All 'Geared up' for Easel Live!

Projects
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Hi All,

I am excited to announce that on 2/17/17 we are going to be hosting another Easel Class Live on Youtube!

The topic? GEAR-MANIA

I myself (who has never made anything with a gear before) started out with making a peg board and using the gear app to make some basic sizes of gears.

Here is the easel file I started with: Easel - gear peg board template

I played around with that, and decided it would be fun to learn how to make two hands “clap” with using gears.

Image uploaded from iOS.jpg4032×3024 2.6 MB

After this rough prototype, I was feeling pretty good. A friend pointed out that the bottom gear could be rolled to actuate the gears.

https://discuss-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/original/3X/b/0/b0954ed7e9a7ec56bd34df06449b56ab8cde0d4c.mp4

That opened up my brain to think about how to make a little animal toy that would roll and have it’s limbs move. So I worked on the gear camel!

https://discuss-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/original/3X/f/6/f60c7ad9b187660aa210b2b2c45fefe926756f34.MOV

It was super fun to figure out how to get that working, here is the project and Easel file:

As you can see, I am still working on the gear elephant. But, I promise will be awesome…

IMG_2950.JPG3170×2317 2.42 MB

So, even if you have NO idea where to start with gears, cut some out and play around. You will be surprised how fun it is and how easy it is to develop projects.

Below, please share the most whimsical or technical creation you have made with gears!

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I’m building a list of projects to begin making after all my parts arrive and I can get this XC up and running. I’ll add this to my list because I just know my little grandkids would love little moving animals. :blush: Thanks!!

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I love it! Hope to be there this Friday!

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Inspired by some of my colleagues, I dipped my toe into the world of generating hypotrochoids and epitrochoids! – also called Spirographs.

I think this project falls about here on the whimsical/technical spectrum:

They are very fun both to make and use. If you’re not scared of a bit of geometry, you can learn how they work here. Mine’s not perfect, but it’s a good place to start and get some ideas for your own.

IMG_2947.JPG3256×2368 2.52 MB

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The Linkages program is an excellent way to experiment with the geometry and placement of these and see it working. Then take the gear info into a easel to construct the actual gears and linkages.
Check it out - (Windows, free)

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Bit size for the fine teeth?

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I used a 1/16" fishtail, which seemed to work. For more precise applications 1/32" would probably be better.

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I made a robotic gripper using MDF.

IMG_20170216_102621.jpg3120×4160 1.8 MB

I decided to take it a step further and made a Claw with a rack and pinion mechanism.

https://discuss-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/original/3X/2/8/28b5588fb16f1e1e6b5db1786c138ffb894bb706.mp4

6 Likes