[Joe G.]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

It's way easier to machine gearbox sideplates or gearbox shafts than it is to index and machine even a COTS gear with non-revolved features like dog teeth. They're both certainly possible, but it's just more effort to get the machining on the gear concentric than it is to mill out a gearbox plate from stock. I'd probably do something like this if I wanted to use a different dog gear; it's a good solution I think. I don't see why this wouldn't work.

Yes, machining a dog profile into a steel sprocket on a manual mill was an experience filled with pain and regret. It's easy enough with the right resources, but custom gearboxes can easily be built without them through techniques like this.