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CMYKoi t1_j65kpjp wrote

Reply to comment by stereolithography in What's your personal philosophy on how to buy better objects? by knowhow_LM

Hell, and at that point, you could probably have a simple metal version milled instead.

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AtlEngr t1_j65u0sy wrote

I don’t know sewing machines but plenty of mechanical gear trains have one component designed to fail in order to save the rest. Like a shear key on a lawnmower. Might not be a bad idea to keep a spare around though

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stylefaux t1_j65z7aa wrote

Be careful with that — the machine is already going to be mostly metal, but they made that part plastic for a reason. Most presumably, because it would be difficult to oil it as needed as time goes on.

I have a vintage Bernina with a plastic cam gear that also can break over time — still going strong! People have figured out how to mill new ones from plastic, and are experimenting with strength of resin-cast and 3D-printed versions.

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CMYKoi t1_j66my8k wrote

Interesting, I'll keep this in mind!

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stereolithography t1_j65n4xz wrote

I've thought about that or looking for aftermarket steel ones, but at like $10/pop and the fact that they last over a decade it's probably not worth it

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