Shoot and Double Shoot...
 

And even more bad words. Pic shows my last check before putting the Princess back together. She still

sews a great stitch but I'm afraid to keep using her now.
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I'd try super glue but I don't think I could get all the grease out so the glue would stick.

Cari

I have more than one around here with that problem. Perfectly good otherwise...

That truly sucks. A lot of plastics won't stick to glue either without doing something to help provide a mechanical bond as well.
Rodney

I just had a thought. Is there anything that contacts the side in the picture?
If not I may be able to patch it enough to keep it together.
Rodney

Aw.........that is too bad.:(

Rodney that is one half of the hook drive gear set, the half that actually drives the hook. The other half is steel and on the horizontal shaft that the cleated belt drives. The pic is showing it from the back of the free arm. If it only had one crack I wouldn't be so concerned, but it has 3. I've been told to just use it til it breaks, but I don't want it to break. Sniff.:(

Cari

Try not to use it to destruction, there has to be more old guys on here with lathes.....and unlike me some of them might have experience "hobbing" gears. A soft aluminum might not wear the other gear....or there are machineable grades of derlin and nylon. It IS reproduceable...not by me but. Surely some one can (also there are people that injection mold plastic at home now too.....and don't forget 3D printing......

I'll keep all of that in mind. I definitely won't be using Princess until I figure something out. In all other aspects this machine is like new and sews very well.

Cari

Properly lubed steel gears will not wear each other out in several life times. That is my biggest hate for plastic, the only reason for using it over steel gears is cost. The plastic gears are cheaper to make.

Cari,
I've got a couple machines with cracked gears like that and I've pretty much side lined them until I can find a new gear.

As far as I am concerned it's much better to replace the old gear before it frags inside the machine than after.

Sorry to see that, really I am.

Joe

Cari, sorry about the machine. Need any help with bad words? :D:D

LOL, thanks for the chuckle. No, I don't think I need any help. Having grown up around mechanics and truck drivers, let's just say I have no 'feminine sensibilities'. In my family cussing comes as natural as breathing. And yes I'm still cussing at this machine.

Cari

Oh, so sorry Cari. I too can help you with some bad words, maybe we could make up a nasty plastic gear song! I so hesitate to buy a machine that I don't know about the gears for fear of finding what you did. What a beautiful machine to have sitting. I wonder if a machinists shop could make one for you?

I had a grandfather whose every other word was a cuss word! I try to avoid cussing -- I'm not always successful! LOL
I am really sorry about the machine! That's really too bad! Hopefully, a solution can be found.

Jeanette

Cari, Having spent 14 years in the Army - some of them working in the military confinement arena, I know plenty of those words. Have said some on occasion when working on a sewing machine too!!!

Glad you got a chuckle out of the original post.

I sometimes make up new cuss words when working on machines.
I grew up getting in trouble for bad words but DH was a "trucker" when I met him... full on stereotype trucker too. ;)

As long as there's clearance around the hub on the side showing in the picture I should be able to turn a collar to put on the gear to help keep it together. Not as good as a total replacement but it should buy some time before it fails completely.
Rodney

Cari is it a part that you could have made? I was able to get a part made for my vintage Elna serger off a 3D printer. They are getting much more popular. Some companies let you choose the material you want used. Maybe that's an option?

Can you post of picture of what the machine looks like?
Sharon in Texas

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Sue. It's a National Princess 222 built by Brother.

Cari

Possibly. I hope so. But it's going to have to wait. I'm not doing any major repairs or parts pulling though until my shop gets built. I just have no room to work in the house any more.

Cari