So one downside of the superglue arbor is that you really need to clean up the end of the arbor holding your gear--and you need to apply enough glue to get the gear to stick to the arbor. More than once today I had wheels fall off the arbor--and that led to... well, complications. I... Continue Reading →

So I drew and cut out several blanks from the 1/8th inch aluminum (and I confess I had to do this several times, by the last blank I was very close to the line) using a scroll saw and a jeweler's blade. I then perfected them on the Sherline Lathe to the correct diameter of... Continue Reading →

First, let me observe that I'm fascinated by all things which calculate. That means computers, of course--from a desktop computer to mobile devices to Arduinos and other 8-bit computers. But that also means wiring transistors which can calculate things, and that means mechanical calculators: Orreries, Tellurions, mechanical adders--all of these things fascinate me as well.... Continue Reading →

So the biggest problem, apparently, when it comes to cutting gears, is just getting all the fiddly bits together to make your gear cutting system. In my case, I'm starting with a Sherline mill, and I'm adding a CNC rotary table, a 90 degree table, and a 1 inch arbor to mount the gear cutters... Continue Reading →

My ultimate goal is to recreate the 3D printed object in brass, creating a small little tabletop Orrery for display. That means, of course, cutting gears. So there has been a little bit of a pause while I order the correct things for gear cutting. Ultimately my goal is to set up a Sherline mill... Continue Reading →