Cast Iron Windlass Gear Repair on a Great Lakes Freighter

Broken Gear, Boat Stuck in Port

This 4-foot bull gear came off an anchor windlass on a Great Lakes freighter. One tooth was completely gone, another was badly cracked, and the vessel was effectively stuck in port.

A replacement gear was already on order — but delivery was months away. Waiting wasn’t an option.

Why This Required a Cold Repair

This is a cast iron gear, which rules out conventional welding. Heat introduces cracking and distortion, especially in a component this size.

Instead, we used a cold repair method — a mechanical rebuild that restores strength and geometry without introducing heat stress.

This approach is common for critical cast iron repairs where reliability matters more than cosmetics.

How We Repaired the Gear

This is a cast iron gear, which rules out conventional welding. Heat introduces cracking and distortion, especially in a component this size.

Instead, we used a cold repair method — a mechanical rebuild that restores strength and geometry without introducing heat stress.

This approach is common for critical cast iron repairs where reliability matters more than cosmetics.

Repaired cast iron windlass bull gear with new teeth inserts installed
Broken tooth on large cast iron windlass bull gear

Why This Works

This is a slow-speed windlass application, which allows for a hand-formed repair like this to perform reliably.

The new teeth are geometrically consistent with the existing worn teeth — in many cases, more accurate than what was there before failure.

The result isn’t a brand-new gear — but it’s a solid, functional repair that restores operation and buys time until a full replacement arrives.

Need a Gear Repaired?

If you’re dealing with:

  • Broken gear teeth
  • Cast iron damage
  • Long lead times on replacements
  • Critical equipment downtime

We can help.

Herculock / Ward Industrial Equipment
Ontario, Canada
Repair • Rebuild • Get You Running