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

Hi Kris,

I just found a metal bobbin to measure and they are slightly larger in outside diameter than the plastic version by about 0.010".

The metal bobbin materal is thinner therefore it appears that more line could be wound on it; but it would be more difficult to reduce the diameter of the metal bobbin vs the plastic version to allow them to fit to the bottom the matchcase.

The metal bobbins were made by; Prym-Dritz Corp ( www.dritz.com ) of Spartanburg SC, they are called Class 66 Drop-in Bobbins and I bought a pack of 4 at Wal-mart for a couple dollars.

Standard Stuff: I have no connection to the above company, other than there bobbins are in my PSK!

Mike

Thanks Katie,

I will look for that kit up here in Canada, I appreciate your help.

Mike

According to this page, Class L and Class 15 sewing machine bobbins have a diameter of 3/4". Those might fit more comfortably in your 0.8" case without having to modify them. (The same store also sells those bobbins.)

Annoyingly, a closer look at their schematic says "dimensions are approximate," so it might pay off to go to a sewing store with a ruler in hand and verify the diameter.

My wife caught on to MEC (i'm orignally from Canada, now in the Caribbean), then caught on to other stores as well. The good news about this country, is that there are no deliveries to home - have to pick up at post office/fedex/ups depot. As long as I put my mobile number on the parcel, i get the call. Then sneak out to the depot to pick up new toys. Fool proof system of keeping your stuff!!!!

All,
Thanks for all your help... didn't expect a quick response to bobbins on this site!!!! ;-) Just have to wait for a delivery and try some ideas out.

Katie,
Thanks for the urls.

Kris

I made a couple of bobbins to fit in my PSK for fishing line and heavy duty thread.

1. I took a regular round bic pen apart and discarded everything except the tube.
2. Then I cut the tube to the length I desired with an x-acto knife.
3. After that I took an old tupperware lid and cut 2 disks for the spool ends using the x-acto knife locked into a compass to make sure both were round and the correct size. The compass point will also show you where the center of the disc is.
4. I then enlarged the hole that the compass point made so that it was slightly smaller than the hole in the end of the tube.
5. Then I took a 1/4" (IIRC) plastic screw, cut the length down to about 1/4" slathered it with Gorilla Glue, and stuck it through the disk and into the pen carcass.

Then I went through steps 4 and 5 again for the other side.

It was proabably way more of a hassle to make these spools than what it was worth to me in the end, but they worked pretty well... Especially for free...

Then I changed my psk yet again and ditched the homemade spools.

It's kind of a pain but I put wire/fishing line on 1 in nails. First I tie the wire to the nail and then put the nail in a Dremel. On low speed I slowly spin the wire on the nail. I've always thought that bobbins were a waste of space as they have the hole in the middle and you can't use an empty bobbin for much. Not so with the nails.

I agree about the bobbin being a waste of space. Also a thread that is tightly wound will tangle easier, which is why some hand sewing threads are wound around giant spools, it makes the thread easier to handle. Fishing line is probably on large spools for the same reason.

Winding it around a film canister or similar container with a rubber band to hold the ends down sounds better to me, or winding around a flat "card" for a low profile, although that means time consuming winding by hand.

The nail idea is great, a nail has many uses and adds value to the storage.

I would also recommend looking at Ranger Rick's site on his necklace. It shows how you can wind several types of wire/line/string around a dog tag. I do not own one of his products so I have not tried it. The idea makes sense and is low profile. I am carrying my fishing kit in a match box and have been considering using this method to spool the various wires around it and secure with dcut tape.

that supplier also have only 110/18 size needles....
A PITA to find a 140/22 size....

Hi,

Concerning winding cordage in a PSK, I have done it a couple of times.

In my mini Altoid kits I wind 50lb Spiderwire fishing line in a single layer around the thin signal mirror; this way it is very compact, takes up almost no space but can be removed easily and tangle free. This works good with a fresnel lens also.

For the 90 small kits I made our youth group we (my own kids actually did this part) wound the strong sewing thread around the Deep Woods OFF insect repellent towelette.

I like the idea of keeping cordage type materials tangle free by storing them on spindles or winding them around something.

I also thought the hole in the centre of a bobbin was a waste of precious space in a mini kit, so I packed the hole with a portion of a Coghlins firestarter and stuck a small tack in the centre of that. The tack is to help secure my large gaff fishook on to an inprovised wooden handle.

Take care,

Mike

All,

Just got my order from REI, and noticed that the matchbox cases I got, are smaller then I expected. The bobbins I had all preped for it (assuming that they were too small, but using as an example) were too big for the case.

I was going to do 4 bobbins, one of syderwire, one of dental floss, one of coats & clark, and the other of dacron. Then use the middle of the bobbins to store needles. the what room is on the top of the case, use that for fish hooks and whatever else.

Hummm, Now i have to figure another 'system', and i have a match case as my restriction for size for the sewing/fishing kit.

I like the idea of using a nail to store the cordage, but what if you needed use of a nail? Keep a couple in stand by?

Hi Kris,

Are the bobbins you have to big in diameter or height? What are the specs, maybe you can grind them down in size to fit in the match case.

I think your idea could be a tangle free way to carry multiple types of cordage, worth tweaking a bit.

Mike

Mike,

Big in diameter by like 1-3 mm (can get them in the tube, but thats it, won't go down). I don't have a drill or anything I can use to grind them down.

If i can get my hands on something like a drill, how could I grind them down?

Kris

Hi Kris,

Sounds like you have the same diameter plastic bobbins and matchcase that I have here.

I will try to grind one down this afternoon and will get back to you.

This is fun,

Mike

I use small pieces of cardboard for my sewing, fishline and GPS (general purpose string). Each of these lay flat in their respective kits in the BOB. You can get an amazing amount of feet of thread/line/string wrapped on in no time...



Also if you look closely at the black thread, you will see 2 needles embedded into the cardboard, You do not have to worry about them falling out when opening the sewing kit.

For my sewing kit and fishing kits, I use small, flat and clear plastic containers that wood/metal screws come in. They are virually indestructable and more or less free...

Hi Kris,

I had no problem reducing the size of a bobbin.

I could not find the correct size dowel to use as a spindle (arbor) so I cut a 3 inch piece off a regular pencil. I tapered one end with a utility knife then locked the other end in the chuck of a power hand drill. I used a file to smooth out the tapered end so the centre of the bobbin would fit onto it snugly.

I pushed the plastic bobbin onto the spindle and held the coarse file of my Leatherman against it, the diameter was reduced quickly. I checked it a couple of times for fit and finished the job with the fine side of the file.

The bobbin now drops easily into the bottom of the matchcase. It now has a diameter of 0.750 inches and a capacity of 25 feet of 50 lb Spiderwire.

Wear safety glasses when doing this modification as the bobbin flew off the spindle once.

Neat idea Kris!

Mike

Mike,

How many bobbins do you think you can get in that match case?

Kris

Hi Kris.

The Coghlins matchcase is 2.7 inches deep and each bobbin I have is .425 inches high so at present 6 bobbins will fit with a little space over the last one. If you thinned down the top and bottom of each bobbin a little you might squeeze in 7 bobbins.

The metal bobbins are thinner material and have increased capacity but would be more difficult to reduce in diameter to fit in the matchcase.

Mike

Mike,

Thanks! I guess this is an excuse for me to get a drill!!!!

Kris

Finally found one in the USA

Try
http://www.notions4sewing.com/catalog/item/3109406/2646072.htm#image_1
And it is only $6.75 there... I found it some other places, but they wanted $25.00!!!

I am getting out my credit card right now... Though I am looking for some other things to buy to make the shipping charges worth while...

If you put them at the bottom, you may have to break the case to get them out...
You will need some reliable way of extracting them anyway, as they may tilt a little when you try to drop them out.
Try putting them at the top.
You could try to fit a little metal disk at the bottom with a string attached to the middle and thread the string through the bobbins and put a little screw hook(which can be VERY useful in itself in a survival situation) on the other end to extract them with. If the match holder is going to hold ONLY bobbins, then you could put needles and other wire like devices in the center and could easily extract them by taking off the top bobbin so you could reach the needles. You should glue the metal disk to the bottom bobbin if you want to do this.

I did the same thing with a set of wood chop sticks. Cut 'em to size and stuck one end into the drill. Not the prettiest setup but its easy and it fits into small, narrow containers.

After you get the spindle the correct size, turn it around and(after putting the bobbin on) put the SMALL end into the chuck... That way the bobbin cannot fly off...
Also, when sizing the spindle, you can chuck the spindle and use the file to re-size it very easily.