Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!sgiblab!spool.mu.edu!agate!library.ucla.edu!csulb.edu!csus.edu!netcom.com!nagle
From: nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle)
Subject: Re: Speaking of Gears...
Message-ID: <nagleCtGHBI.Jtu@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <30pphu$com@search01.news.aol.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Jul 1994 17:45:17 GMT
Lines: 32

centauri7@aol.com (Centauri7) writes:
>  I'm having one heck of a time finding ANY gears, much less worrying
>about the exact number of teeth.   Anyone have info on companies that do
>nothing but gears?  Any help much appreciated.
>  BTW:  Willing also to buy fluted shafts which can be cut off as needed
>to "make" gears.

        Berg. 1-516-599-5010.
	Boston Gear 1-617-328-3300.
	Stock Drive Products and Small Parts, Inc. are also useful.

        Call and ask for catalogs.  Just reading the catalogs is a
good education on the standard components out of which mechnical
devices are constructed.

        The Boston Gear catalog has useful sections on how to select, 
install, and operate gears.  There's a huge range of strengths,
materials, and precisions available.  Boston has small and large gears; 
the others are small-parts oriented.  

        If you really want raw "fluted shafts" (the proper term is
"pinion wire", because this is made by drawing wire through a die and is
the raw material for pinions) Boston Gear has it in sizes from 0.125
to 0.667".  But you don't really want pinion wire unless you're making
something very unusual and have the tools to cut and drill it with
precision.  Standard gears are much better.  

        Incidentally, the way you find stuff when totally clueless is to
go to a library and look in "Thomas's Register".  This is a huge set of
books which list almost all the manufacturers of everything in the US.

					John Nagle
