FAQ's
FARUK EKICH
ULTIMATE BOBBIN INVENTOR

  

01. My new bobbin does not automatically rewind when I pull the thread out. I think I may have a bad bobbin

To check if the bobbin is working properly, take the spool of thread off and with your finger on the drive pin, rotate the pin CLOCKWISE a few turns and then let go (rotating anticlockwise will damage the bobbin. Note it is possible to rotate the pin nine full turns, but it will become increasingly more and more difficult to rotate). If the table returns freely, then the thread spool itself is likely at fault.

   Some UNI thread spools are tight. This is because the mold used to make them at the UNI Factory is old. Over the years, the mold has been repaired and repolished, so now the core that forms the centre hole is reduced in diameter. This is why I grease the inner wall of the hole in the thread spool as well as the rubber ring on my bobbin in order to avoid the spool extruding (displacing) the ring out of it's seat on the bobbin's bearing post.

   When starting a new spool of thread I do the following:


i. Grease the rubber ring with a silicone based-grease or something similar. You can find Plumber's Grease at most big box hardware stores


ii. Orientate the spool on the bobbin table so that the thread is dispensed in a clockwise manner. This is of utmost importance as noted in the User Guide - Getting Started #3


iii. If it is a UNI spool with a tight centre hole, I grease the inside of the spool hole halfway up from the side that goes against the bobbin table. Then I slide the spool down slowly as shown in the video


iv. Once down, I lift the spool 1/4" (5mm), up and down few times to allow the rubber ring to reset itself back into the bearing grove if it was pushed out by the spool during installation


v. I pull the thread back and forth slowly while observing that it rotates freely inside the protective wall of the bobbin housing without touching it and if it does so freely, I thread it


   All of this takes few seconds and it assures you that the spool is not interfering with bobbin.



02. Do you offer a warranty with the bobbin?

The Ekich Ultimate Bobbin is backed by a one year warranty and a 30 day money back guarantee excluding shipping

If you need to return your bobbin for repair, you must send it by regular mail with a tracking number and a declared value of $1 and stipulate "returned under warranty for repair".

If you choose to go with any other delivery service, or if the declared value of the package is greater than $1, your package will be refused

You are also responsible for return shipping once the bobbin has been repaired



03. Can I use Benecchi spools on the bobbin?

You can use all standard plastic factory wound spools with a inner arbor diameter of 7.9 mm (0.31").

   For Benecchi spools, do the following: mark quadrant lines over the four unoccupied chambers on the disc with a pen. Slide the spool over the post, positioning a quadrant line over the drive pin and then press to create an impression. Do this for each quadrant line (four impressions in all). Using a 2.5mm (3/32") drill bit, drill four holes through the disc. This will provide four access points for drive pin engagement & disc removal will not be required.

Then cut a strip of foam that is the full length of the chamber and slightly wider then the depth of a chamber between the spokes. Note that the other side of the spool chambers are closed, so the foam strip will be enclosed in that pocket. Reposition the red disc over the foam such that the disc's pin does not go into the chamber occupied by the foam.
Spools for Gordon Griffiths and Sheer are a bit harder to adapt, but with a small saw it is possible to make a slit in the arbour wall into which a foam strip can be squeezed.


04. If I break the ceramic tube, can it be replaced?

Yes.



05. Will the rubber ring wear out over time?

No.



06. Why is the bobbin so expensive?

I realize this bobbin may not be for everyone. My goal was simply to design the finest bobbin on the planet. To that end, I spared no cost in choosing the best materials possible (stainless steel, brass and anodized aircraft aluminum), nor was effort spared in achieving the highest tolerances and finishes on CNC machine centers. The result is a highly functional, durable and reliable product. I believe I have succeeded in creating a bobbin that is pure tying joy and I am confident once you have tied with the Ultimate Bobbin, you will also agree.



07. Should I choose a ceramic or stainless steel tube?

Ceramic is a very hard material as well as a good insulator. In the textile industry, ceramic inserts were introduced into bobbin tubes to serve as a thread guide. If you Google "Ceramic Thread Guide", you will find that textile industry threads generally run through guides at aggressive angles and at speeds exceeding 1500m/min. No metal guide can take that amount of friction without becoming grooved. Here, ceramic has the advantage over metal.

   In fly tying, when we wrap under tension - wrapping a thread base on a hook for example - the thread wipes around the lip of the tube creating frictional heat in this localized area. With ceramic being an insulator, heat is absorbed rather than dissipated at this juncture. If your thread is flat, non-waxed nylon composed of very fine filaments, that heat can be high enough to melt some of these filaments. Try it and see. If you then examine the "fray" under high enough magnification, there is a good chance the "frayed" end is curled rather then cut cleanly off. To me, that looks like heat distortion, in other words the thread has melted instead of being cleanly sliced off. In contrast, a polished metal tube is a good conductor that dissipates much if not all of that heat and thus minimizes fraying. With most of the twisted and waxed threads that are 6/0 and larger, fraying due to frictional heat build up is not a problem because the wax protects the filaments.

   Again, this is my opinion only and is based on evidence observed while trying to solve the "fraying" problem of fine threads.

   Today, I exclusively use stainless steel polished tubes for the majority of my tying. I believe that hardened stainless steel hypodermic tubing remains essentially ungrooved in the hands of most tyers. It is possible, however, over time those that tie professionally with abrasive threads can effect a grove in stainless steel polished tubes.

   If you look at the Reviews section of my web site, there is a write up by Ross Purnell of Fly Fisherman Magazine on this very subject.


08. Veevus spools do not fit on the Ekich Bobbin. Is there a solution?

Yes. The original Veevus spool, the one with 4 chambers, as shown in the top row of the photo below, is standard and fits well on the Ekich Bobbin. However, the new spool, the one with 8 chambers and a removable and labeled end cap, as shown in bottom row of the photo below, is not standard. The centre hole of this spool is 7.25mm (0.285"), instead of the standard 7.9mm (0.310") value, and as such, does not fit the Ekich Bobbin. There are two solutions to make it work:

i. Order the Ekich Bobbin with special ring. This bobbin is then dedicated to non-standard Veevus spools only.


ii. Drilling out the centre hole to the standard dimension with one of the following drill bits: 7.6 mm, 19/64" or letter "N" drill. While you can drill out a hole the full length of the bobbin, it is sufficient just to drill 20 mm (3/4"), from the side that sits on the bobbin's rotary table. This takes less then a minute.