# Where do I find ..........



## pandreasen (Nov 27, 2018)

I am trying to find a cutter for the spur gear that interfaces with the carriage traverse rack on an Atlas 618 lathe. Every cutter table or maker I find does not go below 10-12 teeth. This has 8 teeth and is only 0.532" in diameter!
Anyone know of a source. I can't afford to pay upwards of $70-100 for it! Plus, the "new" ones for sale all seem to be with a larger diameter shaft. Mine is only ~ 0.355" (also nicely oblonged!)
I can't make a cutter for it as my hands shake too much. Age and military service has left me with that cute little "addition" to my physical skills! Nice having to have my daughter solder things. LOL


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## Boxster9 (Nov 27, 2018)

Have you checked with Victor Machinery Exchange at  Victornet.com or 800/723-5359?


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## benmychree (Nov 27, 2018)

Gear cutters below 12 teeth are made only for a specific number of teeth, in your case, the cutter would only cut 8 teeth, no more, no less.
Look online for Ash Gear Co., they sell gear cutting tooling of all types.  Also make sure as to what pressure angle your rack gear is, there is a good chance that it is not 14 1/2 deg., likely it may be 20 deg.  With gear under 12 teeth, the teeth tend to be weakened by undercutting, and likely in that case, going to a larger pressure angle results in a stronger pinion.


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## Cadillac (Nov 27, 2018)

McMaster Carr


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## benmychree (Nov 27, 2018)

Cadillac said:


> McMaster Carr


Very unlikely, they would just have the standard #1 - 8 cutter sets.  Not even big tool companies sell these special cutters.  Ash Gear may have them available, they are quite specialized.


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## middle.road (Nov 27, 2018)

pandreasen said:


> I am trying to find a cutter for the spur gear that interfaces with the carriage traverse rack on an Atlas 618 lathe. Every cutter table or maker I find does not go below 10-12 teeth. This has 8 teeth and is only 0.532" in diameter!
> Anyone know of a source. I can't afford to pay upwards of $70-100 for it! Plus, the "new" ones for sale all seem to be with a larger diameter shaft. Mine is only ~ 0.355" (also nicely oblonged!)
> I can't make a cutter for it as my hands shake too much. Age and military service has left me with that cute little "addition" to my physical skills! Nice having to have my daughter solder things. LOL


Are the teeth OK?
Perhaps braze a plug and re-bore it?
(picture would assist.)


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## Ulma Doctor (Nov 27, 2018)

are you dead set on making a gear???
the gears can be purchased on EBay i'm sure


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## Mark Needham (Nov 27, 2018)

It's a small gear. Presuming therefore that it is a high speed.????
Q. What sort of speed max, would it do?
Q. What material is the gear and its mating gear made of?
Q. How much use does it get.?
Q. Seems a bit crass to ask this, but how much longer do you reckon you will be using the machine?

At a pinch, depending on circumstances, ie, answers to the above questions, you have an option not many would dare even think about.
lets say answers are, 200rpm, castiron, 20 times a year@1hour per week, 20 years. ( which is a reasonable duty) The Gear will spin <10 million revs.
The i/p gear on an average cars gear box, at ~2000rpm, etc is ............bloody big numbers and a far greater HP Duty cycle, and so on. Here's the thing.

Cut the gear by hand. The function of success, is proportional to your own skill and accuracy, but my wife would be able to achieve a do-able gear. I reckon. I have made several over the years, 30, and no complaints yet.

edit:- PS.  At a pinch, send the gear to me, I'll do you one, for the pleasure of showing you what can be done.


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## Ulma Doctor (Nov 27, 2018)

like this?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Craftsman-...905489&hash=item2cdf8ae509:g:ABIAAOSwsqdb8f2w

or this?

https://www.ebay.com/p/Atlas-618-Cr...m=372497046313&_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109


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## Cadillac (Nov 28, 2018)

benmychree said:


> Very unlikely, they would just have the standard #1 - 8 cutter sets.  Not even big tool companies sell these special cutters.  Ash Gear may have them available, they are quite specialized.




I thought he was asking where a gear could be had. Wasn’t very clear on gear or cutter? I had luck getting the gears and rack for my SG from them. Boston gears too. 
 The links look like a winner to me for that price.


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## dlane (Nov 28, 2018)

..........


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## brino (Nov 28, 2018)

okay, 8 teeth, but what pitch?
(I don't want to have to look it up by lathe model.....or work it out from tooth count and diameter....)

If I have it in my shop, I'll lend it to you by mail.
If I don't I can check the bin at my local tool monger for a decent used one at a good price.

PM me if interested, I do not check this site every day.
-brino


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## pandreasen (Dec 11, 2018)

middle.road said:


> Are the teeth OK?
> Perhaps braze a plug and re-bore it?
> (picture would assist.)


Teeth are worn. That is the problem. The teeth that intersect with the rack produces almost  .008 slop (not backlash) when transiting carriage.


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## pandreasen (Dec 11, 2018)

middle.road said:


> Are the teeth OK?
> Perhaps braze a plug and re-bore it?
> (picture would assist.)





Ulma Doctor said:


> are you dead set on making a gear???
> the gears can be purchased on EBay i'm sure



Yes, but can't afford $70-100 for a gear! Plus the "new" ones are wrong size. Mine is older set with brass bushing. Even used are almost that.


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## pandreasen (Dec 11, 2018)

Ulma Doctor said:


> like this?
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/Craftsman-...905489&hash=item2cdf8ae509:g:ABIAAOSwsqdb8f2w
> 
> or this?
> ...



No, like this


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## pandreasen (Dec 11, 2018)

Mark Needham said:


> It's a small gear. Presuming therefore that it is a high speed.????
> Q. What sort of speed max, would it do?
> Q. What material is the gear and its mating gear made of?
> Q. How much use does it get.?
> ...



I would be more than happy to pay for one! I culdn't do it, my hands shake too much. One of the good things about machinery! They don't! (usually)
How would I get it to you? Don't know how PM works.
paulandreasen@gmail.com


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## pandreasen (Dec 11, 2018)

Mark Needham said:


> It's a small gear. Presuming therefore that it is a high speed.????
> Q. What sort of speed max, would it do?
> Q. What material is the gear and its mating gear made of?
> Q. How much use does it get.?
> ...



Forgot


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## pandreasen (Dec 11, 2018)

brino said:


> okay, 8 teeth, but what pitch?
> (I don't want to have to look it up by lathe model.....or work it out from tooth count and diameter....)
> 
> If I have it in my shop, I'll lend it to you by mail.
> ...



Haven't a clue to pitch.


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## mattthemuppet2 (Dec 11, 2018)

to be completely honest, it shouldn't matter how worn that gear is as long as it meshes well with its mating gear or rack. I have the same lathe and I have at least 1/6 turn slop in the carriage, doesn't make the slightest difference to my work and most of the time I barely notice it. There's no longitudinal measurement on the 618 any sort other than what you put on there (I have an iGaging DRO which is nice), so backlash is moot.

Unless it interferes with your ability to move the tool into a cut, I wouldn't worry about it.


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## Mark Needham (Dec 13, 2018)

pandreasen said:


> I would be more than happy to pay for one! I culdn't do it, my hands shake too much. One of the good things about machinery! They don't! (usually)
> How would I get it to you? Don't know how PM works.
> paulandreasen@gmail.com


G’day Paul, Just got back home. Yeah, I know about this getting old bit.   70 now, and starting to slow down some. Ah well, them’s the breaks, Hey! Check your postage, before you commit. I just sent a small roo skin to a mate in Tooele Utah, cost me A$70.00. Bastards are into us for everything. I’ll knock it up out of some 4140, harden and temper. OK,  Post it to me @, ?  Give us a couple of days, and I’ll get it back to you. Cheers mate, Mark Needham


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## pandreasen (Aug 13, 2020)

Mark, it has been a while. I DID send the gear to you W A Y back then! 
Did you ever get it? 
Haven't heard from you since. 
I got one, but not much better than the old one. And, yes, it cost more to send it down under than a new one would cost, IF they were available!
Hey, I just learned what "An Australian Kiss" is! It's the same as a french kiss, but "down under"! LOL


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## extropic (Aug 13, 2020)

pandreasen said:


> Mark, it has been a while. I DID send the gear to you W A Y back then!
> Did you ever get it?
> Haven't heard from you since.
> I got one, but not much better than the old one. And, yes, it cost more to send it down under than a new one would cost, IF they were available!
> Hey, I just learned what "An Australian Kiss" is! It's the same as a french kiss, but "down under"! LOL



It looks like his last post was May 14, 2019.
My guess is, you're out of luck.


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## pandreasen (Aug 14, 2020)

Bummer. I spent almost $60 sending a 2oz package to him! Postage to there is bad! Maybe I could have just gone out to sea, and dropped it over the edge to him!
Thanks for the heads-up & God Bless


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