On Sat, 26 Feb 2005 15:04:54 -0800, Grant Erwin
wrote:

I tore down old No. 97 today, wondering what was up with the feed handle.
It's a very simple feed mechanism -- a vertical shaft fixed from rotating
by a keyway riding on a pin, with a rack machined into it. This part is
in excellent condition with no apparent damage to the gear teeth. The
mating part, however, is a 3/4" shaft with integral 12-tooth 12DP 14.5°PA
gear with a very wide face, well over 1" wide. This is functionally identical
to a wide 12-tooth steel spur gear mounted on a 3/4" shaft. The part of
this shaft that is machined as a spur gear is pretty mangled. It isn't that
the teeth are broken, rather in a couple places they have been overstressed
to the point where the metal has flowed. I could just grind off the excess,
leaving a very thin tooth, and it would once again go up and down smoothly,
but it would transmit very little force.

I don't have a 12DP 14.5PA 12 tooth cutter or I'd be looking at cutting my
first gear. I priced out a steel spur gear, figuring I could just turn this
gear off its shaft and machine a keyway and put on a replacement gear, but
it looks like I'd need an extra-wide one which is too much $$. This whole
machine isn't worth much even in perfect condition (a Champion No. 97
post drill with fast & loose flat belt drive pulleys) so it isn't worth
putting a lot of dollars into.

All of the spur gear teeth are badly worn, or I'd grind down the bad ones,
drill and tap for some set screws, and cast new teeth out of JB Weld. But
these teeth look like they have to take a pretty heavy load and I can't
get a good casting anywhere on this gear, so that's out.

Anyone got a spur gear excess to their needs? A gear cutter I can borrow?
A better idea?

I can post a pic if that would help.

Grant Erwin
Kirkland, Washington
To email me see http://www.tinyisland.com/email.html


Grant:\

Let me look in the tool box on Monday morning to see if I might have
that cutter.

Errol Groff
Assuming of course that we don't get snowed out again!