pic: Modular Gearbox

[Ari423]

Originally Posted by GeeTwo

I agree that you would not want retaining rings, even if machining were not an issue - they're a high-stress point.

Did you consider using thunder hex stock? Not because it's rounded, but because it has a bore. You could retain the shafts with self-tapping screws and washers (or tap the hole and use elevator bolts) and save a few tenths relative to shaft collars. There may be other pre-bored hex stock out there as well. Churros would work for demonstration purposes, but are not good for transferring the torque you'll need in a drive train, much less an arm.

I thought of that, but I don't think it would work. Right now, the flanges are on the inside of the tube and the shaft collars are inside of them keeping the bearings from falling inwards. The screws on the end of the shaft would only be able to be outside of the bearings, meaning the bearings would have to be flipped so the flanges are on the outside of the tube. Because of that, the rest of the bearing is sticking through the tube wall .15" into the tube, taking up more space than the shaft collar.

*Let me know if I'm not explaining that clearly*