Next Machine Shop Committee Meeting:
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I agree with Frank, if you can bore the diameter to size you need, go with that unless you really want to experience the frustration of precision gear making. Gears that are off just a few thousandths wear out really fast and either have a lot of backlash or pinch. Plus gears you buy will already be hardened after theyāve been machined.
They arenāt that expensive if common sizes. The cutters youāll need are probably more costly than buying a couple of gears and the material (Google Involute Gear Cutters for sizes and prices). I assume youāll be making two gears for a set - if so now the chances are twice as high errors will show up.
Having said that, there is great joy in succeeding and great frustration when it doesnāt.
Good luck, that would be a challenging project ā¦ when you succeed you can teach a class and recover your cutter cost! Blaze the trail!
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Believe it or not, involute gears I do intend to make at some point. Really just to do it. The last time I checked for 1 set of cutters was about 90 bucks. That was for one Diametral Pitch set
Welcome Andrew. Iām the head cheerleader for the machine shop (although I look terrible with the skirt and pom-poms). SInce youāre already a machinist we can probably just test you out of the bridgeport and lathe. Just answer the right questions and weāll give you the secret handshake. I unfortunately had to cancel my Threading class on the lathe to take this assignment so that is an easy target if youāre so inclined., Iāll be at the space this weekend,. Hope to catch you around.
-Nick
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I signed up for the committee meeting on the 30th. I left two of my business cards with all of my contact info when i came for the tour last Thursday. I gave them to the gentlemen that was in the computer area performing the sign up/join process. I didnāt catch his name. I would have no issues teaching a thread turning class. I would only need to come and get a small amount of familiarity with the lathe so I can look like I know what Iām doing.
Gentleman? I think he means @StanSimmons our Aethermancer 
Someone very helpful and has the ability to help you or condemn you to virtual hell.
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Thereās a white Chrysler New Yorker running around the space that you could drive for awhile.
ROFL just kidding, itās going to get blown up with tannerite.
Nick, as long as itās ok with you, I can run through the end mill and lathe with him.
If you prefer someone else like Bob do it, I donāt mind either way.
Andrew,
I will be in Thursday afternoon/evening and again on Sunday mid day. I could review the salient features of our Clausing-Colchester lathe with you in not much more than ten minutes. Both days I will be teaching a lathe class and hopefully doing some project work as well.
Glad to hear that you are excited about joining and interested in teaching as well; we never have too many teachers. At times too many students, but never too many teachers.
Regards,
Bob
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Welcome! Glad to have you on board. Iād love to get your advice on a project Iām working on when you have time.
My project is online at www.aluminoids.com.
Iām seeking input on a better way to design my āsleeveā (see the instruction page, accessible from the showcase page) part. Iāve got ideas and CAD designs made up so far, and Iāve self-educated myself a bit, but expert help from a tool and die maker would be fantastic! Donāt know if weāve got the right tools in-house to make an injection mold, but Iām hoping we do. I think itād be a first for the space, and there would be many whoād follow if we had the capabilities.
Please let me know when youāll be around the 'space so I can pick your brain on a few questions/issues. Thanks! [David Tucker]
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To be perfectly honest I have never built a mold from scratch, only repaired them. I built stamping and forming dies for years but dies and molds are way different in many ways. Making a new mold would be very time consuming and costly. Iām wondering if a mold shop may be able to help you more. they may have a large mold set with interchangeable injection cavities. which can be swapped out for different parts. Itās also the equipment need after the mold is done. high tonnage press, lots of heat for the mold and material to be molded, pumps to inject the mold, the list goes on. We can talk more in depth in person but a high resolution 3D printed part my be a better route.
I may go that route for the first hundred or two of inventory, but I hope to blow past that eventually.
Looking forward to meeting you.
DT