Can you Identify this bobbin

[gentleshepherd]

I picked this bobbin up yesterday at an auction but I can't find any information...Any suggestion would be greatly appeciated!

 

[nfrechet]

 

[Bamboozle]

View attachment 1641248281

I picked this bobbin up yesterday at an auction but I can't find any information...Any suggestion would be greatly appeciated!

I am pretty sure it is a Thompson "Bobbin Needle."

Norm beat me to it...

 

[salmo]

Amazing

 

[gentleshepherd]

View attachment 1641248296

Thanks Norm, That helps a lot! Do you have any idea what that red thing is, is it a cap for the thread spool

 

[gentleshepherd]

1 more question, is there supposed to be a needle with it? I don't see one with the one I have.

 

[JMP]

The red thing is actually a spool to attach thread. Classic fly Tyler has a video on you tube that reviews these models.

 

[Bamboozle]

1 more question, is there supposed to be a needle with it? I don't see one with the one I have.

The word "needle" is a description of the "pointy" tip.

In regards to the red thing, those are the factory thread spools. The spool of thread in the bobbin you purchased is not an original.

The spools came loaded with thread and could be reloaded using another tool called the Junior Waxer (or the Speedy Waxer) which allowed a tier to wind the thread on the red spools.

 

[gfenlikestolosepasswords]

I love weird old Thompson gadgets.

 

[Bamboozle]

It's amazing how many things they came up with and how long ago they came on the market.

 

[gfenlikestolosepasswords]

The only one I have, other than a venerable AAA clone, is the Wing Former which is surprisingly effective and useful if you can match and keep the wings lined up.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

As long as people are sharing antique equipment. I have a circa 1960 universal rotary vice I got from my grandfather. I tie on it from time to time for nostalgia , but not nearly as good as modern rotary vises.

 

[gentleshepherd]

The word "needle" is a description of the "pointy" tip.

In regards to the red thing, those are the factory thread spools. The spool of thread in the bobbin you purchased is not an original.

The spools came loaded with thread and could be reloaded using another tool called the Junior Waxer (or the Speedy Waxer) which allowed a tier to wind the thread on the red spools.

View attachment 1641248326View attachment 1641248328

Would any of the spools still be able to be found for a possible purchase?

 

[Bamboozle]

Maybe on eBay.

 

[nfrechet]

a google search found some 3d printed spools

Thompson Flytying Bobbin Spool by ayalageorge

So I have this vintage Thompson Bobbin that I love to use for my hobby of fly tying. Though this tool has been out of production since the 1950's I know there are still circulating the planet and I have attained two of them. The problem is that they come with two bobbins to load your thread...

www.thingiverse.com

ebay has this for sale with spools

vintage D.H Thompson fly tying bobbin | eBay

This listing is for a vintage DH Thompson fly tying bobbin with 5 spools, please view the photos and if you have any questions feel free to message me, thanks for looking

www.ebay.com

 

[gentleshepherd]

a google search found some 3d printed spools

Thompson Flytying Bobbin Spool by ayalageorge

So I have this vintage Thompson Bobbin that I love to use for my hobby of fly tying. Though this tool has been out of production since the 1950's I know there are still circulating the planet and I have attained two of them. The problem is that they come with two bobbins to load your thread...

www.thingiverse.com

ebay has this for sale with spools

vintage D.H Thompson fly tying bobbin | eBay

This listing is for a vintage DH Thompson fly tying bobbin with 5 spools, please view the photos and if you have any questions feel free to message me, thanks for looking

www.ebay.com

Thanks. I might try to reach out to him!

 

[Bamboozle]

You can try, but I don't think that guy is making those spools for sale, he is just sharing his 3D printer settings for others to make their own...

 

[gfenlikestolosepasswords]

On the upside, finding someone with a 3d printer isn't very hard anymore and that's less than a buck's worth of plastic.

 

[Bamboozle]

The downside is it doesn't pop out of the printer ready to go. The guy who made those spools spent considerable time "finishing" them with a Dremel.

I'm hardly an expert, but fabricating them on a lathe out of wood or plastic would probably be a whole lot easier and faster.

You just have get an original to copy...

 

[gentleshepherd]

The downside is it doesn't pop out of the printer ready to go. The guy who made those spools spent considerable time "finishing" them with a Dremel.

I'm hardly an expert, but fabricating them on a lathe out of wood or plastic would probably be a whole lot easier and faster.

You just have get an original to copy...

I ahve to many irons in the fire now to consider buying a 3D printer...