Bobbin holder breaking thread

[hooker-of-men]

I know this is covered in many other threads, but finding those conversations was not going smoothly:

I have a brand new all metal bobbin holder - the basic J Stockard wide tube one - that must have a burr inside and is breaking thread. If possible, what's the best DIY fix?

Thanks!

 

[jifigz]

No idea..I bought a Griffin one time that broke thread immediately. There was something wrong with the ceramic insert. I emailed Griffin, but they never answered me. It was money lost for me.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear hooker-of-men,

The first thing to do is check the bottom and top ends of the tube. If you swirl a Q-Tip on either end of the tube and find it snags you've identified the problem. If you have a wife who wears stockings you can take a piece of her stocking and do the same thing. Just don't tell her what happened to her stockings! 😉 If something snags you can probably clean it up with 800 grit wet-dry sandpaper. Just go slow. Recheck for burrs after every pass.

If the problem isn't seen on either end, then the problem is in the tube. If you have a Dremel tool or something similar you can take a finer diameter piece of something, even a nail or piece of any hard wire will work and buff out the internal section of the tube with the 800 grit sandpaper. Again, go slow!

If that doesn't work, or you don't want the aggravation you'll probably need to buy a new one.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[hooker-of-men]

Edited my initial post because I checked the invoice and it's a J Stockard generic and not a Dr Slick. Many apologies for slandering the good doctor.

 

[hooker-of-men]

Dear hooker-of-men,

The first thing to do is check the bottom and top ends of the tube. If you swirl a Q-Tip on either end of the tube and find it snags you've identified the problem. If you have a wife who wears stockings you can take a piece of her stocking and do the same thing. Just don't tell her what happened to her stockings! 😉 If something snags you can probably clean it up with 800 grit wet-dry sandpaper. Just go slow. Recheck for burrs after every pass.

If the problem isn't seen on either end, then the problem is in the tube. If you have a Dremel tool or something similar you can take a finer diameter piece of something, even a nail or piece of any hard wire will work and buff out the internal section of the tube with the 800 grit sandpaper. Again, go slow!

If that doesn't work, or you don't want the aggravation you'll probably need to buy a new one.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

Thanks, Tim. I believe I can feel the burr at the top end with my bodkin. I'll try to sand it.

I did submit an inquiry to J Stockard just now. It would be great if they just sent me a freebie and I didn't have to ship this $2 item back.

 

[jifigz]

Edited my initial post because I checked the invoice and it's a J Stockard generic and not a Dr Slick. Many apologies for slandering the good doctor.

I've always been pleased with my J. Stockard bobbins. That sucks yours is flawed. 😔

 

[Bamboozle]

I've used a Dremel 462 rubber polishing point and a Dremel 422 hard felt polishing cone with compound to buff out an old material bobbin I formally used with floss.

I just forced the tip of the polishing points as far in the end of the tube as they would go and polished out the scratch.

Very low abrasiveness and a polishing of the metal is the key to not ruining the bobbin and those tips and the Dremel 421 Compound are prefect for the job.

Good luck!!

 

[hooker-of-men]

It sounds like they are sending me a new one.

Sanding actually improved the situation a little, but the thread was still breaking eventually after a handful of turns. It almost feels like there's a seam running up the inside of the tube. I was able to sand it down at the tip, but it's still catching on something deeper inside.

Oh well.

 

[nfrechet]

or buy the jstockard ceramic tube bobbin holders $8.95

JS Ceramic Bobbin

Excellent quality and value, ideal for tyers who prefer multiple loaded bobbins. Features a smooth ceramic tube for seamless thread use.

www.jsflyfishing.com

 

[Tabasco-Joe]

I've used a Dremel 462 rubber polishing point and a Dremel 422 hard felt polishing cone with compound to buff out an old material bobbin I formally used with floss.

I just forced the tip of the polishing points as far in the end of the tube as they would go and polished out the scratch.

Very low abrasiveness and a polishing of the metal is the key to not ruining the bobbin and those tips and the Dremel 421 Compound are prefect for the job.

Good luck!!

They sell similar felt tips that I found work a bit better for the final polish.