Simple 3D Gear design software recommendation

[Leadhead]

Could anyone recommend a "Simple 3D Gear design software" please. Would like to generate and machine a couple of bevel gears for 90deg transmission. Not for a strenuous operation, just a mechanical lifter. Looked at Gearotic but that is way over the top. Hopefully open source programme is available.
Any advise appreciated.

[m_c]

There's nothing simple about gear design, especially once you get more complicated than a basic spur gear.

Best option would be to find somebody with a copy of gearotic who's willing to produce the code you need, or just buy a couple ready made gears.

[Leadhead]

m-c - Not completely unfamiliar with relatively simple gear design. Just do not want to revise and re-teach myself at this time.
But would like to experiment with a couple of things. This would totally frustrate any third party!
The bevel gear add-in for F360 produces what I want but it is a trade off between graphic presentation and real gear form. But studying this to see if it will suffice in this instance. I need to cut with a vertical axis and radial toolpath, so will not be generically correct in any case. But I will will cut a pair and see. Maybe try printing the same in nylon on a metal core.

[komatias]

m-c - Not completely unfamiliar with relatively simple gear design. Just do not want to revise and re-teach myself at this time.
But would like to experiment with a couple of things. This would totally frustrate any third party!
The bevel gear add-in for F360 produces what I want but it is a trade off between graphic presentation and real gear form. But studying this to see if it will suffice in this instance. I need to cut with a vertical axis and radial toolpath, so will not be generically correct in any case. But I will will cut a pair and see. Maybe try printing the same in nylon on a metal core.

Could you not just buy the gears off the shelf? They are not that expensive from the likes of beltingonline?

[Leadhead]

George - That`s not the spirit of it?? - Jigsaw mentality - more fun to do it, than what you end up with.

[EddyCurrent]

Any decent CAD software has a polar array function, meaning you only need draw one tooth. also it should be possible to get a tooth cross section from somewhere (I haven't looked but feel confident)

[m_c]

I think you'd get away with a standard tooth profile, tilted so it matches the correct cone angle.

I'd have to dig out the gear design/machining book I've got buried somewhere to confirm that though.

[Neale]

I think you'd get away with a standard tooth profile, tilted so it matches the correct cone angle.

I'd have to dig out the gear design/machining book I've got buried somewhere to confirm that though.

Trouble is, tooth needs to scale with distance along - tooth width and gap aren't constant. There are some standard ways of getting close using a dividing head and taking three cuts per tooth space but I'm not sure how you would fully automate that.

[Leadhead]

For clarity, I am aiming at a full 3D file to cut conventionally on a 3 axis CNC. With the axis vertical and if practical a radial toolpath.
I believe I am almost there with a bit of caddery-pokery. Makes one very respectful of Art Fernety and his Gearotic software.

[Neale]

Out of interest, what kind of size/tooth count are you looking at? Tool choice would be interesting as well - small enough to get into the bottom of the tooth but still giving a decent finish?