Is there a bobbin chart?
 

When I took in the hoard I also inherited a bunch of bobbins. I have cleaned them and attempted to sort them only to find I probably have them sorted wrong. I would love to see a bobbin chart explaining not only the different bobbins but also seeing what the originals looked like compared to some other things on the market. Knowing what was original and also what works best in different machines would sure help!

* I tried to mend a shopping sack with my 15 this morning only to have thread nests in reverse and have a stinky feeling it was the bobbin. I had to resort to using my trusted Elna for the quick job and figured I will workout the 15's problem later. :)

When I got my machines, I put the bobbins that go with them into a Ziploc and labeled the bag to match the machine.

I have a couple of 4 compartment plastic boxes (target dollar section I think, they come and go) that I drop mine into and label.

I think I've seen this chart you speak of, it's just for the standard Singer bobbins though.

The new 15 bobbins aren't very good - buy the plastic ones or vintage - if you get vintage look to make sure they aren't bent, rusted, gummed up with oil or have burrs...

When I got my older machine (401 Slant-o-matic) I spent the day to see if the bobbins (a large bag of them) fit the machine in accordance with the bobbin already in the case. It was obvious many did not fit the case. Those were cast aside. This machine I found out later was not the previous owner's only machine. She had 3 and a serger set up in her studio. She was an interior designer. Some of the bobbins go to the other machines I'm sure but don't know who has the other machines. Mine was the only one in the estate sale.

Don't throw out the bobbins that don't fit...

Did you put the bobbin in correctly for your 15? Some of them rotate clockwise, some counter clockwise as the thread is pulled off. It do make a difference.

You would not believe how many bobbin designs there is.

I don't know of any chart, but right now I have machines that use:

Class 66 - metal and plastic
Class 15 - metal
FW type - ( fits= 9W-7, 221, 222, 301 and can be used in Kenmore 120-491 types.)
White / Kenmore style
A different Kenmore style ( 120-491 )
319 style
Singer T&S white stripe type
Bernina (a really nicely made fancy Class 15 with knurling on the inner hub)

Then there is Janome, Elna, other Singers, and the industrials.
Class 15 L - plastic
Class 15 - plastic

And that don't cover the long bobbins.

The only suggestion I could make would be to go to some of these big wholesale places such as Brewer and steal the pics they have of all the bobbins they sell. Then make your own chart.

Sew-Classic has quite a few bobbins with pictures and listings of what models they fit too. That might help.

Joe

40 of my machines came in together in a hurry from a bulk sale, I have baskets and boxes of bobbins, springs, tension parts, screws...it wasn't that easy for me.

I have tried matching them up in bags and comparing around the web but it's hard to be sure what is what.

Anastasia, I have some compartment boxes too labeled for my Viking and my Elnas. I have a couple more blanks waiting for bobbins once I get it sorted out.

Miriam, Can you post a picture of what the vintage class 15's looked like (with a coin in the pic)?

I did try matching some from the Sew Classic site. Then tried eBay but you know that's probably hit or miss!

I did have the bobbin in correctly. I double checked it with the manual.

Ok I dug around and found a handful of different class 15 bobbins. They are about the same size around a a nickle - at least that nickle. They are all about the same depth they should be flat. They need to be straight and round, free of rust, old thread, burrs and what not. The newer bobbins may not have the same size hole to go on the bobbin winder shaft. Some of the newer bobbins are not as strong. The plastic new bobbins are better than the metal new bobbins. I used to have one made out of aluminum but I can't find it any more. When they are in the bobbin case they should be flush with the edge.
Old new stock - new stock and old from the box
[ATTACH=CONFIG]477851[/ATTACH]

So let's open the box of junk bobbins
[ATTACH=CONFIG]477853[/ATTACH]
and on edge:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]477854[/ATTACH]

Yes Miriam, that's like my scrap box.

Thanks for the link to Brewer. I AM making a folder with labeled bobbins. I already found one that matches some of my odd balls. Apparently I have same White Rotary bobbins and I never would have figured that out since I don't have a White Rotary machine! That's what happens when you adopt someone else's hoard!

You never know when you are going to NEED one of those stray bobbins.

I agree! And it's not just the bobbins. I don't throw anything away because the minute I do, I will suddenly know what it's used for and have a desperate need for it!

The bobbins with no holes were from a Singer 15-30 treadle 1902.

Don't know if this will help . . .

http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...e-t239625.html

some day I'll do up a chart, I've got a few more since I did this

I'm headed there to check it out now!

Did you know some newer plastic machines have a 15t bobbin?!

I'm thinking Janome

Sometimes bobbins that you don't have a machine for act as bait ... I swear that is how I got my first Featherweight. I found a FW bobbin in my Mom's stuff for her 401. Since I was looking for a bargain FW, I told her I was taking it. Two weeks later it turned up on craigslist and I called the seller and talked her into selling it to me, even though a dealer had already offered more than asking price. It turned out that this woman lived in my Mom's neighborhood. It had been her Aunt's machine and she was happy to sell it to someone who wanted it to sew on. I named the Featherweight "Bobbi" for the bobbin and the seller's name.

Oooohhh Nooooooo!

Didn't find any search results for "15t" bobbins. Most of the Janome bobbins are plastic class 15 bobbins.

I'm still missing two machines that I have long bobbins/shuttles for - I sure hope they are working to lure a machine into my path so they can be used as intended!

Unfortunately no dimensions with this c. 1949 chart.
Jon

Thanks for the reference Cathy...I have Pinned to Pintrest for future use! You are the BEST~

And thanks to you too Jon...I need to dig out all the bobbins and at least sort them by matches

My Montgomery Wards rotary takes a different bobbin...........the center hole is bigger. Which means my side kick bobbin winder won't work.

It may be true that orphan bobbins call out to the machine they belong to. There were class 66 bobbins mixed in the drawer of my 15-91. When I looked for a treadle, I ended up with a 66.

I don't know if this helps or not, but here it goes.

http://www.bobbincentral.com/which-bobbin-fits/

Also Superior Threads has a chart under reference guides called bobbin reference guide.

Mary

It's likely the Wards takes the same as the Eldredge/National at the top of the chart Jon posted - most of their vintage machines were made by National.

I think you're referring to this one?
http://www.superiorthreads.com/media...ility-list.pdf

Somewhere, I'm not sure where, I would think it's FilTec or Superior, I read that something like 80% of machines take an "L" bobbin, so if I'm ever in doubt, I try one of those first. It's the same diameter as a 15, but it's shorter. My Janome that takes Class 15 bobbins (they have their own special number so they can try to get you to buy their bobbins instead of a regular class 15, just like Pfaff's 9033 is an L bobbin, etc) has no trouble at all with the L prewounds I threw in it.

I love that one Tammi. I made a folder and included some photos and info. It's nice to be able to SEE pics and try to match up a bobbin but also to have a chart of what machine takes what bobbins. I see, L's M's and Class 15's, but what is a "class 15 CB bobbin" under the Berninas?

Looks like a metal bobbin.
http://www.superiorthreads.com/educa...rnina-bobbins/

I think a while ago we determined that CB stood for "Central Bobbin", at least for the Singers.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...e-t216990.html

I honestly don't know why Bernina made that distinction. I can't see a difference between those 15 CB bobbins and a regular 15 bobbin. I've ordered the actual ones for a customer at one point and there was no discernible difference that I could come up with (I didn't pull out calipers) besides maybe the number of holes on each side of the bobbin which should make little to no difference. I think it's mostly a "if we make it sound different, they'll buy our bobbins instead of the regular class 15 bobbins" just like Pfaff, Kenmore, Janome, etc.