As I continue with the project, I was originally playing around with the idea of using existing, recycled gears. After spending several hours at the local McGuckins, I discovered that the size of gears I want are mostly found in only plastic. I want to use recycled gears, but I am afraid of the potential issues with meshing gears. I found that I love the combination of unique gears, but those do not mesh well and have the potential for damage over time. I have then decided to move forward solely with laser cut gears. Over the last few days, I have been playing around with different CAD designs and picked up scrap material from McGuckins. By the time I return from break, I plan to have a design I would like to cut and test. This will allow me to laser cut directly after break and assemble that week after break. I will then have about two weeks to change out components and make any necessary changes.
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if only you could lasercut various types of metal. Something you might want to look into is finding meshing gear train designs on GrabCAD. I have used the site multiple times for small projects and it tends to be very helpful, especially for something like gear design.
It’s a bummer that you’re encountering problems with the meshing of unique gears, being that your project seems to be so unique. Would it make sense to construct a functioning prototype with more basic gear designs, and then work from there to make your project more of your own? Regardless, I can’t wait to see your project functioning and taking shape in the form that you want it to be!