Gear creating software

[myxpykalix]

I wanted to post this in the gearmaking thread to keep this from fading away. Here is a geared iphone cover that works! Lets get this discussion of gearmaking back on track
http://www.instructables.com/id/IPho...for-Engineers/
all the associated files in stl format are included...
http://grabcad.com/search/library?query=gears

http://grabcad.com has a ton of free files, not only gears.

[Ajcoholic]

Id like to cut my son (who is just shy of 14 months now) some toys incorporating plywood gears. But I fear at his age he will get his fingers pinched.

In a few more months though, at the rate he is progressing, he will be able to handle it

I will be back with some gear-toys in the near future!

AJC

[myxpykalix]

Well if he's as smart as his daddy all you have to do is let him pinch his fingers once and he'll figure it out! It's stuff like this that captures their imagination

[Ajcoholic]

Well if he's as smart as his daddy all you have to do is let him pinch his fingers once and he'll figure it out! It's stuff like this that captures their imagination

I know... my dad let me get hurt, to teach me what to do and what not to. I am just a bit more of a suck. I hate to see his poor little fingers get "pinched".

I think some sort of board with dowels you could place the gears of varying diameters/tooth #'s to get different gear ratios would be neat. Especially as he gets older and his motor skills improve.

I will think up something neat...

AJC

[myxpykalix]

Go back thru this thread because i believe someone (I wish i could recall who and give credit) posted some gear files along with a backboard that you could mix and match them and create different configurations. That would be great for the little one and i don't think he will get hurt with any of this stuff anyway, besides you don't want to treat him like a baby do you?

Oh wait...he is a baby! lol

[Ajcoholic]

Well, since Joseph turned 1 1/2 a few days ago, I decided to get back to the gears... he is really good with his hands, and putting things together. So, I cut some gears from 1/4" baltic birch, and made a 22" by 28" board with 1/2" holes on a 1" grid.

Using that program ( the same one for $26 the OP was talking about) you can select the gear parameters, so I cut some 6 tooth, and some 12 tooth, with 4" and 6" center to center spacing respectively. So you can put the 1/2" pins anywhere on the grid and change the gear layout.

Joseph LOVED it! He was actually crazy for the gears and turning them, more than I expected.

For a few minutes cutting time, its a great toy! My wife loved it too.

AJC

[myxpykalix]

ok admit it, you had just as much fun turning the gears as he did, didn't you?
Great job and i hope he grows up and remembers all the cool stuff that Dad made for him when he was a kid....good job

[Ajcoholic]

ok admit it, you had just as much fun turning the gears as he did, didn't you?
Great job and i hope he grows up and remembers all the cool stuff that Dad made for him when he was a kid....good job

I have to admit... I probably spent 45 minutes playing with, and re-organizing the gear layout before I brought it home form work...

[Ajcoholic]

More gears! Lots more Gears!!






I made the grid from 3/4 BBirch... same 1" hole spacing, 1/2" deep.

All the gears (10, 15 and 20 tooth) have a 1/2" central hole, with another 1/4" hole to pin gears together or the spacer - to stack gears for compound reductions, etc.

AJC

[Brady Watson]

Looks like you are having fun!

It's not even Christmas yet! He's a lucky boy!

-B