I welded a socket onto the end of an expendable wrench. It was so I could get into an area on an old sewing machine I got gears to replace on it. I had to cut it's depth of the socket a bit more when it still would get into the area needed to loosen the bolt holding in the upper shaft. I cut some off and though a bit too late, I could have beefed up the area around the socket with a rosette weld of sorts. I didn't think of it then. The socket then was able to reach inside and grab onto the bolt head. Only so much force and no budging the bolt, but yeah the socket rounded a bit. Still not giving up I took to die grinder cut wheel and opened up access to the access hole to the bolt head for a regular socket by wasting some of the casting in the way. It was a good idea and I also tried to guard the grind/cut dust with towel an tape. The I had a bear of a time loosening the bolt and it came out. The shaft was seemingly press fit as well. Here is where it would have also been thinking better with like a flywheel puller kind of deal in reverse. With the shaft sticking out one end of the machine and grab it and brace against the end of where the flywheel was removed and pull the shaft out. I did not do that at first and tried with a screwdriver in between the casting frame and connecting rod on the shaft. When I did not see till later I had also pushed on another smaller connecting rod and cracked it. SO BE WARNED. Anyway I have 2 extra gears that I can sell on Ebay, and a new machine on order. It has not just feed below the foot plate, but a so called walking foot feed on the top surrounding the needle. Thick material and multiple layers are handled much better. The walking foot works on forward and reverse as well as straight and ziz-zag. Really though the welding and grinding equipment I have has now been tested and still works! I actually got a nice sizzle sound and didn't melt the parts I custom made. It is just they modified the machine and didn't allow for easy service. The access hole for the bolt was off diagonally and had no chance other than disassembling a lot more intricate machinery. I bought a 3 yr extended warranty on the new machine. Otherwise it is 90 days and after only parts to 25 years. You pay shipping to them, they pay to ship back. Extended warranty pays both ways parts an labor 3 years. I'll leave it to them to fix should problems arise.
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