RESISTANCE
- hand sewn 8” trace has a resistance of 41 ohms
- machine sewn top thread 8” trace has a resistance of 108 ohms
- machine sewn bottom thread 8” trace has a resistance of 55 ohms
THREAD QUALITY
- easy to thread a size 24 crewel needle
- minimal fray or whisker
- easy to sew by hand as well as machine
- thread is wound on flat cardboard and has to be rewound on a bobbin for machine sewing
2009Bikeman thread is conductive, medium diameter, and has minimal fray. This thread is RECOMMENDED FOR CLASSES AND SHORT CIRCUITS ONLY. for both hand sewing and machine sewing eTextiles, soft circuit, craft-tech, or wearable computing.
To repeat – this thread is good enough for teaching a novice class, but the resistance is too high for making robust and extensive circuits.
RETAIL
2009bikeman ebay
Information from website:
6-Ply thread ~ 3 conductive fiber and 3 non-conductive polyester fiber.
Mathew Richie on ebay and etsy
Hand sewn LED circuit on cotton broad cloth with felt backing.
Positive and negative traces are 8 inches long.
Threads a crewel needle size 24 easily.
Hand sews a basic running stitch with minimal tangles or difficulties.
1.8mm blue LED with 4 tight loops around the LED leads.
Use a 3V CR2032 battery to power the circuit.
LED glows = empirical evidence that the thread is conductive
on ebay
The biggest fault with with this thread is that it is resistive making it difficult to create long traces and robust circuits.
Machine Stitching with a Schmetz Embroidery Needle 90/14
Machine stitching sample
top trace is bikeman’s thread as the top thread
bottom trace is bikeman’s thread as bobbin thread
Both methods sew smoothly with minimal snags or fraying.
The reverse side of the machine sewing sample
