# Where have all the gears gone????



## Brian Rupnow (Dec 13, 2008)

When I was a kid, it seemed that just about ANYTHING mechanical had gears in it. Kitchen appliances had little gears in them. Power tools had gears in them. The thing that rotated the television antenna on top of the house had gears in it. Heck, even my dads fishing reels had gears in them!!! I never paid that much attention, but I always knew they were there. Now we fast foreward to 2008, and I find that with this model steam engine business I would just love to find some things with little gears in them that I could recycle into steam powered equipment, and THE GEARS ARE ALL GONE!!! Oh, yes, I know that if I really wanted to, I could buy them. If I was a far better machinist than I am, I could even make them. But all I really want to do is to scrounge some small gears out of some cast off peice of junk and use them on something that I build. In this modern, PLC and Servo controlled world, with high efficiency electric motors, it seems that gears have gone the way of the Dodo. I even phoned the local guy who repairs power drills and vacuums and things and asked if he had any, and he just laughed at me. I just hate it when the world changes around me, and I don't even notice it!!!


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## rleete (Dec 13, 2008)

Brian Rupnow  said:
			
		

> I just hate it when the world changes around me, and I don't even notice it!!!



A sure sign of getting old! Now you kids get off my lawn!

A great source of all sorts of parts - shafts, gears, wires, motors, etc. - is old printers and copiers. Look on the local craigslist, and you're sure to find a couple of cheap ones. If not, post an ad asking for old non-working ones, and you'll be flooded with calls.


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## joeby (Dec 13, 2008)

Time to start digging. With our "disposable society" things just aren't built to last, certainly not to last long enough to require expensive gears. I've taken to pulling apart anything that seems to have been "built for the long haul", copiers, printers, etc. and saving the useful gears and such.

 There's a lot of stuff around with plastic gears; but they really aren't worth the effort.

 I know what you mean. Even some cars have variable speed transmissions. I'd rather know my vehicle was putting it's power to the ground through gears instead of a "belt". Just a sense of security thing I suppose.

Kevin


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## rake60 (Dec 13, 2008)

That's a thought provoking observation Brian!

When I started in the machining trade, you would turn a hand wheel that was geared to
an acme thread feed screw. When you got close to where it needed to be, you'd lightly
bump the hand wheel to get that perfect position.
Today you type the information on a keyboard control and a servo motor turns a 
ball screw to that perfect position. 

I never thought about the gears being gone before reading this.

Rick


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## Bernd (Dec 13, 2008)

Lets see, TV antenna is now satellite dish or cable. Fishing reels still have a gear if you use the fly reel. Mixers have gears. Today's gears are made from plastic so it's faster to make a gear then it is to cut one.

You need to spend a day at the recycle center and see what comes in that might have gears in it.

Even the CVT equipped cars need a set of gears so it can back up and of course there is the starter and starter ring. If you take a regular transmission apart there is the sun gear and all the little planet gears. Lawn mowers still use a set of gears to drive the cam shaft.

I think you need to look in the appropriate places for gears. They still hide them inside devices. ;D

Bernd


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## jim_geib (Dec 13, 2008)

I'll second the old printers and copiers, some even have metal gears. If you have a copier sale near you check with there service department as they may have some that they will give you just to get rid of.


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## bentprop (Dec 13, 2008)

You can buy cheap battery powered screwdrivers that actually have a couple of nice sets of planetary gears.Also all the cordless drill/drivers I have pulled apart had some metal gears in them.But granted,they are mostly quite fine pitch.
Radio control buggies or cars sometimes have metal gears.Unfortunately,they are usually hidden in a plastic cover,so unless the garage sale person will let you open it up,(doubtful),you won't know what you've got until you get it home.You could go to a hobby shop and buy new,I suppose.$$$$$.
Automotive gearboxes mostly have helical gears,and a bit big for model use.Maybe small motorbike boxes?Old push lawnmowers have 2 or3 little gears.But it's quite a lot to throw away once you've got your gears ;D
But you're quite right,most gears in everyday use are now plastic.I have a boxful of nylon gears,but they just don't look right on a model engine.


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## baldrocker (Dec 13, 2008)

Old printers are also a good source of shafting, bearings, and small springs.
Use one of your engines to spin printer motors, voila mini generator.
BR


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## Brian Rupnow (Dec 16, 2008)

I hit the gear goldmine today. I phoned over to the local tool repair shop and explained to him that I built model steam engines and things to run with them as a hobby, and that I was looking for a source for cheap (read free) gears to use on my projects. His response was---"Gee, I've got a whole box of small transmissions and things waiting for the garbage pickup!!! Come on over and pick out what you want." So--I picked up about 20 power tool planetary gear set-ups, plus a couple of gear belt drives from small compressors. They are terribly greasy, so I will dump them into a container of varsol, and wait for a day or two, then clean them up and see what the heck all I have.


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## dsquire (Dec 16, 2008)

Brian

Boy O Boy. I see that your Christmas stocking is running over. Might even be enough parts in there for a pump or motor of some fashion. :bow: :bow:

Cheers

Don


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## Kludge (Dec 17, 2008)

Okay, guys, now we all know how Brian's mind works. It probably would be a really good move that we all take a few steps back because he's sure to get an idea how to use some of those new toys and become SuperBrian again. 

BEst regards,

Kludge


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## Noitoen (Jan 5, 2009)

Hi,

A quick source of gears can be found here: http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/...Section&Ne=4294957561+4294965430&N=4294962569

I personally visit the Portuguese site, but they have distribution all over the world.


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## Brian Rupnow (Jan 5, 2009)

Noitoen  said:
			
		

> Hi,
> 
> A quick source of gears can be found here: http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/...Section&Ne=4294957561+4294965430&N=4294962569
> 
> I personally visit the Portuguese site, but they have distribution all over the world.



Thank you for the information. I know where I can BUY small gears. It is against my cheapskate nature to buy them, if I can scrounge them from a worn out or discarded peice of machinery.---Brian


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## rleete (Jan 5, 2009)

Brian Rupnow  said:
			
		

> It is against my cheapskate nature to buy them, if I can scrounge them from a worn out or discarded peice of machinery.



Hear, hear! Anyone can go buy the stuff, it takes special talent to scrounge and adjust the design to make do with what you have. Besides, it keeps the stuff out of landfills.


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