Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
G'day everyone,
A big project that I have wanted to make since I first got the dividing head, was a planetary gearbox. The only problem was that I didn't know how to make the ring gear, however, having been able to approximate the involute to a degree that is close enough, I have finally been able to crack the last barrier to making this specific gearbox.
Wit that said, not a quick or straight forward project, especially when the ring gear will be made from aluminium, which took over 3 (maybe 4) hours to broach on the lathe.
The planetary gear is an interesting type of gearbox because it has 6 different ratios depending on the input(s) and output chosen. This is unlike a normal gear train which has 2 combinations. And unlike a regular gear the ratios are not straightforward. A 36 tooth sun meshing with an 18 tooth planet will yield a 3:1 reduction at the carrier. Normally this ratio would be a 1:2 increase.
So in this video lets go ahead and make a planetary gearbox (epicyclic gear train or planetary gearset). The gears, the housing and the carrier. I hope you enjoy this video.
- Copernicus Makes
#machining #planetaryGearbox
Timestamps
0:00 - Introduction to the Planetary Gearbox
3:33 - Making The Ring Gear/Housing
12:00 - Making The Carrier Plate
15:00 - Making The Backing
16:03 - Making The Sun and Planet Gears
21:04 - Making The Carrier Pins and Housing Assembly
24:36 - The Planetary Gearbox
G'day everyone,
A big project that I have wanted to make since I first got the dividing head, was a planetary gearbox. The only problem was that I didn't know how to make the ring gear, however, having been able to approximate the involute to a degree that is close enough, I have finally been able to crack the last barrier to making this specific gearbox.
Wit that said, not a quick or straight forward project, especially when the ring gear will be made from aluminium, which took over 3 (maybe 4) hours to broach on the lathe.
The planetary gear is an interesting type of gearbox because it has 6 different ratios depending on the input(s) and output chosen. This is unlike a normal gear train which has 2 combinations. And unlike a regular gear the ratios are not straightforward. A 36 tooth sun meshing with an 18 tooth planet will yield a 3:1 reduction at the carrier. Normally this ratio would be a 1:2 increase.
So in this video lets go ahead and make a planetary gearbox (epicyclic gear train or planetary gearset). The gears, the housing and the carrier. I hope you enjoy this video.
- Copernicus Makes
#machining #planetaryGearbox
Timestamps
0:00 - Introduction to the Planetary Gearbox
3:33 - Making The Ring Gear/Housing
12:00 - Making The Carrier Plate
15:00 - Making The Backing
16:03 - Making The Sun and Planet Gears
21:04 - Making The Carrier Pins and Housing Assembly
24:36 - The Planetary Gearbox
