Rewinding thread onto old style cotton reels.

[garynortheast]

Hope someone can help here. I'm trying to find a way of winding thread onto old style cotton reels. I have lots of them but the only one with black thread has nearly run out. I have a cone of black thread and I'd like to transfer thread from it to two or three of the old reels. Does anyone know if there is a tool for doing this please?

[Bodgeitandscarper]

Ok, I'll be the one to ask - why do you want to re-wind thread onto old cotton reels?

I wonder if you could wedge them onto a bobbin winder, either on a machine or I think you can get separate ones?

[garynortheast]

Ok, I'll be the one to ask - why do you want to re-wind thread onto old cotton reels?

I wonder if you could wedge them onto a bobbin winder, either on a machine or I think you can get separate ones?

Just me being a bit pernicketty really. The old fashioned cotton reels sit nicely on my machines, and I have a lot of them so I'd like to refill and re-use them.

[Greybird]

One thing that occurs to me is that, if you wind thread off one reel onto another, the thread is then going to be used in the opposite direction. I have always believed that the thread is one directional and should be used as it comes off the reel, Certainly when hand sewing, I have found that if you use it in the opposite direction, it is inclined to knot itself and drive you mad. Wound bobbins are, I think, designed to take account of this although they are, of course, the other way round. I have had problems on the machine if I've used a wound bobbin instead of a proper thread.

[Deafoldbat]

@garynortheast Why not just use one of these?

https://www.empressmills.co.uk/cone-holder-sewing-thread-prym

[Lilian]

deleted
I couldn't get the link

[SewRuthieSews]

Not sure what you are trying to link to there @Lilian
For me it goes to Facebook, then redirects to Instagram, where there are loads of pictures, but I'm not clear which one is about winding bobbins.

[Lilian]

Not sure what you are trying to link to there @Lilian
For me it goes to Facebook, then redirects to Instagram, where there are loads of pictures, but I'm not clear which one is about winding bobbins.

I tried to get the correct link but it didn't work.

It was a short video showing how to temporarily glue an empty bobbin to the base of a guttermann style cotton reel.  Place the bobbin end onto the winder and guide the thread up and down the reel to fill.  It would only work on a modern top-fill winder.

[toileandtrouble]

I suggest you look up 'bobbin winder spool adapter'  You can buy them very cheaply  from all the usual places. I have one and it works very well with most brand reels.

[HenriettaMaria]

Use the bobbin winder on the machine to load a normal machine bobbin?  Won't hold as much thread as a 100m spool but it will avoid you having to spend money.

Else a cone holder as Deafoldbat suggested, which will sit happily behind your machine.

[toileandtrouble]

It is a good idea to be able to wind smaller spools from a big one if you need a specific colour for the overlocker. 

[Sara-S]

I suggest you look up 'bobbin winder spool adapter'  You can buy them very cheaply  from all the usual places. I have one and it works very well with most brand reels.

Thanks for the suggestion. I don’t always want to use the big cones, especially when I go to classes or workshops. I ordered one today.

[toileandtrouble]

@Sara-S   I use it when I need several matching threads for over locking in an unusual colour.
Doh!  You can tell I am not with it.  I already said this.🤭

[Sara-S]

I found this on ETSY;

Linky

I wound one spool of white embroidery thread, using it.  It works, though it does take a bit of learning.

[Sara-S]

I had another empty spool from a different manufacturer. The hole in the spool was 1mm (yes, just 1mm) too narrow for the adapter.  I learned that the manufacturer of that thread uses spools made of really hard plastic, when I drilled the hole a bit wider.  Took me 15 minutes, but I did it!