Quote:
Originally Posted by topgun
Normally I would agree with you about buying your own gears and making your own gearboxes, but there are many many teams that don't have that capability, either in people, machining or sponsors.
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Sorry for my words, but this is a load of crap.
You have a group of people interested in engineering and dedicated to a goal. If you guys can't sit down, and decide to learn how to make a simple spur gearbox with the tools you have available, stop competing, because you either have no competitive drive.
Making a single speed, speed reducing, torque increasing plain jane gearbox is a darn simple design exercise, and if a group of intelligent, passionate and motivated people can't do it, it's just a lack of wanting it bad enough. Doing one that can be "machined" by hand is a tad bit more difficult, but only marginally so. I know of several teams who have literally hand made gearboxes (we do it quite often prototyping...).
I don't mean to be cocky, as I'm no amazing designer, but I could knock out a N:1 single speed gearbox in thirty minutes or less in CAD, and a few minutes or less in conceptual design. This is true of many, many members on FIRST teams, many of which have no special skills and are just average people.
In summary, you can do it, and if you need help just ask.