Tiny Planetary Gears Set

thingiverse

This unique small planetary gear system features a 4:1 ratio per stage and can be customized with as many stages as desired. Its open enclosure design allows for easy viewing of the gears, while being hardware-free adds to its simplicity. The gears have a circular pitch of 2.5mm and are slightly beveled at the tips of their teeth to avoid the need for excess material cleaning. To use this system, you'll require the Public Domain Involute Parameterized Gears by LeemonBaird, Poor man's openscad screw library, and Knurled surface finishing library, all of which are included in the provided ZIP file along with STL files for individual parts, build plates, and upgrade kits. Two videos demonstrate the system's functionality, and additional pictures can be found on Flickr. When using a Makerbot Replicator with 0.4mm nozzle, ReplicatorG - 0034, and Skeinforge 47, it's essential to set the Layer Height at 0.25mm for smooth gear operation and maintain an infill of at least 60% to prevent bolt breakage. The provided profile is included in the ZIP file for ease of use. It's recommended to print multiple planets first and adjust the profile as needed before printing the full stage. Be cautious when fastening nuts and using the crank, as bolts should not be overtightened. Scaling the design is possible; however, it may require adjustments depending on the printer's nozzle size. A successful scaling example can be found in thingiverse.com/derivative:29726, where mread increased the size by 25% using a printer with a 0.5mm nozzle. If your printer has a 0.6mm nozzle, scaling up by 50% (0.6 / 0.4) may yield better results when slicing at a 0.38mm layer height. In this larger version, the gears may fit tighter and require manual cleaning, but they should still function well after some operation with a power tool.