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I have the same problem, as I buy HB screws from here, bobbins here... I'm glad I make my own SC parts.
As for making your own plastic parts - the problem isn't the molder, it's the plastic. You can't just melt down old soap and soda bottles and make bobbins from that.
Black polystyrene resin granules isn't too hard to find, if you have enough money. I spent quite awhile looking at price quotes from plastics regrinding companies, and I found that they won't sell to anyone who need to buy less than a 'cube' at a time. FYI - a 'cube' is a square box roughly 41/2 feet a side, weighing about 1000 pounds. Also, all commercial plastic is mostly 'reground' (recycled) with a small amount of 'virgin' plastic added, as 100% virgin plastic is way too expensive.
Properly colored cream colored resin is a different matter... it has to be custom colored to get the exact shade you want, and it's disgustingly expensive too. Light colored plastic is more expensive than black, because the lighter colored stuff is much purer and better quality. Once it's been recycled a couple of times, it gets dyed darker colored.
Ken
As for making your own plastic parts - the problem isn't the molder, it's the plastic. You can't just melt down old soap and soda bottles and make bobbins from that.
Black polystyrene resin granules isn't too hard to find, if you have enough money. I spent quite awhile looking at price quotes from plastics regrinding companies, and I found that they won't sell to anyone who need to buy less than a 'cube' at a time. FYI - a 'cube' is a square box roughly 41/2 feet a side, weighing about 1000 pounds. Also, all commercial plastic is mostly 'reground' (recycled) with a small amount of 'virgin' plastic added, as 100% virgin plastic is way too expensive.
Properly colored cream colored resin is a different matter... it has to be custom colored to get the exact shade you want, and it's disgustingly expensive too. Light colored plastic is more expensive than black, because the lighter colored stuff is much purer and better quality. Once it's been recycled a couple of times, it gets dyed darker colored.
Ken
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