Gear cutting

Discussion on all milling machines vertical & horizontal, including but not limited to Bridgeports, Hardinge, South Bend, Clausing, Van Norman, including imports.

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atunguyd
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Re: Gear cutting

Post by atunguyd »

Kelly that is a brilliant idea putting a drill chuck into the MT taper of the RT.
I can't believe I have never thought of that myself I always am struggling to get a small lathe chuck onto my RT and then battling with concentricity. It is so obvious but I never thought of putting my ER32 milling chuck into the RT

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KellyJones
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Re: Gear cuting

Post by KellyJones »

Thanks atunguyd. It has the distinction of being the only tooling I have that fits the RT. I have been recently looking for a chuck that might fit, but 2MT chucks seem to be rare.

I also finished the mating rack today.
Attachments
rack2.jpg
rack1.jpg
Kelly Jones, PE
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Harold_V
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Re: Gear cuting

Post by Harold_V »

Short little guy! What will it do?

H
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liveaboard
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Re: Gear cuting

Post by liveaboard »

KellyJones wrote: Thu May 07, 2020 4:54 pm 2MT chucks seem to be rare.
Chucks with female tapered hole [I don't know the designation] is common, then you get a male to male adapter for it, standard stuff and not expensive. MT 1,2, or 3 as required.
armscor 1
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Re: Gear cuting

Post by armscor 1 »

Pecan Crusher as seen on Mr Pete?????
KellyJones
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Re: Gear cuting

Post by KellyJones »

Several folks have asked me about the rack and pinion.
A couple years ago a co-worker retired and sold everything and moved to Colorado. Among his possessions was an almost complete library of Home Machinist back issues that had belonged to his father, dating back to about 1990. He left them with me as he knew I was a home machinist.

While thumbing through them I came across an article about how to make an optical comparator, or shadow graph. For those not familiar, this is a machine that shines a bright light on a part, collects the light in a set of optics, and then projects the shadow on a screen. If done correctly, the shadow can have any scale you want. I am planning on 10X. This machine can then be used to inspect small, complex parts, like threads.

The original plans called for a friction drive for the focusing mechanism, which I dutifully built. It didn't work. The friction wheels kept slipping. Being a gear designer, I resolved to replace the friction drive with a rack and pinion. Much more positive engagement. Although I saw Tubalcain's videos on a rack and pinion, the timing was coincident.
Attachments
Finished lugs
Finished lugs
lugs all machined
lugs all machined
set up for machining the full radius on the lugs
set up for machining the full radius on the lugs
Finished focus assembly. The rack and both shafts will be attached to the frame. When the knob is rotated the stage will move.
Finished focus assembly. The rack and both shafts will be attached to the frame. When the knob is rotated the stage will move.
Finished focus assembly
Finished focus assembly
Kelly Jones, PE
A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.
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ramsay
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Re: Gear cuting

Post by ramsay »

It gets more complicated...
132189860_10223882310436330_4401030431379019196_n.jpg
RSG
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Re: Gear cuting

Post by RSG »

Awesome!

Doing a bit of gear cutting myself! I have to make the cutters myself too though.
Vision is not seeing things as they are, but as they will be.
pete
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Re: Gear cuting

Post by pete »

That last picture definitely shows why having a universal mill with at least one axis capable of being turned to match the cutting angle is so useful. I'm suitably envious Ramsay and that looks like it's coming out well. That wouldn't be a K&T replacement gear to drive the head being made?
KellyJones
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Re: Gear cuting

Post by KellyJones »

An update: The optical comparator came out awesome. I seem to use it all the time, particularly when grinding tool bits. Much easier to see on the 10X screen.

I'm now working on figuring out how to cut an internal gear on the lathe. Not so easy. I managed to grind the tool (thanks to the comparator), and after a few tries, managed to build a suitable tool holder for it that didn't allow it to move.

I built an index plate that threads into the outboard end of the spindle, and that seems to work (mostly). Since it threads into the spindle, it's subject to unintentional rotation with respect to the work in the chuck. Talk about concentration and the need for no interruptions.... I'm on my third attempt.

I'll post pictures if I ever get further.
Kelly Jones, PE
A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.
George Bernard Shaw
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RSG
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Re: Gear cuting

Post by RSG »

Having just finished cutting my own gears I found the best way for me to follow what was going on was to put a piece of tape with an arrow on the crank handle for the correct rotation direction and another on the banjo.
Vision is not seeing things as they are, but as they will be.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Gear cuting

Post by Bill Shields »

Cool...if it was easy....then people like me would do it
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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