miriam

CD you don't know what a handful is until you have to take care of 2 90 year old parents.......

That is punched in - I'm afraid it will break. The metal on the lid is bent, too... On the back is a pin to let it go up and down so you can get it in a case or a table. Maybe I can just plug the hole or something.

ThayerRags

I feel for you.

Plug the hole, drill a new hole, and press-in a tapered plastic pin?

CD in Oklahoma

Rodney

Miriam I haven't worked on an Elna but I'm guessing the top is cast instead of stamped sheet metal? If it's cast, don't try to straighten it. Pot metal usually only bends once. It's likely to break if you try bending it back.
It sounds like the pin is meant to be raised and lowered in the plastic piece and that it' not going to be aligned correctly if it's just put back in the hole. I would probably buy a white nylon spacer (most hardware stores carry an assortment) then cut, drill and file on it until it fit the insert and the pin is aligned correctly then glue the whole thing down.
Another thought: Can you put it back in the hole then heat and bend it so the pin is aligned correctly? The only issues are not all plastics will bend with heat and the risk of melting it too much or damaging the paint on the lid.
Rodney

ArchaicArcane

Oh, I had one of those here about 2 years ago. Can we see the underside of the lid? At first glance, it looked like all it was was unsecured, so I'd have suggested notching the plastic and putting a retaining clip on it but reading further, that sounds like it's not the case?

miriam

Here is a pic of the inside - seems like it is aluminum top - at least the magnet thinks so
[ATTACH=CONFIG]531848[/ATTACH]

miriam

bits removed from lid:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]531850[/ATTACH]

Rodney

I like Tammi's idea of the clip to secure it.
Rodney

miriam

The clip just keeps the spool pin in place either up or down. The white thing is press fit into the lid. I'm afraid if I pound it in it will break. I put it in hot water for a while hoping it would soften but not.

Irishrose2

On my blue Elna SU which looks a lot like that one, the pins do not go up and down. Never did and I am the original owner of that one. The pin just goes through the white dohicky and the clip holds it in place on the underside. My clips are a little smaller.
I've never seen a pink one. It looks to be a slightly earlier model than my 1973 blue one. The machine is so quiet that you can hardly tell it's sewing unlike the Happy MW I am currently sewing on.

Mrs. SewNSew

I gave my pink one to my daughter. The pink doesn't take cams so I picked up an extra blue top just in case she takes a liking to sewing and wants to trade up. So far though, she's more of a knitter.