From RepRapWiki

Gear Families

We need Gear Families that all work with each other. This includes popular construction toys. But we're also scaling stuff up to work with Big Iron, like 2"x2" RBS/Beam. And RBS/Rack and Pinion.

Contents 1 Gear Families 2 Gear Math and Theory 3 Notes 4 Types 5 Design and Library 6 Common Types 7 Fabrication 7.1 Laser Cutter 7.2 RepRapping 7.3 CNC mill/router 7.4 Hybrid 7.5 Hobbing 7.6 Wire EDM 7.7 Casting/Mouldmaking

Gear Math and Theory

Main page: gear design.

Notes

We need cad drawings, background theory, but we also need a "Print this file (with photograph)" and make things with your five year old.

Because we have five year old user builders.

Types

gear design for theory and names of parts.

Design and Library

• GPL and linux friendly tools for design
• Blender gear script

Common Types

• Meccano/Erector/Vex
  • Databases
• Other

Fabrication

Laser Cutter

• gear fabrication on a laser Cutter is Common, works well.

RepRapping

• Precision and Tolerance

CNC mill/router

• Sherline examples
• Taig Mill examples
• Bridgeport examples

Hybrid

Hybrid fabrication; RepRapping and then precise tidying of each layer with a milling/routing head is the most promising.

• Direct: We can make the plastic gear directly
• Mold: We can make the molds for filled epoxy gears. See HandmadeGears.

Hobbing

• Timothy Edward's build of a Meccano Gear Making Machine, technically a gear hobber:

via http://edwards.web.users.btopenworld.com/meccano/modelgear.htm

Wire EDM

Main page: ElectrochemicalPrintedCircuitBoardHead#electric discharge machining

• Forrest Higgs proposed this once.

Casting/Mouldmaking

• We can make molds for Filled epoxy