I find myself wanting to get back into mini RC projects again. One of my biggest problems right now is gears. It seems whenever I decide to modify or build something I run into a problem in the gearing department. The common shaft diameters I seem to run into are 1, 1.5, and 2mm's, the outside diameters are highly variable up to 2cms maximum, though the 'normal' gearing I seem to find is closer to 1/2-1 centimeter.

There seems to be three different styles of gears I run into, plastic for toys or low torque devices (already stripped a few) bronze for wear/high torque stuff (printers and what not) and in some cases steel, heat treated sometimes.

Can anyone aim me at a website to find gears in this range? I'm kind of looking for a place where I can pick up an inexpensive variety pack of a wide variety of gears both plastic and metal as I often don't know what gear pitch I'm going to have to use. I can't develop anything without a wide range to work from, till I know what I have to deal with. Since I'm modifying devices, a common variety pack style approach is my main goal.

Forum powers unite, help me out if ya can =)

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I'm sorry ron but that looks like absolutely nothing like I was asking about. My bore diameter is 1, 1.5 and 2mms as best I can tell. The link you listed is .07 inches... (1.78 mms approx) for the bore diameter. We're not even sharing the same metric, it doesn't even list a pitch for that package. I don't know if I'm missing what you were trying to convey but not a single gear on that page looks even close, and those are all for SAE measure not metric.

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Sceadwian, how come you want metric and you live in US ??

Anyhow, I never seen a bore in metric (1, 1.5, 2mm) in any hoby shop... They are all in those weird x/y" and I live in Europe where metric is the way of life ... so we get bore size of 2.38mm or 3.18mm ... anyhow here's SDPSI site, they have "everything"

I think these guy's have what you need - not sure on the prices but ..
https://sdp-si.com/eStore/Direct.asp?GroupID=591
Plastic Gears Spur Bevel Miter Worm Internal Gear Helical Gears Precision Rack Pinion ring Gear blanks spiral Anti-Backlash miniature nylon Worm Gears Gear & Dial Hubs from SDP/SI

scientificonline sometimes has something interesting so it is worth checking, today they have "ziltch":
Plastic Gears - bag of 20, assorted sizes | Edmund Scientific

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Mini Gear Assortment-The Electronic Goldmine
BAG OF 26 WHITE PLASTIC GEARS - Surplus Shed

Just a couple of listing at surplus sites I shop... Also you might be interested in tearing open some timing motors, a surprising assortment of brass gears in such a small case. Unfortunately, they are a beach to open up. The bore should be in the range you are looking for, and the motors are cheap/free if you salvage from appliances or repair shops, couple of bucks surplus.

 

Just because I live in the US doesn't mean I have to use SAE measure =) I was never a fan of the fractional system that's used here. Most of the mini RC stuff I'm interested in is modifying cheap toys, and a lot of the gearing in them is metric. I could be wrong on the precise dimensions of the gearing, I don't have a caliper yet so I can't measure something that small easily. The shaft diameter is less than 2mms I can tell you that much, and I know the output shaft on the micro motors for the mini heli's are 1mm shafts. I'm really kicking myself for tossing a lot of the plastic gears I've pulled out of devices over the years.

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Maybe these folks have something you can use...

Sterling Instruments

Jeff

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I hate the x/y" system too, metric rulez for me but that's maybe only because I grew up with it ... anyhow, lot of machinery even here is based on the " measurements (leftover from pre ww2 germany basically), and most of the bigger ones I c in the stores are in SAE and not metric....

if you go to sdpsi link I sent, you'll notice that bunch of gear types are manufactured only in " and only some are manufactured in both metric and "...

As for the "getting rid of all those gears" ...

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Check out the Tamiya range of gear motors and accessories. They have a lot of modular gear system you can build your own ratio.

Or go dumpster diving and pull apart a heap of old FAX machines, they are full of metric gears... Also all CD and DVD drives etc usually have a lot of very fine pitch metric gears too. You local PC store might have bins full of old dead CD drives you can get for a smile.

 

Battery powered desk or wall clocks.

Ken

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Which mini heli is it? I have an indoor coaxial which I can fly quite well and a blade 400 which I keep crashing. I can get any part for either of them at very reasonable cost.

And, I also prefer metric. Especially for any physical calculations.

Mike.

 

Found this: Gizmoszone.com-Stock Plastic Gear

Ken

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