OK, I have a 3-axis Tormach PCNC770, which has a work area of 7"x14", and I want to make some simple involute gears about 12" in diameter. (This is for a can crusher, not the Clock of the Long Now.) Is there any STONE SIMPLE way to go about this? By "stone simple" I mean something as simple as creating a two-axis toolpath around an aluminum blank. I can make a 6" gear this way, but not bigger. I see lots of advice about mounting an involute cutter in the spindle, the gear blank onto a (vertically mounted?) rotary table, and then machining teeth. Is that the simplest way? I am guessing that MANY people have been down this path before me.
I should mention that at present the only CAM program I have is vCarve Pro. The Tormach uses Mach3.
I should mention that at present the only CAM program I have is vCarve Pro. The Tormach uses Mach3.