catsigler Posted March 8, 2007 Report Share Posted March 8, 2007 John's post got me wondering about the two metal used for bobbins. Is aluminum superior to steel? Price would indicate it is. Aluminum oxidizes and this seems like an undesirable feature. (I hate all that nasty black stuff on the rails.) What's the scoop on the bobbins? Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted March 8, 2007 Report Share Posted March 8, 2007 Cathey: In theory the aluminum bobbin should be superior. Less mass, same theory as "M" bobbins vs. "L" bobbins. We only use and stock the steel bobbins at this time. We have used them for many years with no issues. I think it is a matter of preference.. One thing to look for the early aluminum bobbins did not have a hole to put the tread through and were a bit difficult to wind compared to a bobbin with the holes. $.50 vs. $1 if you have 60 bobbins this can be a bit of a difference. I have never heard of an aluminum bobbin oxidizing. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted March 8, 2007 Report Share Posted March 8, 2007 Hi Cathey, Just because I was placing another order with APQS for some needles---I also ordered some of their aluminum bobbins. They do have the hole for the thread. However, I don't notice anything significantly different about them as compared to the regular metal bobbins I normally use. Well, I did notice one thing---they won't stay put on my magnetic bobbin holder!--duh! (I have those long wood magnetic bobbin holders stacked side by side in my carry tote I use at my machine)---That was a "lightbulb" non-magnetic moment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 8, 2007 Report Share Posted March 8, 2007 Hey John, Do you know anything about the Bobbin Genie?? I just attended a class with Sharon Schamber this morning and she was talking about the. Also, how about the silicon that she talks about for thread....will it harm our machines in any way?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtreusch Posted March 8, 2007 Report Share Posted March 8, 2007 I started using the aluminum bobbins about a month ago. In my opinion, they are superior to the metal bobbins. It seems like they wind much better, I don't have any backlash problems. My machine seems to like them better also. I dothink they hold more thread, but Bob at APQS says they hold the same about of thread as a metal bobbin. Debbi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Mitchell Posted March 8, 2007 Report Share Posted March 8, 2007 Mary Beth: I have not heard of the Bobbin Geni until now. You could search the APQS site using the search command and see if they have been mentioned before. The aluminum bobbins hold the same amount of thread. If you feel they work better and worth the extra cost then go for it. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Stuart - APQS Service Posted March 9, 2007 Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 The aluminum bobbins do seem to work better in our machines - a lot of it is due to the weight of the bobbins themselves - the aluminum is almost half the weight of the metal, and this can make a difference in how well the bobbin case works for you. With the aluminum bobbins, the bobbin case is doing more of the work with tension, where with the metals, the weight of the bobbin factors into the tension more. The metals do have a problem with backlash at times due to their weight, adjusting the arms on the brake spring in the bobbin case helps alleviate this issue. I think it is all in what you're used to working with..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsigler Posted March 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2007 Amy, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the info, everyone. The don't look like aluminum I'm used to seeing so they may be treated to prevent oxidation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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