Making an involute gear cutter: Part 1 - Forming the profile

First attempt at making a home shop made involute gear cutter. I followed the process as detailed in Ivan Law's book, Gears and Gear Cutting, but I followed the formulas as published by John Stevenson as there are apparently some discrepancies in the formulas used in Law's tables. I'm not sure YouTube will let me publish links, but I'll try to nevertheless. Also a quick Thank You to YouTube users myfordboy and mrpete222, whose videos have inspired me to try this leap-of-faith dive into the far deep end of the machining pool.

[EvoKeremidarov]

7 years later I'm still for part 2 😀
Part one was excellent by the way

[buckshottwo]

The link you gave in your reply cleared it right up. Thanks.

[NoelBarlau]

This is where I'm at right now - I just returned from vacation and I'm trying to get motivated to finish this project. My Rong Fu CNC mill project has taken precedence and I've put the gear cutter on hold. The plan is to use the newly functioning CNC mill to make the "Eureka" relieving tool, but of course this is running before one learns to walk. The proper thing to do would be to mill out some of the cutter to form a relief profile just to get my feet wet. Stay posted, it's coming...

[YankeeinSC]

O.K. Great! I assume the next step is grinding a sharp somewhere in the the profile ring to fly cut out the material on a gear blank?

I have to remake a reversing involute gear on my lathe (about 2" and 32 teeth). It was originally cut from laminated Formica. It was built that way in the 1950's as an attempt to attenuate noise, but quickly proved to be the weak point in the gear train and likely has been broken since '62. I could remake one from brass I suppose, but need to see your part 2!

[YankeeinSC]

OK. I'll try to be patient to see how you do, but I may end up turning down a blank from either brass or maybe Delron, pressing in a bushing and filing the teeth by hand. I had to repair my 3 jaw chuck that way but only had to fix one broken tooth. Even that was no small feat. Are you a jet blue pilot?

[rbffr]

When pressure angle is 20 then maximum number of teeth is 41.above it the base circle falls below dededendum circle. can you tell me how gears with large number of teeths are made. Are they involute or any thing else.

[Robonthemoor]

Can you let me know where you got the information instructions I saw you using on button cutter please

[buckshottwo]

What DP are u using and how did you arrive at the button diameter. I read Ivan laws explination but left me with questions. The way I understand it. The buttons would be the size of a saucer. Help

[YankeeinSC]

I'm wondering where the St. Elmo's video came from...

[Cancun]

Your camera probably has a macro mode for close-up focusing. Some button or menu setting with a flower symbol should activate it. If it hasn't and you decide to upgrade, look for the spec called 'closest focusing distance'.
Also, many older digital cameras (sadly) can focus much closer on the wide angle side of the lens than the tele side and some even have to be set on fully wide for closest focus. This would probably make for very weird looking video though.
I enjoyed this project tremendously, don't bother to argue with nitpicking nutters on Youtube, they aren't worth your time, life's just too short.

[ClownWhisper]

If you can see we're on the cutters you made you better stop and sharpen them LOL

[ClownWhisper]

I'm trying to figure out why on earth you have your jaws reversed