Gear cutting on a Shaper (making the tool)

Cutting Gears on a Shaper (making the tool). (Go to 21min 55sec to see the less detailed bit) This tool/device is designed to make any gear size from 46mm to 160mm diameter, and any number of teeth from 10 to 100.

By using sleeves and collars any variation of gear blank bore can be fitted. The one caviat is that keyways must be used. This video shows how I made the tool/device for the shaper and shows you how I use it. The gear making tool works well, and made an aluminium gear that meshed very nicely with the gear I copied it from. I’m also surpised how quickly the shaper made the gear, each tooth in the video, was formed in less than two minutes each, that wasn’t any where near the speed it could have completed the task. The only problem with this project is the huge quantity of index holes that are required to achieve the target number of gear sizes.
I am leaving the project open for anyone to modify and improve. enjoy.
I'd like to say thanks to Geoffrey Croker for inspiring me to make this project.
I would like to thank 'This old tony’ and ‘Mrpete222’ for their role in helping me understand the art of gear making.

[MarsTSM]

Wow..30yrs as an engine machinist and this video made me realize I really don't know anything about machining. Very well done!

[paulgreenlee]

I don't think I would ever be able to cut gears like the setup you created. For one thing it takes someone with a good mechanical/engineer mindset to vision what's to come and how it would work. I was a welder for 40 years, certified on everything. I would be happy just to hang around and make the welds for you. Amazing work you did. Thanks so much.

[victoryfirst]

What you have done here reminds me of when I drilled over four thousand holes in a large plate. They had to be on location within one thousandth of an inch X Y axis. That is plus minus one thousand of an inch. This give me away as to where I am from the other side of the pond. The easy part was the Z axis that went through the plate. When drilling was done I reamed the holes with a two flute end mill. This made the hole very precisely. Worked like a charm. My reward, was an order for five more plates. I did not scrap a single plate. All within tolerance. The method you are using was the brainchild of Sunderland Gear Planer. Using a shaper with more bells and whistles.
I really enjoyed your video and hope you make many more Sir. Good luck and God bless too. Peace VF

[petergamache]

You've put a tremendous amount of effort into making this work. Congratulations on successfully cutting your first gear!

[mpetersen]

Slick.
Years ago there was a video by a gentleman from Denmark who was building a 1/4 scale Kingair RC plane powered by homemade turbo props. For the reduction gearing between the turbine and prop shaft he needed an internal helical toothed gear. He modified an old small milling machine or jig borer to cut the needed gears. That was probably the slickest piece of home shop gearing I've ever seen.

[pnamajck]

mind-numbingly impressive, *paul* … thanks for sharing the in-depth analysis and steps required.

[nickdecker]

WOW!!!!
It would be great to see more of your capabilities with the shaper. Judging by this video you're certainly a master with it and also with engineering. I fear that info and instruction on using a shaper to the fullest is both some of the most at risk of getting lost with time and underdeveloped knowledge in the machining world. That being said, and as a younger guy getting into machining, it's an honor to have your skills presented so well like this

[dalek]

Most of what you explained was above my head. I watched anyway as all this was astounding to me. I hope you patented this technique. Your ingenuity is on an insane level.

[juanzuluaga]

Very good content, it deserves more viewers. The original challenge points to the reason why gear teeth have such shapes.

[jackjackalong]

I take my hat off to you. The amount of work you put in to this is mind blowing.

[bulletproofpepper]

Nice job. I was watching a channel with a homemade indexing wheel drive. He started the table 1 inch away to make sure all the backlash was out before the cut started. Your gear looks the part.

[TheEvertw]

What a brilliant idea to make any involute gear with a single cutter per pressure angle! As most gears are 20 degrees, that means a single cutter for (almost) any gear. Nicely executed as well!
The idea would also work on a mill with a 1-tooth hob, I might give that a try. Don't have a shaper...

[edsmachine]

Nice work.
Very smart idea.
The gear and your indexer work out great.
Thanks for sharing.👍

[wimwautier]

Congrats on an excellent job! Mind bogling complex, yet you make it look so easy.
Good luck!

[daveanderson]

Love it. Took me a tick to catch on, but I must say brilliant! Thumbs up for you sir.

[rgmveraart]

Perfect job!!!
A real joy to watch.
I hope I wil be able to acquire the same skills you have within the rest of my lifetime (approx 15 - 20 years)!!
Greetings from The Netherlands,
Ron

[tomkzinti]

Truly, sir - you are obviously a well-balanced master of many modes of machine operation and hand fabrication, understandably hindered by budgetary constraints and lack of equipment/toolage... I greatly appreciate your sharing of both your handiwork and your ideas. I find you to be suavely sufficient and honestly self-confident, able, understandable, well-versed in your practices and able to contend with the work at hand.

You did a great job narrating and shooting/cutting together the video... and then you succeeded in producing a working prototype Good show. I gave you a thumbs up within ten seconds of watching - and subscribed another 30 seconds later; because you clearly deserve it. Best wishes for the growth of your channel and subs, and now I'm off to watch your other endeavors!

[tuncdynamics]

I can say it is one of the best channels on youtube

[JBFromOZ]

mate this is an awesome outcome! my "Gear Cutting on the Shaper" video series was a lot of fun to build, the moment when your first gear is completed, is such a great feeling hey! New subscriber here! there are two things I like about the orientation, that were concerns for us, firstly, you are supporting your blank against the cutting force of the shaper, something which I was concerned with our arrangement. Having the index plate outboard also keeps hands in a safer place than in our build.
secondly, there would be a slight rotational error introduced using the arm approach instead of the constant rotation provided by our wire guided setup, that said, you have a much more flexible PCD (PCR) setup, and I seriously doubt the error introduced would be significant or even measurable on all but the smallest tooth count gears. top job mate!

[donmichael]

I purchased 11 different index plates off from EBAY (7.25" dia and under $200) all the same size, all specifically different in hole counts (some have 4/5 different count rows of holes on the same plate) and on yet another EBAY buy I purchased the spring loaded hole spacer pin keeper (used) off from some brand of original indexer (?), so that I could do as you are describing, BUT I made my mount such that I could cut gears as large as 13" diameter (maximum height drop on my shaper (Invicta 4A) table to cutter tool), so basically I can cut any tooth pattern from 4 to about 160. I cannot stress the need for an extremely ACCURATE GRIND on the tool cutter as this is the hardest of all of the operations. I wish that some manufacture made proper different size carbide inserts so all one would have to do is change the insert in the tool holder for the different needs of the different size gear teeth faces being cut, as I have no way of properly grinding them and that has proven to be the COST ITEM in the equation for doing the work yourself. Usually it takes me a minimum of 3 to 4 rotation rounds before I can achieve the full depth of the needed cut (raising the table needed X height after each pass) until the final depth is achieved. (NOTE: very accurate tooth gauge set required to maintain accuracy of measured depth and this item from Boston Gear (metal set) cost well in excess of $90), but absolutely all worth the cost to save a piece of equipment for which parts availability ceased 50 to 80 years ago.