Salvaging gears

[axro]

What is the best way to salvage gears from things like VCRs and CD players? Whats the best way to get them off of shafts and such.

 

[cr0sh]

Maybe something like a small puller, like this one?

MINIATURE GEAR AND WHEEL PULLER, 9/32 " - 9/16 " CAPACITY

You could also build one:

Cheap and Simple Gear Puller

 

[Sceadwian]

I've never had much of a problem using plyers and screwdrivers, just very carefully. Most of the gears you'll find a gear puller will be overkill or useless because your primary opponent is retaining clips and mounting screws. Without having to even buy a gear puller the easiest way to remove such gears is with a couple pieces of high density fiber board used to back the gear and then tapping out the shaft with a slightly smaller diameter reamer and a small hammer, if you run across them. That minature gear puller is a specialty item, not really suited for general use. Something like that would simply overcrowd your toolbox where a decent set of generic tools will be much more useful and just as effective.

 

[cr0sh]

...Something like that would simply overcrowd your toolbox...

Something like that gear-puller is something that could get lost in the couch cushions; just how small is your toolbox, anyhow? Most gears in the items mentioned are press-fit; while it is true you may be able to get them off the shaft with simple tools (I've used a pair of small screwdrivers in the past), you're just as likely to break the gear, or bend it out of shape. Tapping the shaft out, especially if it is on a small motor, could actually damage the motor's bearings and/or shift the rotor's alignment along the shaft. Pullers exist for a reason; if you have a need for one, whatever the size, it should be used. Otherwise, you're just driving a screw with a hammer. Sure, it'll go into the board, but the result won't be pretty.

 

[Sceadwian]

Sorry Cr0sh, I've taken apart dozens of CD units, printers and other devices with small gears, and pulled many gears off small motor shafts, never had any problems. I think I've bent the shaft on a couple motors which taught me valuable lessons about the proper application of force. While a gear puller of that nature is certainly useful, it is not required or needed.

I'm not sure what you're talking about tapping the shaft out of small geared motors damaging the bearings, never happend to me, all the motors I extract work just fine, the gears I've pulled off are still intact as well.