I'm looking for an easy to source set of metal drive gears for a Greg's / Wade's style extruder. I've been searching for a 4:1 helical gear set, but the one's I've found so far (RC car parts) are too small for a 5mm motor shaft and 8mm hobbed bolt.

I'm set up with a PLA set of herringbone gears and I think the PLA isn't going to handle my motor temps. Not extruding yet, but I have my machine in motion and the set screw in the drive gear is already backing out on test runs.

I posted in the Electronics section of the forum about my stepper temps.

I read your motor temp thread and thought that it was a little hot. I believe I have read that motors should not exceed 60c, but I may be wrong. One suggestion for a high temp alternative would be to use metal pulleys and a belt. Another would be to look at the laser cut gear sets used on laser cut Mendels and have them laser cut from metal.

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Why not just shove a 40mm fan behind the motor? Dirt cheap, and they keep the motor very cool so that they won't melt a thing.

DirtySteve, sdp-si.com has a large assortment of gears, although I'm not sure they'll have what you need OR if you're this side of the pond.

I was able to find a good selection of ~reasonably priced metal gears with a variety of bore sizes and mounting options, in stainless, brass and 2024 Aluminum. (the smaller one not quite so broad a selection)

a pair of 12tooth w/5mm bore for the motor and 48 tooth w/8 mm bore for the hobbed bolt (pitch 0.8) will cost you around $30 if I'm not mistaken. erm...plus whatever shipping, giving you roughly the same ratio as the printed set I have here (43 x10 => 4.3:1 ratio)

Anyway, it's one place to search. I'm guessing you know a bit more about the mechanics than I do, so please forgive any ignorance on my part with respect to particulars.

EDIT: I did not check the overall diameter, so using the gears I noted (or ones like them) may or may not meet the current motor-shaft to hobbed-bolt shaft distance

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2012 04:23PM by xiando.