Square Gears Challenge

[CarveOne]

Early in my CNC machine hobby I cut a square gear project that I found online. It has been shown to many visitors over the years and they have been skeptical until they rotate the gears and see what happens.

Recently I have had a local automotive paint shop do a full body paint job on my 26 year old 1995 Nissan XE 4wd truck and camper shell repainted, full undercoating, muffler and tailpipe replacement, and do a facelift on the front. The truck is the original metallic blue color with coarser metallic and the silver cap is a coarser metallic also. The facelift is pearlescent gold flames with silver pin striping around the flames on the hood and front fenders blending into the doors. I call this my full size "Hot Wheels (tm)" pickup truck.

The owner knows that I have a CNC habit and asked if we could figure out something nice to put on the wall of his customer waiting room for customers to look at. He has other hand made attractions like a circle of spark plugs that is a clock. He will see what I've done for him in the coming week.

Richard

[Daniel S]

Very nicely done. I'm sure he will display very proudly.
Dan

[Holzarbeiter]

That is really cool, Richard! Im sure it will get “tested” often.

[mtylerfl]

I love those square gears, Richard!

(I also want to see a photo of your “Hot Wheels” truck! Maybe you and the owner of the body shop can pose with it in the background, when you present him with the plaque!)

[Jan.vanderlinden]

That is really cool.
Where can I find a file for that?
I'd like to try it too.

[CarveOne]

That is really cool.
Where can I find a file for that?
I'd like to try it too.

The attached .dxf file has all four parts in it. It has very large size parts, but all four parts vectors must be scaled down together to the size you want in order to preserve the gear mesh correctly. Creative Commons rules apply. The center to center spacing of the holes in my gear supports are 3.70"

Richard

[adze_cnc]

From my big list of links that might come in useful someday: https://youtu.be/3LdlSAN1yks "How To Make Organically-Shaped Gears"

[CarveOne]

I love those square gears, Richard!

(I also want to see a photo of your “Hot Wheels” truck! Maybe you and the owner of the body shop can pose with it in the background, when you present him with the plaque!)

I showed him the project this morning and it impressed him a lot. I will add a support on the back to allow it to sit on a table or desk top and return it to him. He has agreed to taking a photo as you have requested when I take the plaque back later this week.

Richard

[mtylerfl]

+1

[rtibbs]

From my big list of links that might come in useful someday: https://youtu.be/3LdlSAN1yks "How To Make Organically-Shaped Gears"

Clayton Boyer is the master of all things that rotate.......

[Heartwood]

I absolutely love this

I have recently retired and this is just the kind of crazy project I am looking to do.
Thanks so much for this.

Jim.

[Creation in Wood]

Great job Richard

[CarveOne]

Sometime this afternoon I plan to meet with the person I made the square gears plaque for and take the photo that I promised Michael Tyler. Look for it here later today.

Meanwhile, I found a DXF file for the elliptical gears here:

https://3axis.co/crosslink-ellipse-parts-dxf/0eo4jgoj/

I have it set up in Aspire and ready to cut when I get around to it. Note that you need to cut this twice to get all parts needed to make it. I have it all in one Aspire file now and the toolpath file will cut all of it on a 6" wide by 12" long piece of 1/4" thick birch aircraft grade plywood. I used 5/16" paneling for the square gears version. I might even try using thin cutting board material (HDPE) this time if what I have on hand is thin enough. I have it set up for a 1/16" end mill in order to fit into the bottom of the gear teeth shapes when the axle holes of the gear supports ( and all other parts) are scaled to a 4.0" axle spacing.

Richard

[CarveOne]

I presented the plaque to Buddy Isles Jr. at the Buddy Isles Tire and Automotive business in Littleton, NC this afternoon. One of his employees took the cellphone photo. Their Collision Department did all of the paint work, and the other departments replaced the muffler and tailpipe, and fully undercoated the chassis while it was being renovated. I'm happy, they're happy, and I gave them something to remember me by.

There was one customer waiting for his car to be serviced and he was the first to play with the gears. Big grins, as he had no idea that this is even possible.

Richard

[mtylerfl]

Great job! Thank you for posting the photo!!