Where can I purchase gears for my project?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around sourcing gears for a project involving an RC car, specifically a ring gear and a matching pinion. Participants explore various purchasing options and manufacturing methods, including waterjet cutting and EDM, while sharing experiences and advice on material choices and gear specifications.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a need for a ring gear and pinion but lacks the ability to mill them, seeking purchasing options.
  • Several links to suppliers are provided, including McMaster, WM Berg, and Stock Drive Products, with a note about potential custom modifications.
  • There is a discussion on the feasibility of using waterjet cutting for gears, with one participant suggesting it may not yield optimal results due to issues like runout and lower tolerances.
  • A participant mentions the importance of considering loads, speeds, and material compatibility, warning against mixing aluminum and stainless steel gears.
  • Another participant shares their project details, including motor specifications and the need for specific gear types, while seeking advice on whether belts might be a better alternative to gears for their application.
  • One participant suggests that the original poster might find better assistance on a Radio Control forum.
  • Another participant shares their experience purchasing Delrin gears and expresses curiosity about waterjet cutting, although they mention their waterjet is currently broken.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present multiple viewpoints on gear sourcing and manufacturing methods, with no consensus reached on the best approach or material choices. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the effectiveness of waterjet cutting for gears.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of experience with machining and gear production, highlighting the need for practical advice and considerations based on specific project requirements.

Curl
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I need a ring gear but I can't mill it and I don't know any good way to make gears in the shop, so I'm looking to buy them some place, but I don't know where.

I drew up what I need, basically a ring with teeth on it, and a matching pinion.
 

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Engineering news on Phys.org
WM Berg: www.wmberg.com
Stock Drive Products: www.sdp-si.com

You might need a custom modification which is available from Berg or SDP (I believe)
 
I just need the outside/teeth. As long as they are steel/aluminium I can mill off the extra garbage.

Also, has anyone tried to make gears on a waterjet? How well does it work?
 
Curl said:
I just need the outside/teeth. As long as they are steel/aluminium I can mill off the extra garbage.

Also, has anyone tried to make gears on a waterjet? How well does it work?

Waterjet or EDM cut gears would work for awhile. Not anywhere near an optimal solution. Much higher runout, roughness & friction. Lower tolerance, shorter lifetime. Might be ok for slow speeds and loads.

What are the loads, speed, lifetime, etc? BTW don't mix aluminum and stainless gears, they will gall.

Considered timing belts? They are much more forgiving to misalignment.
 
Im new to machining and I'm trying to start up a project and get some practice. I want to make an RC car, I got a nice radio, a 250watt 50g brushless DC motor, low resistance batteries, all the good stuff.

The motor turns at about 1000RPM/volt, and the batteries run at 11-12 volts, so about 10k RPM under load. I need a gear to link straight up from the motor shaft to the differential. The gear I need most is the outer cylindrical shell for the differential, and the gear pinion that goes on the shaft of the motor. The motor has some kick, but I figure aluminium is fine as long as I keep the gear teeth fairly small.

I guess I can polish the teeth by hand after the waterjet to take out the roughness and reduce the friction, then add some lubricant paste. Like I said, I'm very new to this so I need some advice from you guys. I thought of a belt, but how can I make that work in my situation? Is that better than gears for my RPM?
 
I think you would be better off on a Radio Control forum. Good luck!
 
Curl, How did that go cutting gears with a waterjet cutter? EDM? I'm looking to do the same thing myself.
 
I just bought Delrin gears from SmallParts.com
I haven't tried making gears on the waterjet though, but I'm guessing that will work. Our waterjet is broken ATM.
 

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