Simple 3D Gear design software recommendation

[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?

[m_c]

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.

Yeah, you need to take the standard form, then scale it to/from the disappearing point where the centre of the two shafts meets.
As Leadhead isn't hobbing, the variable tooth size doesn't really add to the complexity of the machining, just the designing.

Gear machining is something that fascinates me, especially when you see some of the setups and tools from pre-computer days.