Wood Gear Cutting

[Smike]

I’ve just converted my rotary table to stepper motor drive and purchased a controller from World of Ward.
Tried it out today on some scrap gears. Absolutely brilliant !
I’m making another wood clock so I thought I’d treat myself.
Just input divisions (number of teeth) and the table rotates the correct amount on a press of a button.
Wonderful

 

[mikej460]

Very good - do you think you could take on Babbage's Analytical Engine next? Go on you know you want to

 

[Wildman]

I’ve just converted my rotary table to stepper motor drive and purchased a controller from World of Ward.
Tried it out today on some scrap gears. Absolutely brilliant !
I’m making another wood clock so I thought I’d treat myself.
Just input divisions (number of teeth) and the table rotates the correct amount on a press of a button.
Wonderful

A write up of parts used, where from and costs involved would be good for those of us who fancy having a go.

 

[Smike]

Very good - do you think you could take on Babbage's Analytical Engine next? Go on you know you want to

Haha. Just had a look. I don’t think I’d have any social life if I took that on.

 

[Phill05]

Hi Smike,

A few years ago I built a manual dividing head for the milling machine and hoped that I could make similar for the lathe, In the middle of working on this I found an old cnc machine and rebuilt it to use to make parts then a year or two ago I designed and built an electronic indexing unit that could be moved between machines I found electronic parts online and started building the controller box to power a stepper motor, I needed 240v supply in and 12v - 24v - 68v out in one box that could be taken with the control box to where ever I needed to use it. So the power box was made.

Then I started on the control box I found a board ( made by Steve Ward) that would give Jog: Divide: Degree: or Constant: working around that I used a plastic box to hold a Stepper driver, the card, a fan and a keyboard, one input 24v and 68v then a step down to 12v, on the opposite side power out to motor, I designed and cut the keys/pad with the cnc the window for the screen and the cut outs for the fan at the back of the box, I connected a motor all works as it should.

 

[Smike]

Very good - do you think you could take on Babbage's Analytical Engine next? Go on you know you want to

 

[ajs]

Very good - do you think you could take on Babbage's Analytical Engine next? Go on you know you want to

Interesting that it comes full circle. Joseph Whitworth (now regarded as the founder of precision engineering) worked on Babbage's engines early in his career. It has been speculated his developments were motivated by his experience of the project and the insights gained.

His first major innovation was a precision method of gear cutting. Prior to Whitworth gears always needed fettling on installation so they would work together properly. Whitworth's gears were accurate enough they were interchangeable and worked out of the box.