Singer 720 touch n sew - need new part 381577

[CarrieJ]

Hi all,
I've recently found this forum after finding that the old one I was on is no longer.

I've picked up a couple of Vintage machines at a local auction recently.
This has become somewhat of a hobby over the last 5 years or so and machines sometimes just find me - Honest!!

I've got a Singer 720 touch n sew and a Pfaff 230 in a table.
Both have had a good clean and oil up and have their original manuals and feet etc.
The Pfaff is working quite well now and I had her sewing through 16 layers of calico yesterday with ease.

However the Singer, which came with all its original cams etc, sews beautifully in a straight line but thats it.
After much trial and error, I undid the internal cams and the plastic gear cog under them has broken into 3 pieces.
It looks like it has been glued in the past but I don't have all the bits, some fell out after turning the machine upside down.

A bit of googling tells me I need part 381577 which is the whole bit plastic gear and shaft, or I could try and just get the plastic gear.  I've had no luck so far, finding one, but I don't want to spend a lot on the repairs.

Should I count this machine as a right off?
I see them for sale on Ebay for spares and the cams being sold separately. It's probably all the plastic bits inside that have died.
It seems such a shame as this thing purrs along in a straight line, it wound a great bobbin from the needle. I could keep it for straight sewing etc. I'm not out of pocket as the Singer came in a lot with a TV which we are using in a spare room.

Any thoughts anyone please, or anyone own or had one of these machines.

[b15erk]

CarrieJ, I've lately had a hankering for a Touch and Sew, but I'm running out of space!

Have you tried Helen Howes for the part you need?  She is very good, you can ring her, or email her, and she is very helpful.

Hope you get fixed up soon.

Jessie

[CarrieJ]

Thanks for that I may drop her an email.

[arrow]

The single gear is available, it doesn't have to be an assembly. Don't be too afraid to spend a bit of time and money on a machine you plan to use and want to get to know. When in reasonably nice condition otherwise these machines are usualy well worth the cost of a few replacement parts. The new replacement gears are sometimes of a better quality than the old plastic material. (Singer are know to have been a bit unlucky with some of the plastic materials they used), but of course still aren't hardened steel. The T&S models aren't everybodies favorite, and find the fancy bobbin fuctions is a bit fuzzy. I don't know about the 720, but a few of the models are sought after buy those who like them, like the 600 and 603, but I have yet to have my hands on one.