Good day all,

I'm currently building up my edc survival kit that will reside in my everyday bag. I have a plan of sorts, which is to have a plastic matchbox to contain the sewing/fishing stuff.

I have these match boxes on order (http://www.rei.com/product/678278?vcat=REI_SEARCH) and waiting for them to come in (so not sure of the dimension just yet). I was looking for sewing bobbins that are the diameter of the tube. I don't dare ask my wife as she thinks it bad enough i'm already going to the extreme with the junk/stuff (depends who you ask ;-) ) i carry. But the idea was to carry three of these 'bobbins', one for heavy thread (coat & clarks), other for dacron, and the other for spiderwire. I figure with bobbins this size, i can fit quite a large amount of material on them.

If they don't exist, anyone know of how to make a bobbin, partically one that is plastic? Maybe contact cement some plastic disks on either side of existing bobbins (that are the proper size)?

Its a spin off of this chat: http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=105488#Post105488

Any ideas?

Kris

Kris:
I get my bobbins from my local car upholster for free, there are all colors lying on the floor, some are empty some are 1/2 full. they do not fit in a match case, But you can get 4 in a 35mm. film container, which are free at the local photo place. As to how much they hold, the sewing thread quite a lot, I use 50lb Gorilla line and I can get 200ft on one.

Do you know the inside dimensions of the case? I have a Clover Sewing Set:



The thread holder on the bottom is pressure-fit so that it can rotate, but it can be popped off and used separately without damaging it. I'm pretty certain that it would fit down in a match case.

Hi Kris,

I also have used bobbins in my PSK to store cordage (Spiderline/thread).

I stole the bobbins from my wife's sewing drawer late at night and to date she has not missed them (shhh). The bobbins were fairly thick clear plastic and I filed down the top surface to make it thinner. If you needed to reduce the diameter of the bobbin then lock a tapered short piece of wooden dowel in a variable speed drill, push the bobbin well onto the dowel and hold a file to the spinning outside edge to reduce the size. Be careful not to spin it too fast as the bobbin will fly off the dowel spindle or the dowel will break.

There are metal bobbins also (I actually bought these at Wal-mart) but I have not tried to modify them yet.

I feel your pain concerning your wife thinking all your preparedness equipment is "junk"; don't worry brother, "remember were all in this together" (Steve Smith a.k.a. Red Green).

Good Luck,

Mike

Hi Katie,

Very handy little sewing kit; where did you buy it (I googled Clover but could not find a supplier)?

My mother is always doing mending when she visits us kids or grandchildren and this would be very useful for her.

Thanks,

Mike

Katie

Yea cool little kit, where did you get it?

Thanks Shadow out !!!

What about the metal sewing machine bobbins?
like these;
http://www.rochfordsupply.com/product_li...6_A_promoid_E_5

Katie,

I don't have the parcel yet, so don't know the inside dimensions. But they are the normal coghlan plastic matchboxes. I'm pretty sure the 'normal' sized bobbins will fit, but I was looking for ones that will fit perfect (or darn close) to the inside dimension of the match box. That way, I won't have space wasted - besides having more cordage.

btw: nice sewing kit... where did you get that?


Mike,

thanks for the encouragment... but still doesn't help the home front when I get a mysterious package from REI that she didn't know or agreed to when she was sleeping!!! Better to ask for forgivness then permisson!!!!!

Kris

Hi Kris,

I just measure the outside diameter of the standard (unaltered) plastic bobbins I have and they are 0.800 inches.

I also measured the inside diameter of a new Coghlins plastic matchsafe and it is 0.810 inches. The bobbin is a near friction fit; the problem is that the match safe does taper slightly downward so the bobbins in the bottom of the matchsafe will have to be reduced slightly in diameter.

Looks like you have a good idea here, it just needs some tweaking. Thanks for filling us in.

Concerning your wife and mystery packages (mine are from MEC), I have them delivered to my office and bring them home gradually. Once the new item is absorbed into my pile of old equipment then "I have had that thing for years"!

Mike

I think I got it at one of the big box craft stores, like Michael's or Jo-Ann. Clover is a pretty ubiquitous supplier of sewing notions, like Dritz or Singer, so try a local sewing store. Here is an online retailer:

notions4sewing.com