Cleaning Up - Part One - Long Bobbins

I've been sorting bobbins and shuttles - one of those particularly finickety stupid jobs which involve the eye, the hand, the knife, and the micrometer

Now, cotton thread attracts moisture to a degree that is quite damaging to sewing machines.. I am firm about not storing machines with a cotton piece under the foot unless they are both dry and frequently used.. Sometimes the foot is welded to the needle-plate with rust, to the detriment of both
And long bobbins are commonly made from two metals - the ends are brass, easy to machine, the bar between is steel, so inclined to corrode.  I usually clean off any thread on bobbins that come in, because this means I can see the condition clearly, and also because the endless tangles in the bags are reduced thereby...
And, well, really! Do you think several pieces of old (rusty)  thread need preserving, beneath the top layer? The thread is crushed and the bobbin capacity reduced to nothing.. My record is 43 different pieces on one long bobbin, some only 2 or 3 inches long.. A particular sort of idleness indeed.

So, unroll the rubbishy old stuff, please. Clean off the stuck-on remains with a sharp blade (mind your fingers!) and clean up with a little 0000 steel wool...