before putting one on for the first time because they are pretty sticky.

Because I have all Berninas (1031, vintage 830, vintage 807) I'm thrilled I can use all Bernina bobbins; had never thought about having to keep various machines' bobbins straight. :rolleyes: :)

My biggest problem is keeping different threads on bobbins separated out. Yeah, I have bobbin buddies to attach them to the spool the thread came from, but that doesn't always work and they come apart. :eek:

Jan in VA

I have ( oh my ) 9 machines.........all different of course.......so all different bobbins..........I keep my bobbins in those little pill boxes from the drug store.......the ones that have all the days of the week on them...and on the side of each of those boxes, I have written the machine that it goes with.......and all the bobbins for each machine go only into their individually marked boxes............these boxes are good, they keep the bobbins all separated and they don't be rolling around and unwrapping themselves -
I too was wondering how to tell if a bobbin will fit a machine without trying it out on the machine itself )could damage that).......I inherited a big bag full of older ones and am not sure about how to use them............suggestions????

I have a little sandwich boxes with name and model numbers on the lid for each machine, I have six. I keep attachments and bobbins in them and keep it with each machine. when I use a machine I pick up the attachment box and I always have the proper bobbins.

I have 3 machines. I have 3 different permanent sharpies, I have one color for each machines bobbin. All I do is color a little circle for which ever machine it goes with.

For multiple machines you could use this same technique but take a piece of masking tape and draw a circle in that machines bobbin color and tape the tape somewhere under the machine or on its lid so you'll 'remember' which color goes with that particular machine,