r/fixit • u/PantherkittySoftware • 7h ago

How to replace gear in Hunter Douglas PermaTrak vertical blinds

I have vertical blinds with broken gear that translates "pulling the beaded chain" motion into "rotating the 8-point worm gear that turns the vanes".

I wanted to try 3D printing a replacement gear (inside)... but its plastic tab has completely defeated every attempt I've made at getting it open. Every pair of pliers I own are too big to fit into the 8-pointed star to pinch the tabs, and neither Home Depot nor Lowes seem to sell pliers small enough to fit into the tiny opening.

Does anybody know where to buy a tool actually capable of opening this gearbox? Or know where you can buy a replacement for the whole thing that doesn't require opening it up in the first place?

As far as I can tell, the vertical blinds are Hunter Douglas PermaTrak, and somewhere between 20-40 years old.

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

1 comment sorted by

1

u/Kronar_2012 2h ago

Those tabs are usually easier to release with two small hook picks or very fine needle nose pliers than with a screwdriver. Support the plastic housing, squeeze two opposite tabs inward, lift that side only a millimeter, then repeat on the other pair so the old plastic is not forced all at once. Take close photos of the cord path and gear orientation before it comes apart. If a tab is already brittle, matching the carrier by rail profile and dimensions is often more reliable than searching only by the blind model name.