Gear creating software

[myxpykalix]

NO! Free is cheaper! lol

Do you think there might be an issue due to the short shaft? I know it is an issue for some... How would you mount it behind something and have room to attach a gear? Have you used any of these yet?

[myxpykalix]

here is another source...
http://www.micromark.com/motors.html

[steve_g]

Have you used any of these yet

No, I haven't used them... just saw them and thought of this thread. I figure that with 1rpm it must have lots of torque. If I were trying to use one of these I would make a gear with a center hole slightly smaller than the one that comes mounted on the motor, force the gear into it and run that gear direct drive.

Steve

[shoeshine]

Ohh, nice links gents...

Thanks I'll definately look into those. They probably are not big enough to run the larger project I am working on at the moment, but they might just be perfect for a couple of smaller pieces I have in mind later down the line.

[tuck]

@ Chris - please post what you come up with, can't wait to see it in action!

Edit to say: lot's of good links and ideas to/for motors in this thread!

[myxpykalix]

Is anyone proficient using Gearotic Motion? I'm tempted to buy it but after going thru some of the tutorials and creating a simple 4 gear setup I still can't seem to figure out how to export a project for cutting?

Also since i have an indexer i thought it might be cool to try to mill some gears using it but i'm unclear on how you might set that up being able to cut the gears on the side rather then from the flat?

[tuck]

Hey guys there is a free vector program, "Inkscape" that will render vector gears of any size: http://inkscape.org/

Once you have downloaded the program, open it, click on Extensions, then Render>Gear. You will be able then to select how many teeth, pitch, etc., then draw your gear(s). I save mine as an .eps and that imports fine in my CAD program (I use SignLab 5), where I'm able to cut them if I want.

It doesn't add center designs or anything else,... I do that in SignLab.

What the hey, it's free and totally worth playing around with.

[shoeshine]

Jack, I wouldnt say I am pproficient with Gearotic... But have used it successfuly for several projects. I can help with the output module to DXF for flat cutting. Not so much for an indexer (never used or designed for one) They also have a pretty lively forum on thier site.

[kern]

My friend, Marv, got rid of his bag phone and now uses a cell phone with a rotary dial.

[myxpykalix]

Chris (or anyone),

I'm working on an idea for a gear sculpture. Not only do i want to make gears spin but i would like to make a part of a carving move. My thought was to have the carving in the pic stationary on the face but somehow detatch the tongue from it and have it attached to a small gear via a rod behind the carving and let the tongue wag up and down.

I guess my question is, how can i determine how large of a gear i would need in order to make the tongue travel up and down probably no more then between 1/2" or 1"?
If you can visualize the drive wheel on an old locomotive where it pushes the rod back and forth, that is what i am visualizing as the mechanism for the movement?