Getting started with gear cutting.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by JasonB on 01/02/2019 08:10:25:

I would have thought using what you have already got was less complex than making a cutting engine and indexing plates to suit.

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Possibly, Jason … But my point was more about the geometrical orientation of the axes.

It would be preferable, to my mind, for Robin to put the rotary table flat on the mill table and contrive a small cutter spindle [also mounted onto the mill table, and probably belt driven from the mill spindle] to do the work.

It's akin to the problem with sawing large boards … Do you use a gigantic circular saw bench, or a guided portable saw to do accurate work on an 8' x 4' sheet ?

My recommendation of J Malcom Wild's book was intended to set Robin thinking …

MichaelG.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

If doing it that way I still say stick with what he has and simply tilt the head over 90deg rather than make a spindle. And work out a way to feed it into the cut if both fixed to table.

My original link to Neil's jovilabe was to show how simple a set up will do, his X2 is about the same size as a WM14.

As for cutting 8x4s and the bigger 2070 x 2650 sheets it really depends on the work in hand and if cutting in the workshop or out on site. Sliding table on the saw bench if faster, more accurate, better cut and better dust control but can't take that to site or lift a full big sheet onto it.

Edited By JasonB on 01/02/2019 09:32:47

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by JasonB on 01/02/2019 09:22:40:

If doing it that way I still say stick with what he has and simply tilt the head over 90deg

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O.K. … didn't realise that the head tilted to 90°

MichaelG.

[MeunierParticipant @meunier]

Posted by JasonB on 01/02/2019 07:12:07:

Considering the diameter of some of the gears you have to cut you will need to pack up a smaller rotary table so may as well stick with the 6".

Debateable if you really need the tailstock, with a stout arbor and backing plate you could cut those without tailstock support.

Jason
The rotary table you have shown a few times on your mill, is that a 6" and from Arc ? It looks lower profile than the Vertex style devices. Did you obtain the dividing plates and tailstock at the same time and are they a necessity?
Thanks.
DaveD

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

It depends which photo's you are looking at.

My own is a 6" Soba which I have the plates and tailstock for and that would be in photos going back about 10 years. As part of what ARC sent me for the beginners series I got their 150mm rotart table complete with chuck, plates and tailstock and have used that quite a lot over the last 16months as the 72:1 works out well for a lot of what I have been doing and I like the ability to set the ring around the table to zero which you can't always do on others when the layout of the clamping slots means the work can't be set square when the table reads zero..

The ARC one probably does look a little lower profile but I don't think there is much in it (will measure later) but it looks lower as their is no "foot" and is easily spotted as it has a bare metal finish to the body and no rings in the table.

A lot will depend on what you are doing with the table, the plates do make it easier for getting divisions that are not easily divided into 360 though you can use the handwheel dial and set that to the angular measurement. For example if you just want say 24 divisions then it is not difficult to read off 15deg increments but if you wanted a 26T gear then you could work out each multiple of 13deg 50min 46sec.

Same for the tailstock, obviously useful for long work but can also be an advantage for small items as you can put them on an arbor to get them well away from the table/chuck so you can get in close with a collet chuck and small cutter without the two clashing.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

F W I W, My gear cutting is done using a vertical Mill (Warco Economy) with a Vertex HV6 Rotary Table.

The Table is set up at one end of the Mill table, set across the table with a square, with the face vertical, and carrying the small 4 jaw chuck in which the workpiece was turned to size..

The workpiece is mounted on an arbor long enough that the gear cutter does not hit the chuck. The arbor is centre drilled, and supported by a Tailstock. Cutting the tooth spaces in one pass, even with gentle hand feed, imposes pretty heavy loads, so any reduction in deflection has to be beneficial.

Howard

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

For Meunier, the ARC 150mm rotary table is 90mm high and the Soba 78mm

This is about a 70mm dia MOD1 steel gear on a stub arbor, one pass per tooth

I did cut the teeth while it was solid as I thought trying it after shaping would give trouble

And a before shot of the 20mm dia arbors

Edited By JasonB on 02/02/2019 13:11:51

[MeunierParticipant @meunier]

Jason,
Thanks for a comprehensive reply, I was looking at the Arc unit in the beginners series – appearances can be deceptive !
DaveD

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