Making your own rack & pinion
 

How hard is it to machine a rack and pinion?

what kind of machine to use? wirecut?

i met a kind machinist who would do stuff for low price. but i don't want to pay for something unusable.

Hi Nikonauts

I am no expert but I would expect that it is easy to machine a rack and pinion, IF you have a machine that is designed to do so.
At the price that rack and pinions are available in most parts of the world I would say just buy it. I have tried to build my machine as economically as possible and rack is expensive in Australia compared to the rest of the world but I still purchased the rack. I have the ability to make rack myself but I did not even attempt it as there are too many opportunities to make a mistake and ruin the whole thing.

This is just my opinion, you may be able to do it, but I wouldn’t.

Jayson.

I'm inclined to think it may be more practical to cast racks from urethane resin rather than machine make them. Obviously you would need a rack to make moulds from.

Is rack really that difficult to get in your part of the world? I paid around 150 dollars for all my rack for a 5' x 10' machine. The urethane resin would far exceed that cost alone.

it's not difficult to find, in fact i've bought 2 piece today for my Z (Carbon Steel, Module-1 300mm, $15 per piece) just 15 minutes away from home.

But for me, to buy for the whole machine is a bit expensive. i know this is a big machine and i shouldn't make noise when i can't make it fit my super tiny budget.

$150 is cheap, lucky you. Last night playing with SDP online shop get me around $110 for the whole machine including pinion, but it's Nylon101 rack. $150 i can afford. But after checking out with about 5 rack selling automation supplier it'd cost me around $420 for a complete set of metal rack.

All the salesperson at all the outlet i went was unfriendly people. So i'd rather spend the budget on the machinist, if he could do it.

Does anyone has any experience (good or bad) with China made rack and pinion?

I am being offered the following from China:
1) Rack, C45 steel, Module 1, 15 x 15 mm (or 16 x 16 mm), 1000 mm length at a price of less than USD 5.00/pc FOB-Shanghai
2) Spur Gear or Pinion, 20T (or 30T) at less than USD 1.00/pc FOB-Shanghai

The catch above is that the minimum quantity for rack is 100 pcs and 600 pcs for gear/pinion and I obviously do not need that many. They can also make them in stainless steel.

Comments?

man, that's cheap... dead cheap. but wonder how much it'd cost to ship them to south east asia.

neither of us need them that many. true.

hmm... a typical 4x8 build needs 8 meter of rack. 100/8 = 12.5 build
12 x 4 = 48 pinion. that's a lot of surplus.

if i volunteer to buy them in lot, would anyone want them? Australians?

You in Oz Nikonauts?

If so I'm interested depending on local price

Bob, what sort of comments are you wanting?

I'm not in Oz. I'm in malaysia. What i mean was, Australians have the same problem when acquiring R&P, expensive price.

I've checked with malaysian postal service, price of EMS postage to australia is US$21(first 500g) + US$4 (each extra 500g).

for guide, 10kg of package costs $97. maximum weight per package is 20kg. i don't have information what 1m rack would weigh, i don't have my 10x10x300mm module 1 rack with me now.

i also don't have problem if you could make do with normal/registered postage service.

ASSUMING 8 meters of 15x15x1000 mod 1 rack costs US$40, and weigh 10kg(assumed). And i ask for like US$4 for packaging. Total cost would be like US$141 for a 4x8 build plus whatever it costs to ship from china to malaysia (divided by 12). wow, that must be close to US$200. But still look cheaper to me.

Is that ok?

Maybe we could buy in one lot and ask them to mail them to each of us. hahaha.... Waiting for CNCQuest to share info about them.

Gerald & Nikonauts
I was wondering how much they would cost in Australia (Oz)
But Nikonauts has answered the question now.

Buying from AUS is special order (Well I think it is) I know TEA said they were importing mine from Italy.

CNCQuest, and others if interested I would import them, I have the room (well I will soon a small factory) and the funds to do so. Would just have to work out shipping as I think Air Freight would be the only way to go, or ocean freight which takes forever.

I would have to charge the cost, postage, import taxes, and postage again to your place if needed.

@Chris
Thanks for the offer. It's very nice of you. All the best for the factory project!


I've emailed Deitech, asking them wether they would supply R&P. They say THEY DO!! I'm supplying them the specs... and let's wait for their price and all. It'd take the burden away from anyone that would be importing them if we're to do a group buy (and the double shipping charge too).

Got price from Hong Kong, it's a bit more than FOB Shanghai but someone is willing buy in bulk and to sell to us in retail quantity (8m/order). Anyone interested please message me because I need to get at least 4 initial order to get them to start selling the racks.

If not then i think i will have to order 4 set. That won't be economic anymore.

Hi,
Any progress?

Cheers

Hi Nikonauts,
How is Malaysia doing? Have been to KL a number of times, very enjoyable, people are very hospitable and the food is great.

You can use a milling machine to cut the rack, but it requires a special cutter and the feed needs to be controlled very carefully, which puts it out of the normal machine shop range.

Alternatively, you can use a shaper, feed still a problem.

Best regards,

Jan

Hi I would buy from them can you pm me their contact?
and Nikonauts do you mind sharing your contact from Hong Kong the price sounds good.

Can this machine make gear rack? What tools do I need?

Need to know more
 

What type of machine is it? Do you have a better photo? Its hard to say if it will, i don't see a driving part.

The Average machine shop should be able to cut gear teeth into a rack, if it is cheaper than buying it from someone who makes thousands a day is debatable.
The cutter alone costs $50 from mcmaster, and the time required to cut 20'ish of rack is considerable. I cut a piece of rack a few years ago, for a machining class, it took me 4 hours to do a foot.
And i know you're on a budget, aren't we all, but when you consider that the rack costs $50 for 6', i would say that it is well worth the extra 100-150.

Cool!
 

Ah. I get it now, i have never actually seen one.

the machine head just go front and back and the bottom part just move left and right.
I never use this machine before because I am not sure what it is for actually. Well I prefer buying if its got a reasonable price, the last shop I ask they want $100 a meter.
I wonder if I could use mod 3 and 42tooth pinion instead of mod 1 because I already have 42size motor with 19mm shaft.

If you are in the states, why not just get some rack from Standard Steel Specialty. They have really good pricing. A lot of people here have used them. Moore gear also does gear rack.

A shaper is an extremely useful machine to have, for instance cutting key ways or shaping odd forms that cannot be milled. It basically works like a plane, cutting away the metal with each stroke.

However, a horizontal milling machine with a rack cutter will cut a rack much easier as it is easier to position. With a shaper you have to advance it tooth by tooth.

Where did Ken get his rack from?

http://www.gearhobs-millingcutters-t...m/cutters.html

I got my racks from Deitech, they come in minimum 10m quantity.
I can buy S45C Module 1 locally in loose quantity, better quality but 3 times more costly. The local sources also supply rack of 12mm, 14, 16 & 20mm square.

Jan I would also suggest a a horizontal mill with a slotting head attachment. then you get to run the length of the table. Rack made in oz is flame hardened after cutting so the use of a HSS profined to module 1 could make the cut in one pass.

I would expect a mounting jig would be needed as well as truing up the bar stock.

I think by the time you invest in the knowledge to make your own rack you will see that it is better to buy it and spend that time learning how to run your MechMate on the other end.

I read online where an old timer said you can make anything except money with a Shaper. So they are slow.

So I would say save your pennies and buy the rack.

Mike

Totally agree, making rack will cost you time. If your up for the challenge, give it a go!

If you have ever operated a shaper before, you will quickly realise that it is the wrong tool for creating evenly spaced rack teeth of a consistent depth. You will need to setup, and measure the result, of each tooth individually.