Bobbin Winder #3 Tinker Edition.

[TinkerTailor]

It seems that a few of us members, specifically Uwe and Dikman and myself have been independantly working on external bobbin winders simultaniously. I got my Techsew 5100 10 days ago and after I ran out the first bobbin and looked at the machine and realized that I would have to have 2 spools of every colour, or wind bobbins with the rest of the machine hammering away at thin air, wearing itself out to fill a bobbin.......There had to be a better way.

I give you:

Stand Alone Bobbin Winder Tinker Edition.

Specs:

All factory bobbin winder parts used unmodified. Can be returned to factory in 10 minutes.

Stops when bobbin full.

Hands free variable speed control

High speed bobbin filling. Less than 10 seconds at full tilt with 207.

Very inexpensive. Box cost 2 bux and the sewing machine motor and pedal was free.

First thing i did was look to see how the factory bobbin winder was driven, as i wanted to utilize all of the factory bobbin winding parts. I found that the rubber o-ring tire was mounted on a round belt pully. I just so happened to have an external electric sewing machine motor, footpedal and a rubber roundbelt. I mounted the factory bobbin winder into a wooden box i got at the dollar store for 2 bux I think and then screwed the box to my machine table right next to the belt slot. I then mounted the sewing machine motor behind the machine head onto the tabletop making sure to get the belt tension right so the motor drives the winder properly, but the belt slacks off when the bobbin is full.

The thread tensioner is on the back corner of the box.

I mounted the thread guide to one of the screws on middle of the the thread stand. This really helps it fill nice to have this further away.Thread path is down from tree, through tensioner, up to stand, back down to bobbin.

Gas pedal:

Cover made from spraypaint lid, mason jar for oilcan and a scrap strap with loops for tools to hold it together.

[dikman]

Cool. Relatively simple and uncomplicated approach, TT .

[CowboyBob]

Wow Tinker that looks great! Here's our not so fancy setup a 12-24 screw w/a nut on it about 2&1/2" long and a drill.We often need to wind different sizes so this works great for us.

[TinkerTailor]

Wow Tinker that looks great! Here's our not so fancy setup a 12-24 screw w/a nut on it about 2&1/2" long and a drill.We often need to wind different sizes so this works great for us.

The old finger pressure thread tension device....How deep is the thread groove in your thumb and finger??

For bobbin winders, there are other designs out there, which are great, well built, and work perfectly, however they were designed from a marketable product standpoint. Catalog parts in a repeatable design. Or a diy recipe. Buy this list of parts (or a kit), put together this way and you have your device. This is a good way to go for alot of people, and is a common maker scene methodology.

When I designed mine, which i had in my head before the machine even arrived, i knew a couple things:

-441 clones have different bobbin winding setups depending on brand.

-Bobbin winders differ between machine batches within a brand

-The bobbin winder drive design on a 441 clone is less than stellar. Adjustment is a pain. Mis-adjustment is more of a pain.

- Even simple electronics are confusing for many, however if you can't figure out how to plug a home sewing machine motor in and make it turn, i can't help you. These were designed with the stereotypical 50's housewife in mind remember.......

Because of these inconsistencies, flexibility and adaptability of the design was key. This design can be altered sooooo many ways to accommodate different machine architectures and artistic flairs. I think a lunchkit would be a cool option for the box......

I made this with a balsa box from the dollar store, an xacto knife, some glue, a drill and a few screws. The bobbin storage on top i cut pieces of dowel with wire cutters and glued them into holes. Hole for bobbin winder? hacked out with xacto. Motor and belt are your problem, I suggest craigslist or the thrift store. Sometimes whole machines are worth it for the motor and pedal. These motors make nice burnisher motors for diy burnishers for small items. Much quieter than a hunk of wood spinning in a dremel..... I have better tools and know better techniques, but this does not help the average crafter.

Btw, this is how I covered the hole:

And while test stitching, I made this little thread nipper sheath I screwed onto the machine where the bobbin thread guide was:

[Uwe]

Great little winder setup! Very inventive and great use of existing parts and materials. I especially appreciate little details like the paint can cap protective cover and the little tool holder. The skull-and-bones cover for the hole is a nice, touch, too :-) Well done!

[dikman]

You make a good point about the simple approach, TT. Uwe's is a very neat, professional approach, using relatively easy-to-obtain parts, mine perhaps a little less professional but certainly more complex due to the additional work involved in modifying bits (not for the less mechanically inclined, shall we say).

Using a domestic sewing machine motor (and yes, I've already bought a couple of cheap old Singers which I junked for spare parts, so fairly easy to obtain) and coupling it to a standard bobbin winder (like I used) might be an easy way to make one.

[Techsew Ron]

nicely done! love that skull and bones cover I think we may make those standard on the machine

[TinkerTailor]

nicely done! love that skull and bones cover I think we may make those standard on the machine

Thanks all for the compliments. The skull is a belt buckle I used to wear alot back in my punk rock days. Used to get followed around tandy when i went there to get studs to put on my leather jacket.....

[cdthayer]

A stand-alone bobbin winder that will accommodate multiple sizes of bobbins for industrial sewing machines is a valuable shop tool. Im glad to see the work on various designs here in the LW threads.

But since I hand crank both my Adler 205-64 and my portable Singer 31-15, and treadle my main Singer 31-15, I couldnt see any reason to waste electricity winding bobbins. I found a hand crank bobbin winder that works for both of my different bobbin sizes. Im not sure what it was originally made for, but the tapered end drives the 31-15 bobbins just fine, and by adding a small piece of vacuum hose to the pin-sized opposite end of the shaft, my 205-64 bobbins fit snuggly onto it and wind just fine as well. Since learning how to wind bobbins by hand cranking and applying hand-tension and direction to the thread on my Singer 29K70 machine bobbin winders, hand-winding works fine for me.

CD in Oklahoma

[TinkerTailor]

A stand-alone bobbin winder that will accommodate multiple sizes of bobbins for industrial sewing machines is a valuable shop tool. Im glad to see the work on various designs here in the LW threads.

But since I hand crank both my Adler 205-64 and my portable Singer 31-15, and treadle my main Singer 31-15, I couldnt see any reason to waste electricity winding bobbins. I found a hand crank bobbin winder that works for both of my different bobbin sizes. Im not sure what it was originally made for, but the tapered end drives the 31-15 bobbins just fine, and by adding a small piece of vacuum hose to the pin-sized opposite end of the shaft, my 205-64 bobbins fit snuggly onto it and wind just fine as well. Since learning how to wind bobbins by hand cranking and applying hand-tension and direction to the thread on my Singer 29K70 machine bobbin winders, hand-winding works fine for me.

CD in Oklahoma

I have a few hand cranked and treadle machines myself. I frequently fill bobbins for one on the other. I also lived off the grid for many years, so my mind is also looking for electricity free ways to do things. Just had a thought, I bet an industrious person could build a pretty swell winder out of a fishing reel.

[cdthayer]

I dont care to live off-grid, but I know that the grid can always leave me, so I gather up people-powered things. I dont know why a fishing reel wouldnt work. It would probably be cheaper than what I have in my cranks. I picked up a second one recently to have as a back-up, just in case something happens to my favorite one. Being cast iron, one trip to the floor could do either of them in.

This second one has a gear drive and a three-step tapered shaft, but I don't like it as well as my belt-driven one. It's sort of noisy. The 31-15 bobbin fits snuggly on the third step, but the 205-64 bobbin won't go onto the third step and is loose on the second step. I may be able to apply a wrap or two of self-bonding vinyl tape to the second step to use it, or just keep a tapered tooth-pick handy. Trouble is, I'm running out of teeth, so I don't keep tooth picks around as much as I used to....

CD in Oklahoma

[Ole South]

Repurposing an old hand wheel grinder, I see. Put a grinding wheel back on it for inertia and you can sharpen your needles and awls at the same time... truly multi-task off grid.

[BenjaminBrand]

Use an old sewing machine motor with the bobbin attachments for the bobbin you need. Most spring loaded metal shafts that come with sewing machine work ...(For electric solutions )

[TinkerTailor]

Use an old sewing machine motor with the bobbin attachments for the bobbin you need. Most spring loaded metal shafts that come with sewing machine work ...(For electric solutions )

Ummm, that is exactly what i did.