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Thread: Make Gears with Radial Vector Generator...

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    Maryland, USA
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    Default Make Gears with Radial Vector Generator...

    Have been dabbling on and off with building a wooden geared clock, and along the way crafted a software tool to assist in generating radial vectors (ie, gears, escape wheels, ratchet wheels, snail wheels, etc) for the purpose of cutting the parts on the CarveWright / Compucarve. Based on resources found on the Beall Tool website (http://www.bealltool.com/clockforum), included in the tool among other profiles is the ability to generate the grasshopper escapement per Guy D Aydlett's well written paper, along with cycloidal gears using the module method.

    Am offering this software tool as freeware (with all its warts) in the event that others might find it useful. The core application is written in VB6, and in order to make it easily extensible, the individual radial profiles are written in VBScript. This also permits scrutiny of the mathematical algorithms used to generate the various profiles. Currently it will export the rendered profiles in the following formats: BMP, Adobe Illustrator, and SVG. In the case of the Adobe Illustrator format, this can be converted into CarveWright / Compucarve Designer files (MPCs).

    Simply extract the "Radial Vector Generator v1.2" folder. For further information, please see the readme.txt file in the attached ZIP file.

    Note: The software tool is attached to this post as a ZIP file, and has been scanned with Symantec v11.0.6005.562.

    2016-01-17 JLT: Updated and attached to post the latest Radial Vector Generator software v1.5a. Virus scanned with Windows Defender.
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Last edited by JLT; 01-17-2016 at 01:59 PM. Reason: Updating Radial Vector Generator software...

  2. Default

    Wow I need a dictionary to figure out half of these two paragraphs. LOL. I am sure this is great but I don't want to go back to school and math was never my strong point anyway.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Beaufort SC
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    That is a great Program, It just makes me want to make something with gears. Maybe and over complicated way to turn on the light switch or something. Hmmm the posibilities are endless. Thanks for the program. Great work.
    David Greer
    "Woodworking is the Illusion of Perfection"
    Shadowboxs, Kbar Holders, Sword Holders Etc.
    Find Me on Facebook
    Email Me if you need something

  4. #4

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    Can you post some examples of what this program will do? Also have you used this software to create and carve any projects or parts on the carvewright?

    Dvel56

  5. #5

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    Very nice! Thanks for posting this!

  6. #6
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by dvel56 View Post
    Can you post some examples of what this program will do? Also have you used this software to create and carve any projects or parts on the carvewright?


    I used a precursor to the utility to create a prototype wooden clock, using the 1/8" cutting bit (see "Prototype.JPG"). I never finished this prototype clock as it was simply a proof of concept, but it would run for a couple of hours on a manual winding. I really wanted to make a more sophisticated wooden clock, and after one of the senior members turned me onto the 1/16" cutting bit, I worked through the kinks of cutting smaller wheels and pinions on the CW (see "Clock - Work in Progress.JPG"). This wooden clock currently sits in the "land of undone projects", as along the way I had also been dabbling with trying to make a replica of a celestial calculator (see recent Projects post), which I'm now pressing to complete.

    The utility I posted greatly simplifies the cutting of wheels, pinions, escapements, and other radial vectors. It also pre-calculates the offset of the cutting bit, to provide for a more accurate cut on the CW. I posted the utility a few months back on the Beall Tool clock forum, where it's already been put to good use. Essentially, the tool takes out the tedium of manually cutting wheels and pinions, although some might find that therapeutic.

    (Along the way, I might note, the good folks at LHR enhanced Designer to better handle large vector drawings.)

    The tool itself, though, doesn't replace the overall design aspect. Anyone who's built a wooden mechanism will tell you that more wood ends up in the scrap heap than on the device itself. See "Scraps.JPG" ; - ).

    As a current example, I've made some simple modifications to the "Radiant Lines" script, and am using it to generate the front dial on the celestial calculator I'm making (see sample MPC, which you might have to zoom in on to see the vector). Compare with http://www.nature.com/news/2010/1011...96a/box/2.html, which is what I'm angling for. Thus, the utility takes the tedium out of having to line up, in this case, the 365 line segments in a circular fashion, and lets me instead focus on the nuances of engraving the cast acrylic, which is far less predictable.

    So, for the past day, rather than having to draw a mind numbing number of line segments, I've been more productively trying to figure out how to engrave this MPC on cast acrylic, as early testing on scrap showed that the 60 deg bit quickly becomes gummed up with acrylic. After about a dozen experiments, I've arrived at solution involving packing tape, carpet tape, a benzomatic torch, and water based white paint. (See final result at the bottom of "Engraving Cast Acrylic.JPG".)
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Prototype.JPG   Clock - Work in Progress.JPG   Scraps.JPG   Engraving Cast Acrylic.JPG  

    Attached Files Attached Files
    Last edited by JLT; 03-12-2011 at 05:45 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
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    Brighton, TN
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    I just got a warning on a Trojan Injector from BitDefender Antivirus on this program. Please note: I am NOT saying it is intentional BUT it looks like the OP's computer might have a virus or more specifically a Trojan Injector on their system. The info link is: Trojan.Heur.Lm0 and there is not much information on it yet other than is seems to be very effective and a repackaged version of an earlier injector. I hope it is a false alarm as I like the program! Treat this info as you will and be cautious as the virus writers are getting VERY good at what they do.

    Sorry to the OP but I needed to bring it up.
    Steve

    Centerline
    Pattern Editor
    Conforming Vectors
    DXF Importer
    STL Importer
    2D Advanced Tools
    Designer 1.187, 2.007 and **NONE** on Mac OS 10.15.6 and Windows 10 via Parallels on Mac

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Lancaster, PA
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    JLT, this has been a great post. I've downloaded and tried the Vector Generator; very nice (and no problems with gremlins, either). Your recent post about carving one gear at a time is so logical, thnx for the idea. The issue you raised about carves being off-center (seconded by LG) does present a problem for tight tolerance fits. Is the problem predictable or random? Anybody have a solution?
    Regards, Joe
    Plea of Insanity for Addiction to ol' H-D Sporters

  9. #9
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    Feb 2008
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    Maryland, USA
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    Default

    In an effort to save others the learning curve I went through, the following are some basic tips I follow to cut out vector profiles using baltic birch:

    * I predominately use the 1/16" cutting bit (not to be confused with the carving bit).

    * Use double sided carpet tape to hold down the large wheels. For the pinions (small wheels), I don't cut all the way through the 1/4" birch plywood, but instead, cut down to and maybe a touch into the last ply. This last ply holds the pinion while being cut. I also am at the ready to hit the Stop button should the pinion appear to break loose while cutting. Then, after removing the board from the sled, I punch the pinion out, and remove (via chisel or sander) the last ply.

    * Use a sled with a replaceable piece of 1/4" material (eg, underlayment or luan) under the birch plywood. As I cut the various vectors, this 1/4" underlayment will begin to be cut up too, and have less and less surface to hold the carpet tape. I then flip it, use the other side, and then eventually replace it altogether.

    * Use a scraper and then damp cloth to remove the carpet tape residue from the 1/4" underlayment, and then let it dry. Otherwise the carpet tape won't hold onto the 1/4" underlayment as well.

    * Cut one wheel or pinion at a time on the sled. Since the Designer software doesn't let you order the cuts, if you were to have all the wheels and pinions on a single project, the sequence is such that all the gear profiles will be cut first, followed by all the center arbor holes via the drill function. The problem is that after all the moving around performing the vector cuts, the likelihood of drift is higher, and subsequently the arbors are less precisely placed relative to the actual gear profile.

    * Also note that the resulting vector and arbor from the Radial Vector Generator is sometimes not exactly centered on the 15" x 15" MPC file, but instead is sometimes off by .007" in both the X & Y direction. Have never figured out whether it was something caused by my program, ai2mpc, or designer. The arbor is still centered relative to the gear profile, but if you replace the drill hole with another arbor hole (eg, a square bossed arbor as I have done in the past), that .007", if not taken into account, will result in a slightly offset arbor hole, which is not good...

  10. #10

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    Also note that the resulting vector and arbor from the Radial Vector
    Generator is sometimes not exactly centered on the 15" x 15" MPC file, but
    instead is sometimes off by .007" in both the X & Y direction. Have never
    figured out
    It's Designer... I surprised you can get centered as well as you do..
    Last edited by liquidguitars; 04-09-2011 at 07:11 PM.

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